What Is Wax Play? Massage Candles As A Gateway To Soft Kink

Is wax play the pique of midway kink? The gateway to a little BDSM that’s been burning under our noses all this time? If you’re new to the kinky pastime, consider our humbly distilled definition: at its most basic, wax play is the act of sensually pouring candle wax onto a lover’s bare skin during foreplay, massage, and sex. Next to a little light spanking and flogging, we can’t think of a better way to low-key test the waters of dom-sub dynamics. Worst case scenario (well, maybe not the worst — be careful with fire!), you end up with a new candle for the mantle.
 
But on a deeper level, wax play encapsulates so much of the coy, tender undercurrent we love within BDSM practices — candle play can be warm, atmospheric, and deliciously medieval. That being said: Please don’t pour just any Yankee Candle on your lover’s buttocks. (Also, avoid the anus, that’s tender meat.) Rather, opt for massage candles whose scents and ingredients, like soy and paraffin, agree with your body. Trim your wick after use. Follow each candle’s heating instructions and, above all, communicate your kink needs with your partner(s) beforehand.
 
From sleek, understated black candles to an amber jar that’ll make millennial hearts sing, we’ve found a candle for every one of your bedroom moods.