PhoenixFyre

Or maybe "The Scent Society" or "Scented Society?" Keep 'em coming, and I know we'll get there. 

Color me excited! I just put in my order....and I'm already watching for the delivery truck, lol. 

As for what's next...if all three listed were awesome performers, then Sun Ripened Blackberry would be my choice.

@TallTayl - I think my three favorites of the Summer Romance samples were Neon Flowers, Exhilaration, and Mesmerize. I don't know if you did it on purpose, but the Neon Flowers sniffie was packaged in the neon pink/purple packet...and I swear it smells EXACTLY like I would expect the color of that packet to smell, lol. I thought I liked Exhilaration the best of the three...but the more I smell Mesmerize, the more it grows on me. 

Honestly, I think any of those three would be lovely....I lean toward blending, so I'd be happy with whichever everyone prefers. 

Let the fragrance games begin!!!! 

Finishing up Set 2:

Garden Herbs: Wasn't what I was expecting - 1st sniff hit me with peppermint and the 2nd with spearmint...all around just minty/herbal goodness. Very pleasant...next best thing for someone like me who was born with every color of thumb EXCEPT green and can't grow peppermint or any herb to save my life. Definitely on board with it...would want to try others first, but I'd get this down the line.

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam: For some reason I smelled this and it channeled my inner Sandra D...had me singing "Tell me more, tell me more!" Tart and tangy strawberry and what I imagine rhubarb to be (to my shame, I have never cooked with or tasted rhubarb...crazy but it's true). Some sweetness in there too, but not an overly sugary sweetness if that makes sense - just a pleasant comforting sweet enough to round it out. Of the Strawberry Jams 1 & 2 from Set 1 and this....I'm for this one. (I didn't consider Strawberry Vine along with these as I felt it was in a lane all its own). I dig it!

Blue Hyacinth: Off the bat, I'm not a floral scent person. I have only liked/been able to stomach a very few floral scents and they've always been blended with something else. This one I must say was a pleasant surprise. Definitely a flowery smell...but it was NOT overpowering like I find most to be. It smelled potent, like I get the feeling it'll throw, but not overpowering. I think this one would be a lovely blender. 

Mandarin & Myrrh: I saw mandarin in the name but didn't get a hint of citrus at all, just a sweet smell that I can't place. I'll trust TallTayl that it's a resin. Not sure on this one, not a top choice at this time. 

Purple Carrot & Sage: NOT what I expected, even though I can't really say what I expected, but it wasn't that. I got citrus/tangy notes and then something slightly herbal but I didn't place it as sage. Not sure how I feel about it... 

Sugar Beets: I got a tiny bit of sweet, I got dirt, and I got a little something bitter., and I liked it. I've never grown sugar beets, but my grandparents used to live near a sugar factory that was in operation when I was a kid, and this smells just like the air used to smell when we'd drive that rural road to their house. As soon as I'd smell it in the air...I knew we were close to Nana & Papa's! Definitely a unique one to me. It's on the like list. 

Santal Amber: For some reason, every time I sniffed this one, all I got was buttered popcorn. I don't have popcorn in the house right now, so I know it's not my kitchen, lol. I know that must sound weird, but that's all I smelled when I sniffed it. Maybe my nose needed a break by this time?

Rainbow Moss: 1st sniff gave me green vibes, 2nd gave me earthy, and 3rd hit me with sort of an herbal smell. I can pass on this one because what I like about earthy and green notes were more prevalent in some of the others, so I'd gravitate toward those before picking this one. 

Artichoke & Kale: This one smelled all green notes to me...kind of reminded me of some lemongrass fragrances I've smelled but without the lemon/bitterness. It was a smoother softer green scent. I like it as a possible blender but maybe further down the line...

Wow -- that was a pretty fun and interesting buffet of scents. If even just a few of these turn out to be awesome (and I suspect it's gonna be more than just a few), then I'd say we're gonna have great success on our hands. Very exciting!

Sorry for the later response....got my blotters well over a week ago but I have been sick that entire time. My nose FINALLY decided to let me breathe through it again today, so I got right on  to the sniffing. Priorities and all. 

These are my initial smelled-out-of-the-bag thoughts, and I've only made it through about half of them so far. I'm giving my nose a break and then will do the initial sniffs with the rest of the samples later. Then I'm gonna go through and sniff them again out of the package and in the air to see if/how any of them hit differently. 

Set 1:

Pinion Wood: 1st sniff hit me like a cologne. Went back in for a second sniff...and I think my nose was broken the first time, lol. I got a sweetness I can't place, sort of a bitter herbs/earthy hit, and then at the end came cinnamon -- not that overpowering cinnamon-scented-pinecone scent that you get hit with in every store during the winter season. This was a nice friendly cinnamon and it just sort of peeked through to say "hi" at the end and it worked with the entire fragrance overall. I dig this one.

Black Raspberry Vanilla: All black raspberry, no vanilla - which to me is not a bad thing. Definitely more of a tart berry with little to no hint of sweetness. Would be a blender for me. I dig this one (at least....I did until I got to set 2...).

Strawberry Jam 1: 1st sniff - didn't smell anything. 2nd - got the image of a warm strawberry compote, not heavily sweet. Then I read TT's description of it and thought "yep, boiling strawberries and sugar, that about sums it up." Definitely one of the more pleasant strawberry fragrances I've smelled, so I'd put it on the "I dig it" list. 

Cedarwood Amber: 1st sniff - perfume/cologne, then 2nd sniff - sweet cologne. This one hit me in the gag reflex. I see the descriptions comparing it to Dial soap...been a minute since I've smelled Dial, so I'll trust you all on that. But for me - this one is a no. Just too "commercial" smelling for me, if that makes sense. 

Frankincense & Myrrh: I'm not going to be much help with this one, as I've experienced too few F&K scents over the years. I can remember years ago finding an F&K scent I loved - it was very warm and deep and subtly sweet, "thick" smelling without being overpowering, like being wrapped in a warm exotic blanket. This one is not like that. I got a sweet vibe, but other than that can't describe it. It's not bad...just didn't jive with what I have in my brain as F&K so I think it was more confusing to me than anything. 

Sandalwood Mahogany Teakwood: Yuck. Yuck. Yuck. Cologne. Yuck.

Strawberry Jam 2: Faintly sweet, but reminds me of lip balm. Definitely would take Strawberry Jam 1 over this one. 

Nag Champa: 1st sniff was sweet, almost incense-y. Made me go back for a second sniff and that's when I got doused with the powder. Not a fan. 

Set 2:

Down to Earth: Definitely earthy - smelled dirt, earth, wet leaves...all of which are VERY lovely to me. I dig this one.

Fresh Cut Stems: 1st sniff from the bag was roses which quickly went a little broader floral. 2nd sniff was green and then stems. Went back for 3rd and 4th sniffs...really liked this one and think it would add that extra something for those of us who don't like straight florals and want something to cut into it to break it up. I dig this one.

Tangerine & Ginger: Got all ginger on this one - to me it was more the pleasant ginger of Ginger Ale than the stronger palate-cleanser-with-my-sushi ginger. I read TT's description afterward and saw "effervescent"...yes, exactly that, very bubbly and fresh. Not at the top of my list, but I wouldn't turn it down either. 

Strawberry Vine: 1st sniff was tartness of strawberries, 2nd sniff was more of a bitter note that was green and leafy to me, and then 3rd sniff I got an earthy note that actually brought to mind the strawberry seeds themselves. I feel like this one took me on the entire strawberry experience that I've wanted to find and never have - and it made me smile! I dig this one. 

Clementine Coriander: 1st sniff and I got all citrus goodness, and then my second sniff hit me with a peppery/herbal note, and then it went all back to citrus. I liked it, but not sure if I liked it enough to put us through the trouble of ordering it. 

Sun Ripened Blackberry: To me, this one was similar to the BRV from set 1 but it smelled "juicier," more sweet berry notes but hanging on to enough of that pleasant tartness...if I had my druthers between this one and the BRV from set 1, my vote is for this one. It had me going back for several sniffs and it took me back to when I was a kid picking blackberries off the vine and eating them...it smelled like what I remember they tasted like. I dig this one. 

That's as far as I've got. And again, TallTayl - you are amazing. 

@TallTayl I swear you reached into my brain to pick your testing criteria, lol. I am on the EXACT same page as you and agree 100% with the pros and cons that you considered for now. 

As far as smelling goes, I'm down for the least expense/trouble to you and everyone else participating. I remember being in one of your co-ops a couple of years ago, and the foil-wrapped blotters were enough for me to get a good idea of whether I liked the fragrance enough/how I could use it to make my decision to purchase. Just within the past month or two, I have gone ALL the way back to the drawing board on my formulas/testing for everything I make, so I think I'll end up using enough of whatever I purchase to make it worth it regardless. 

But, of course - we all have different needs and preferences, so wherever the group lands will work for me. 

It cannot be said enough how amazing you are, @TallTayl. Thank you for all you do.

I'm seriously feeling giddy over here...the names alone are exciting and I'm so hopeful that these will work brilliantly in wax...(and if they work lovely in soap as well, well I just might have to erect a shrine to TallTayl in my hobby room). 😉

I can only echo your statements, @TallTayl - I've been a hobbyist chandler and soaper for a few years now (some of you longer-time members might even remember when I posted pics of the first melt I ever made...good grief, I remember how excited I was when I could smell the HT throughout the room!), and I remember feeling like it was more often you would find fragrance oil winners rather than duds. The last couple of years or so, though, it feels the opposite is true. Couple that with the cost of everything now, and I've had to have the argument with myself of whether this is a hobby I can continue with and pursue into a possible business or need to just let go and focus on other interests. 

Problem is - I LOVE LOVE LOVE these forms of art and each time I've thrown up my hands and screamed, "I'm done!"...I always end up crawling meekly back asking the artistic universe to forgive me. 🤣

If this helps give the members with businesses a leg up or even just makes the hobby more enjoyable for those like me who have felt unsuccessful of late, I am down 1000%.

My preference is same as yours, @TallTayl - I'm all about unique fragrances. If the preference of the group is more toward the dupes, though, no worries at all and I'm still happy to be part of it.

@LilFirecracker I realize it's been some months since you posted this, but if you're still looking to try out 4636 I'd be happy to send what I have. I think I have about 3-4 lbs, give or take. It's from Aztec, labeled as "100 SP" but (per their site) is still 4636. Let me know if you're still interested. 😁

Had to dig to find my old testing notebooks for this one, tmach, lol. I tried out this wax, purchased from Aztec, a couple of years ago and used the same size vessel you're using - a 10-oz tumbler. Always did my FOs at 6-7% when testing. I tried out HTP wicks and paper wicks of various sizes. The plus to this wax was the nice deep color I could get with just a drop or two of liquid dye. However, I never could get the wax, wicks, and FOs to work well together on any sort of a consistent basis. I had a couple of successes with an HTP 104, but I had mixed the 4636 with some 2281 at a 70/30 ratio - the cold throw and hot throw were nice, but not nice enough for me to continue playing. Plus, soot and mushrooms always were a problem, and I just didn't have the patience to continue testing it. 

If you do more searching on this site, try different variants of "J50" or "J-50," if you haven't already, as I believe that's what 4636 used to be called. If I remember correctly, JCandleAttic used to use this wax and gave lots of great input about it. I think she used zinc wicks with it....? Give it a go if you want to research more, and hopefully it can steer you in the right direction. 😁

I think they look cool. I've never been partial to amber containers, but I like the way that one looks. As a customer, it would make me do a double take...the jar and how awesome your labels are and how fabulous I already know your candle looks inside.

Love it!

Check out Peak. I use 11 oz straight-sided tumblers, and their flat metal lids fit them perfectly with a tumbler diameter of 3 inches. The lids also work for Peak's 11.5 oz tumblers. Make sure to look at the bigger of the two sizes, as they sell a smaller lid for their 7 oz tumblers.

@ellajoan...I know the FB group you're talking about. The particular comment you're referring to was fine, but it's always good to double check info you receive. As Jcandleattic and Pcbrook already pointed out, testing for a "correct" burn of 3-4 hours at a time as well as testing for a power burn is good because it gives you more information about how your candles will perform in different situations and with different customers. Because of the size of my candles, I've never been able to do a burn like you described where I just light the candle once and leave it until it extinguishes because it would take too long, but I have done longer burns of 7-10 hours to see what happens. Happy testing!

Whoo-hoo! Lovely unicorns!

I love that red! When's the cut? When's the cut? Bring on the rainbow unicorns!

Yep, I have tried Premiers, ECOs, and RRDs. ECOs...I forget off-hand why they didn't work, but they didn't burn right in my system. I'd have to check my notes. Premiers, sooted like crazy. RRDs...now THESE were the leaners for me, lol. No matter how many times I tried, they ended up leaning almost right up against the tumbler. Couldn't get them to work.

Thanks, @TallTayl, for your input. I can't explain any better than TallTayl did about why the wick seems to play a role in HT, but that's just what I've experienced. Even now, I have a tester with double HTP 31s and another with a cotton core. Same wax, same fragrance, same dye, same container, same everything except the wick. Have tried them in the same room under the same (or as close as possible to the same) conditions. They even get the same-sized melt pool, but for some reason the HTPs fill the room whereas the cotton core does not.

1 minute ago, TallTayl said:

i honestly think the trend toward huge and deep MP is a result of people not being able to achieve a great candle with minimal mp.

Or even because some people (sheepishly raising my hand here) don't realize that this is possible and so they don't test for it. It never dawned on me, until you just said it, that you could have a minimal mp and still get a great throw because it seems most discussions revolve around melt pool. I've never tried for the deep melt pools because they always made me nervous and caused my wicks to lean, but it never occurred to me that a shallow melt pool could still give terrific throw. I feel more testing coming on in my future.

I feel your struggle, lol.

I've only ever worked with paraffin and have worked with mottling paraffin for pillars but not yet for containers. Right now I'm working with 4630 and blends with 4630. I hear you on CD wicks...can't stand them either. They always had large flames, always sooted like crazy, and got huge mushrooms no matter which paraffin I used them with. LXs...never felt like I got a good enough throw from them and they sooted a lot. Zincs...have tried them but can't stand the mushrooms or the core that sticks up when you don't have a mushroom, lol. HTPs have always worked the best for me, but like you said, it's that happy medium I need to find. Even with the selection of HTPs, I always found myself needed something in the middle of what I had when using just a single wick - hence, the double wick testing.

I haven't come across that yet. Wish I had a suggestion for you, but I'm not sure what would cause that to happen. So far, I've been very pleased with the three fragrances I've tested with the double wicks (wait, gotta find my wood and knock on it). The wicks thus far have stayed very near the 1/4-inch mark without trimming and haven't gone too short or too tall.

On one fragrance, I got one little tiny mushroom on one wick so far, but I did have the fans and AC going while testing, so I expected it. I plucked off the little guy and continued testing. On another fragrance, both wicks got tiny little mushrooms...again, due to fans/AC. This time, I lit them with the mushrooms still on just to see what happened. Got the tall flame and soot from one of the wicks for literally 2 seconds, and then it calmed right down and both continued to burn just fine. My first double-wick tester is a little below half the container, and so far no mushrooms, no soot, no tall flames, jar doesn't get overly hot, and nice throw. So far, the testing is encouraging...but anything can still happen so I'll keep going to see.

So far the only wicks I'm testing with the double wick is HTP 31 and 41. I've got two testers in the same fragrance, one with the 31s and the other with the 41s, and the 41s get too hot in the jar and have started to lean close to the glass. The one with the two 31s is down to about halfway through the container, and so far not a single issue. I'm starting testing on two more fragrances today, both with two 31s, so I guess I'll see how it goes.

I don't sell yet...I'm my own worst critic (I think like most of us are) and I refuse to sell anything until I have it gosh darn perfect (or near enough). But I can understand the concern about what to tell a customer. I don't know if it would bother many customers considering how many brands of candles out there smoke and soot like chimneys and still seem to be popular...but it bothers ME, and if it bothers me, then I'm not content.

That's why I started the double wick testing. I'm bummed to hear that it didn't work out for you. Like I said, I've just started this testing (literally in the middle of my first double-wick tests with three different fragrances), and so far haven't seen it. All of the re-lights so far have been nice flames and no soot/smoke. Hoping it stays that way, lol.

If you've had it happen with other wicks, then I guess that rules out that it's just HTPs. FO seepage...I wonder. I don't go above 7% with any fragrance, usually hovering between 6-7%, which is well within the max FO load of the waxes I use. Burnt part of the wick...makes more sense to me that that could be the culprit. But like you mentioned before, how do you trim a wick that is already short, and is a customer going to take the time to trim that bit of burnt wick off to prevent that initial tall flame and soot despite how many times you remind them to trim (and doesn't that defeat the purpose of what we're trying to accomplish in wicking the candle to burn wonderfully and self trim)?

But it's still worth testing out. What can be done if it's FO seepage? I don't know. For the trimming issue, I may go and make a few testers to test for this specifically. I usually test my candles without trimming because it's how I assume the customers will do it, but I should try a few and make sure to faithfully trim them each and every test and see what happens.

Yep, I've had that same thing happen. I work with different paraffins and blends of them and mostly with HTP wicks. I've tried many -- LX, zinc, Premiers, CD, ECO, RRD, and others -- and keep coming back to the HTPs. Guess I'm determined to make them work, lol. But, yes, I can get a candle wicked with an HTP, no mushroom, no soot, getting a full mp, and seems to be trimming itself nicely...and sometimes when I'd light it, whoa mama. For the first minute or two, the flame is tall (over an inch, under 2 inches, too tall for my comfort) and black smoke in a steady stream shoots straight up off the top of the flame. I'd sit and stare and scratch my head wondering why the heck it did that because there was no mushroom, the wick wasn't over 1/4 inch when I lit it, etc. But after a minute or so, it stops, the flame settles to a comfortable height, and no more soot/smoke. Then it just burns nicely as usual.

Wish I could tell you why it happens. I'm not sure myself. I didn't take good enough notes to know when exactly it happened -- how many times, what waxes, temp of the room, fans on or off, Venus aligned with Mars, etc. -- but I know it did happen. I've actually started trying out double wicking instead of just using one wick. I use the 11.5-oz, 3"-diameter, straight-sided tumblers, and I'm trying it because of this very issue. I've been using the smallest available HTPs, 31s, and I tried the 41s. The 41s got too hot, but so far the 31s are working nicely...and haven't seen the soot/flame issue yet. But I just started experimenting with them...so we'll see.

9 minutes ago, TallTayl said:

Could be each place got a very different "lot" of the wax. The super stickiness and translucency sounds like more pertrolatum. .

 

I am finding a LOT of variation in my waxes this year. Creates a battle I did not need to fight making candles for the season ?

I know! And for someone like me who is still experimenting and testing, it makes it hard to know which supplier has the "good" or "right" version of the wax, know what I mean? Or at least a more consistent version, lol. And, yes, the stickiness and translucency of it was more like straight paraffins I have used. It was even somewhat similar to 4633, and it was definitely different than the 4630 from Aztec.

I'm just going to order some more 4630 from Aztec. Whatever it was that they sold me, I liked it, lol, so I'll stick with it as long as I can.

10 hours ago, Belinda said:

Love it!

5 hours ago, Jcandleattic said:

Beautiful!! 

3 hours ago, Shari said:

So very pretty!

Thanks, ladies. @Jcandleattic...saw your kayaking post. Glad you are having a blast on your trip!