*This Sutil review is sponsored by Hathor.

Every brand has a shape to it. Sometimes, that shape is easy to find; other times, it’s a little more amorphous. It’s not something that I think always needs to be mentioned, but as soon as I started writing this Sutil review, I knew that I wanted to mention it.

The Hathor/Sutil shape is so defined that it’s hard for me to look at the brand without seeing it. It’s so clear; so vivid. It’s so easy to see that this brand is led by passion, and created by someone who understands the importance of connection in all of its forms.

I had the chance to speak with Sutil’s founder, Mellta Swift, before writing this Sutil review. Her own shape is that of a character who has fallen directly out of a reality just a step out of sync with ours, and who has brought some magical, sensual products with her. Like a true visionary of the 80’s, it’s clear from the start that what she cares about is changing lives with a truly great product — not changing her own life by making bank off of something that’s cheap to produce. Mellta began as a massage therapist, and then an aromatherapist, and began this family-run company with her daughter in 1989.

Hathor products aren’t clinical, but they’re not kitschy, either. They’re not something that you’d buy off of the shelf at a sticky-floored sex shop on the side of a highway, or that you’d find in a gift basket next to phallic balloons and high-fructose chocolate body paint. No: like Mellta herself, Hathor products exist as part of a whole, full-being experience.

Which part of the brand is Hathor, and which is Sutil?

Like many other reviewers I know, the line between Hathor and Sutil has always been fuzzy to me — but no longer! Hathor (as in the Egyptian goddess Hathor) is the parent brand, which began as a company that made natural spa products enriched with plant aphrodisiacs. Founded in 1989, Mellta created massage oils, lotions, and creams for a decade under the Hathor name before producing their first lube, Hathor Aphrodesia, in 2000.

Sutil is the new generation of Hathor products, with a modernized, hyaluronic acid formula. However, just like the original Hathor lineup, each product is influenced directly by Mellta’s background in aromatherapy and herbology. (Hey-o, horny goat weed!)

Hathor is also shaped by Nathanda Swift, Mellta’s daughter, who started working with her back in 1993. She co-owns and co-runs the company, and to hear Mellta describe her, she must be a formidable force: as steady and grounding a rock. When Nathanda first started mixing batches of spa products with her mom in the kitchen, she was just 16, and it remains a family-owned and operated company to this day! (Mellta’s son Jonny also joined their team in 2017.)

Left: Sutil Luxe Body Glide / Right: Sutil Rich Body Glide

Sutil Review: Game-Changing Lube, Then and Now

With an updated formula and brand new packaging to speak to the modern sex positive crowd, Sutil is a dream. It is, by far, the single best personal lubricant I’ve ever used. Just like Hathor Aphrodesia was leagues ahead of the rest of the market in 2000, Sutil Luxe and Rich are leagues ahead today. They have wonderful textures and longevity, and (my favourite part) they come in packaging that’s very easy to open and close.

I’ve used a lot of lube in my time, but none have been as enjoyable as these two from Sutil. The thinner Sutil Luxe feels realistic and non-sticky, but Rich is a level up. Sutil Rich is thick and glossy, with a wonderfully plush texture. It stretches between your fingers the way natural vaginal lubrication does, and lasts just as long. 

Sutil Rich is a product that defies logic; that feels simultaneously sensuous and space-age. It feels like something that should have come from a Star Trek episode: formulated by a culture that our intrepid explorers first think is bacchanalian and uncivilized, but soon realize is advanced far beyond our imaginations. Sutil Luxe feels like a very, very good lube that’s easy to dispense and long-lasting, but the plushness of Sutil Rich is just beyond. Go for Luxe if you want a thinner, long-lasting lube with no residue, or spend the extra dollar on the Rich if you want a plush formula.

Sutil Review: Sensuous Love Potion Massage Oils

Beyond is a good descriptor for a lot of these products. Most lubricants and massage oils help you manage what you were going to do originally — like an assist. But these ones instigate; engage; inspire.

Massaging a little bit of Sutil Rich between my fingers is enough to get my engine going, with its realistic feel and texture. Similarly, even just the scent of Sutil’s Love Potion Massage Oils makes me reconsider my evening plans. Sutil Love Potion #23 is a massage oil with ylang ylang, lime, pink grapefruit, and the perfect amount of jasmine to create a sexy, heady scent that lingers for hours. Sutil Love Potion #17, on the other hand, highlights ylang ylang with geranium, cedarwood, tangerine, and ginger for a brighter, earthier fragrance that fades to a “clean” finish. (Both are based in almond oil).

Sutil’s massage oils smell so wonderful that I find myself drawn to the act of massaging. I opened up Love Potion #23 on a Friday to rub my partner’s thighs after a long day, and subsequently lost my entire weekend to fantasizing about rubbing down a soft, supple body when I should have been working on this Sutil review. I was practically drooling at my desk, people. It was not a flattering look.

And the worst part is that they weren’t even sexual fantasies. I was just so eager to pour out a little bit more massage oil; to feel its velvety texture and enjoy its heady scent. These smell so fantastic that it’s almost easy to overlook their packaging, which (while lightweight, recyclable, and reusable) is a bit of a nightmare to deal with when your hands are slippery.

The verdict on this Sutil review?

I rarely include a verdict in my sponsored posts. In fact, I’m not sure that I’ve ever done it before! But in this case, for a brand that I loved long before they approached me for a post, I’ve decided to make an exception. Sutil Rich Body Glide is my new favourite lube of all time, and Luxe is the best of the best for something silicone-free with zero residue.

These Sutil lubes and massage oils are divine. Each one is phenomenal in its own way, and better than the last. My ONLY warning is that the Sutil Luxe Body Glide and Rich Body Glide formulas taste bitter. I took a bottle of Sutil Mint Body Glide to Mexico last year, however, and can happily report that flavour was very much not an issue!

(And may I just say: wow, do these ever last for a long time in a humid climate. They’re very long-lasting in our dry Alberta air—my partner thought Sutil Rich was actually an oil-based formula for weeks—but like everything else, they’re even more enjoyable off of the prairies.)

At $29.95 CAD for the massage oils and $23.95-$25.50 for the lube sizes photographed here, these Sutil by Hathor products are on the more luxury end of the sex toy & accessories market. With their long-lasting formulas that rarely need to be re-applied, they’re easy to use and are great value for your money.

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Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Hathor. I’ve loved their lube since Suz introduced me to the brand in 2018, and couldn’t be more thrilled to be working with them now!