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Some consumers may be attracted to Jimmyjane’s latest creation, the Ember Natural Emollient Massage Candle, purely for its classic white porcelain container and eclectic scents.
But others may revel in its deviant side.
Ethan Imboden, chief executive officer and creative director of the company, wants only one thing: that all consumers know there’s no right or wrong way to use it.
The paraffin-free soy wax candle is specially formulated with a low melting point so that when it burns, it produces a large amount of melted wax that can be poured onto the skin as an instant emollient.
“There is a notion of sexiness embedded within all of our products, but we don’t dictate what to do with them,” he said. “It doesn’t scream sexiness other than the sexiness of the design. Many people will understand it as just a candle.”
Although Jimmyjane is known for its discreet, high-end, sexually oriented products such as platinum and gold vibrators and silk and suede blindfolds, the idea for the massage candle began with Imboden’s first experience with fragrance when the company created the Threesome Essential Fragrances.
“The idea with Threesome was to capture the scent of attraction,” he said. “Along the way, we were introduced to a lot of amazing scents, so I started a library of oils that I set aside that seemed intriguing to me.”
Armed with a multitude of scents, Imboden said the company then focused on the illumination and design of the candle. The porcelain square shape of the container allows for an even, illuminating glow when lit.
Each of the three candles in the line, Haberno + Grapefruit, Ginger + Date and Lychee + Lapsang, are scented with what Imboden describes as an aphrodisiac.
“The scents are designed such that one scent guides the mood and the other provides a sexual energy,” he said. “The grapefruit is very commonly recognized, but the spicy haberno gives it a sexy edge. Ginger + Date is a warm embrace, like a hug, and the Lychee + Lapsang is the richest and most deep of the fragrances.”
“The massage is sexy, but not just solely a sexual experience,” Imboden said. “I think you would be hard-pressed to find these combinations anywhere else. Jimmyjane is about these juxtapositions and the unexpected.”
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Melissa Ouellette, vice president of sales and marketing for the company, estimated the massage candle would do $500,000 in sales through the end of the year. The candle will be available at C.O. Bigelow in New York, Fred Segal in Santa Monica, Calif., and at select apothecaries and specialty boutiques throughout Europe.
— Andrea Arterbery
Sex sells.
At least that’s what two former Hollywood executives are banking on with Booty Parlor, a seven-item line designed to enhance beauty consumers’ sex lives.
Leaving the entertainment industry behind to toy around in another kind of “entertainment,” Dana Myers said Booty Parlor should alleviate shoppers from having to go outside beauty venues for their massage oil, bubble bath and lubricant.
“As women, we have so many choices when it comes to buying things — from fitness products to fashion and beauty accessories. But when it comes to buying things for our sex lives, we have to step out of our normal shopping patterns and go to stores,” said Myers, who founded the company with her husband, Charlie.
Introduced in 14 Victoria’s Secret stores late last month, products range in price from $12 to $28 and have whimsical names such as Don’t Stop Massage Oil, Naughty Bubbles Bubble Bath, Add Magic Lubricant, I’m So Sexy Lip Gloss, Dust Up Kissable Body Shimmer, Melt Chocolate Body Fondue and Light My Fire Candle, as well as a seduction kit.
Myers said the company tested the beauty products a year ago in a single Victoria’s Secret store, and after only a few months, Booty Parlor was added to another six locations. By the end of last month, that number had doubled to 14. Starting in October, the line will be available on Victoria’s Secret’s Web site and through the retailer’s November catalogue.
According to industry sources, Booty Parlor could generate $1 million in first-year retail sales, including its wholesale and home party business.
The company also plans to expand “to other beauty chains and funkier department and lifestyle-branding stores,” Myers said. Several hotels, including the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Los Angeles and the Red Rock Casino, Resort and Spa in Las Vegas, are offering Booty Parlor kits, as well.
Over the next two years, there are even plans to open a flagship and evolve into a chain.
By next spring, the company plans to introduce Curve Appeal, a firming cream meant to firm “women’s most luscious body parts,” and a Bronzing Mouse, a body lotion designed to deliver color and shimmer.