How does £457/$530 worth of sexy products for £149 (Lovehoney UK) or $199 (Lovehoney US) sound to you? That’s what you get with this year’s 24-day advent calendar aimed at couples, which is on sale now. From today’s vanilla massage oil to vibrators, strokers, anal toys, and more, there’s something for everyone. These calendars sell out quickly, so don’t wait until December if you want one.

To help you decide if it’s for you, I’m unboxing the calendar day by day and posting a series of mini reviews of what’s inside. Come back each day until November 1 for more!

But for now, let’s get into Day 7.

Lovehoney Advent Calendar 2024 Day #7: Vanilla Massage Oil

Day 7’s box contains a 30ml bottle of Lovehoney’s vanilla massage oil. Massage can be a great precursor to sex, a way to connect intimately and show love and affection to a partner without getting your genitals involved, or a form of aftercare. For those in kinky dynamics, it can also be a fun form of service!

Product Info

This vanilla massage oil contains just four ingredients:

• Ethylhexyl palmite: A common and safe emollient and carrying agent which can soften and smooth the skin.
• Caprylic/capric triglyceride: Derived from coconut oil and glycerine, this antioxidant also smooths the skin and helps to bind other ingredients. It is safe for topical use unless you have a coconut oil allergy.
• Isopropyl myristate: An emollient with low viscosity which softens, smooths, and moisturises the skin and is safe and beneficial for most users. It may cause skin irritation in a small minority of people, usually those with existing skin conditions.
• Parfum (aroma): This is a weird one. “Parfum” isn’t actually an ingredient but a concoction that could contain any of over 3000 ingredients designed to make a product smell good. Some people recommend avoiding products with this mystery mix, others say it’s probably fine as long as you don’t have an allergy or sensitivity. Personally I don’t worry about it too much for products for occasional topical use (such as massage oils), but your risk tolerance may vary.

This oil is also sold separately under Lovehoney’s Fifty Shades of Grey branded products and retails for £11.99 for 30ml.

Pros

• Nice vanilla smell, distinctive but not overpowering or too “chemically”
• Glides on smoothly and has a pleasant skin feel

Cons

• Dries out quickly and doesn’t last particularly well, meaning you might need to reapply it regularly
• May be unsuitable for those with fragrance sensitivities or certain skin allergies
• Leaves a slight oily feeling on my hands after use

Verdict

Not my favourite massage oil, but it’s fine. I wouldn’t likely buy this again as there are other massage products I like a lot more.

Thanks to Lovehoney for sending me the 24 day Lovehoney x Womanizer Sex Toy Advent Calendar to review. All views are mine (with occasional input from Mr C&K!) Affiliate links appear in this post.