KrisS

@Belinda Her silence is deafening. I'm curious how she's going to feel about her FOs being duped and sold as such. I have a stash of them. I'm considering it.

I wish I had some to share with you so you could dupe it.   Such a familiar issue for so many people.

Peak's used to be wonderful years ago.  Keystone Candle carries their FOs now.  Unsure how true to the old scent it is.

Consider LARK instead.  I haven't personally tried them, but I understand they have duped many of makesy's FOs.

You know, I welcome it.  These entities have become complacent, and we're expected to take what's given and beg for more of a poor product or presentation. There are several newer companies that are kicking butt and taking names. WSP's owner may eventually buy them, but I'm enjoying watching the new companies shine right now.

I haven't bought anything from them in 5+ years. Similar FOs from other places worked better for me.

I'm not familiar with that, but ages ago, I used to poke relief holes which served the same purpose.

On 10/13/2023 at 3:26 PM, Milk Machine said:

Check out Scent Memory champagne cocktail & dessert table. I REALLY like Scent Memory!

Scent Memory, Little Bees, Simbi, and Doop are really bringing their A-game.  They have some truly great FOs.  Having them around makes losing Elements a little more tolerable.

Fields of Provence is my fav so far.

15 hours ago, se2653 said:

If you could message her that would be wonderful! I need more of Indulgent One! She has wonderful oils!

Not Belinda, but don't get your hopes up on Indulgent One.  She was out of stock a year ago.  I checked in a few times and never got a response.

15 minutes ago, TallTayl said:

I’m willing to co-op if there are any with enough interest. 

I'm down for her propolis and honey.  Unsure if anyone has that stashed away in the basement with quantity to dupe.  That's one she discontinued when she changed manufacturing suppliers.

I moved a couple of years ago from a small house into an even smaller 1300 SF apartment.  I don't have a craft area.  Everything is in the closet in the guest BR (the closet of doom).  If I'm playing with anything, I have to take things out of the closet.  It makes motivation hard to find.

On 9/18/2023 at 9:16 AM, PINKT said:

 from AccuBlend

I have nothing positive to say about AccuBlend when they're marketing new waxes.  Formulas change and they deny it only to later recant and admit a change has occurred. Please do a marathon burn in a metal bucket--don't trust that they won't be making intermediate changes to the wax and be provided blatant misinformation.  You need to test EVERY new wax lot. I watched another maker almost learn the hard way.

12 hours ago, so-soy said:

Yes it was! And the fragrances were so much stronger and IMO just so much better smelling…those just starting out in the last couple years really don’t know what great fragrances we used to get…

I was here when the site was run by Peak(?) in the early 2000s.  I miss that era so much.  I still have some frags from then who survived two 1700 mile moves and are as good today as they were then.

22 hours ago, so-soy said:

Found a blast from the past…anyone remember Daystars Frosted Indulgence fragrance oil? I believe I just bought a candle from Goose Creek that smells just like that oil…it’s their Candy Corn 3 wick candle. And it’s super strong too. As soon as I smelled it I knew I smelled it before…it kept bugging me…I was sure it was either a Daystar or a Just Scent fragrance…then it came to me Daystars Frosted Indulgence. Now is it the same? IDK, but this is what my brain remembers it as! LOL They sure had some really nice oils back in the day. 

I don't recall that one, but I nabbed a pound of all of her available oils last summer because she was out of stock on so many things.  Then closed for vacation and family things.  Had family things again this summer, and her site is simply suspended now.    I hope things get better and she's able to reopen.

1 hour ago, PINKT said:

COTTONWOOD WICKS are available again it looks like in all sizes from CRAFTED CANDLE SUPPLY 

https://craftedcandlesupply.com/products/cotton-wood-wick-assembly

 

Thank you for the heads up.  I really liked those.

15 hours ago, TallTayl said:

I have some at least that old. I’m really trying to just purge old stuff. If I didn’t like it enough to use by now, why keep it? It’s hard. It feels good when it’s gone though, as if a huge weight has been lifted.
 

back to skin contact stuff, the latest revision of IFRA (50th), has much more stringent restrictions in the expanded categories. Many of my formulations had a drastic reduction in common categories. Most are still listed as AOK for no contact, like candles, melts, air freshener, etc. 

You should list the old stuff.  Some of us may be dumb enough to take it off your hands.  I genuinely miss some of the oldies.

I've said it elsewhere, but I'm waiting for the day when it's acknowledged that while IFRA is definitely needed, it was utilized by the big fragrance companies to force manufacturers to utilize their synthetic chemicals with IFRA as a tool to make that happen. The forced reformulations have been a challenge.

On 9/20/2023 at 9:29 AM, jackbenimble said:

@Belinda Hey! Do you know what's happening with Day Star? The website is suspended and I purchase the Black Tea FO from there. If she is still able to sell me that FO I would love to get in contact. 

I'm not @Belinda, but her site had a banner that they were temporarily closed due to personal/family reasons for quite a few weeks. She's had to take time off before, but that's the first time I've seen the site down entirely.  I saw your other post and it looks like TallTayl has you covered on the tea FO.  Good luck

On 9/15/2023 at 3:39 PM, birdcharm said:

 

I saw that Mill Creek offers an Oatmeal Raisin Cookie, but I've never tried it, just thought I'd mention it as I see some posters here have offered good reviews on some of the scents. 

I tried it 4 or 5 years ago. It was good then, but I'd be surprised if they didn't have to tweak the formula with IFRA changes.   

Not sure if the fragrance still exists, but KY Candle Wax supply, who was purchased by Rustic Escentuals, which was bought by WSP used to have the best I've tried, period. 

Time between seeing your post and making the order.  10 min or less.  Darn my impulsive shopping. 

You said you added FO at 205.  How high did you heat the wax?  I don't have notes in front of me, but I'm thinking I had to go a little bit higher than that with the coco waxes.  225, maybe?  @TallTayl What was your experience?

18 hours ago, TallTayl said:

fragrances:  some of the discussion can lean toward the solvents and diluents used at the time it was made.  We’re substances in the bottle once considered “ok” to use, but now not so much? (Phthalates for one).  I’ve had some bottles that seemed to use soybean oil as the diluent,  those smelled horribly rancid within a year. Vanillas and other resins oxidize to deep browns with time.  The chat I had with the labs suggest fragrance oils be used and rotated within a year or two just because of the chemical degradation that happens within the bottle.  This is especially true when there’s a big air space. Seems like a lot of the life span of these fragrances depends on the original quality of what went into the bottle.

I have a couple of OLD FOs dating back to 2005-ish--yup, you read that correctly.  Vanillin has discolored one--still smells as good as it did 15 years ago.  A few others are as fresh as the day they were bottled.  I'd never make candles for someone else with them. However, it performs without issue for me in wax melts. These were in amber glass bottles, so there wasn't leeching from the plastic bottles.

I have more FOs ready for testing from SM than I care to admit. I've had some absolute stunners and a few misses.  My biggest criticism is how long it takes the candles to be ready.  Two weeks is no big deal.  Some of their scents need to sit a month in product.

@Belinda mentioned Little Bees--I have a few of theirs as well.  LB's FOs will do well as stand-alones, but where they shine is when you play mad scientist and mix and match your own blends.

....and four years later, Ahab has found her white whale.  Thank you @Missycoo for pulling the bottle of FO from your basement.  I got it today, and I'm happier than a little kid on Christmas morning.

Sounds like it's time to start a FO company.