KrisS

On 2/24/2019 at 4:39 PM, Daisymay66 said:

Thinking of giving DP a try. Any others to justify the shipping? Pumpkin Seeds & Oud? Butternut Pumpkin? Or any favorites? I tried Lonestar only once a very long time ago and must of picked a bunch of misses instead of hits  

  Lonestar has nice smells, but they just haven't worked for me in candles and melts.  Everyone else loves them, so I'm sure it's just me.

6 minutes ago, TallTayl said:

It is possible. It depends on the placement of the specific ads. Each ad gets "impressions" and "click through" statistics. Each ad generates its own pittance of revenue.

 

I'd rather set up partnerships with suppliers and members to let this community help us, versus random AdSense people. I have been seeing political ads, which disappoints me terribly.  candles, soap, supplies and member goodies whether related or not would keep this place happier.

 

  Do it!!!  You have to deal with the kvetching and cranky PMs. 

Personally, I don't care what the group does as long as it doesn't become a fully sponsored board where the only products you can discuss are the sponsors'.  My ONLY other concern in having the suppliers as sponsors is that there may be expectations that all input about their products be positive and without constructive criticism. 

I'm on a FB group where you can only praise the sponsor and only talk about the sponsor.  It gets rather old, and mewling sycophants annoy me.

Does it have to be one or the other?  Is a combination possible?  It would be the best of both worlds for advertising revenue.

Again?  Keystone Candle bought their codes previously and carry Peak FO now...at a lower price point than Peak themselves.  Net loss zero. 

Apologies if I seem insensitive to a company's closing, but I'm over them and their ongoing indecisiveness and drama.

I appreciate the intent of IFRA.  However, as they regulate products that were used for millennia in perfumery as bad except in minuscule amounts (oakmoss for example), I genuinely wonder whose pockets they're in.

Cola will remove corrosion from battery terminals/cables.   Mixing vinegar with hydrogen peroxide will slowly dissolve real silver.

Lots of things we use on a regular basis sometimes give us a reality check.   I'm glad it was just a lid.   

On 9/7/2019 at 5:54 PM, CaptnKush said:

Right now I am using Golden Wax Melt and Tart Soy Wax because we accidentally ordered it for something else. So far I like the feel and look of it but don't know if it is any good with Hot throw. If anyone else has experience with this wax please let me know.

You'll only figure out if hot throw is good for you by ongoing testing.   I've seen many people say that certain things work for them...and they simply don't for me. 

Very good reminder.   It's also why you want to clean (not just wipe) any spills or drips you may have.  It may also take the polish off of granite or begin to discolor plastic laminate countertops. 

On 8/17/2019 at 2:24 PM, Kerven said:

Candle Cocoon has something similar to the Ribbonwick.

Wave Wick

 

The wavey wick used by Ribbonwick appears to be patented.

Flexible Wick

(I found the mention of silk and alpaca hair as a wicking material interesting. I guess that makes them potentially non-vegan.)

 

Edit: I just realized how old this thread is. Oops...

Sometimes necro threads are the best.  This was a good one to revive.   Good info.

11 hours ago, pughaus said:

@KrisS  what on earth is epoline?  That's a new one for me!

It helps when I spell it correctly.   

Speaking of Swan's...  https://www.swanscandles.com/store/epolene.htm

https://www.westlake.com/sites/default/files/EP_based_Petro_Wax_Modifiers.pdf

1 hour ago, TallTayl said:

Making “a” coconut wax is easy.  Making one that is stable and performs well through different seasons is not. I made some versions over the winter that performed epically well ... until chicago summer weather came and turned the candles into something I would never consider giving away let alone selling.  It takes a bit of sciency know how and loads of testing to engineer a wax from basic raw materials. 

...or a large enough client base to make it worth your money to work with an independent manufacturer to create a custom mix and have it made to your specs vs. what is currently being produced for the masses.  If we're all going to dream about perfect solutions, let's dream big.

I have three dirty words that will make your summers easier.  "Palm", "epoline" and "beeswax".  No matter which you pick (or combo thereof), you're going to have someone unhappy.  However, your jar of greasy coconut soup will thank you.  Arizona resident.  The pain is real. 

12 hours ago, MeganAbba said:

I’m checking them out now there site looks kinda sketchy haha but I always go for word of mouth so I will definitely give them a call or email they have lots of choice thank you I appreciate that so much. I’m new at this so any advice helps out. 

Ugly site, but the people I've spoken with have always been wonderful.     Def one of those situations where you shouldn't judge a book by its cover.

I find myself wanting to not put some of the older samples in wax.  I don't like them OOB, they're weak OOB or whatever...and I know they're going to be a failure in wax.   I make myself wax them before I let myself use the new pretties.  It's killing me and slowing the testing cycle. 

On 5/22/2019 at 8:20 AM, Karen M said:

I miss WYW, that lady was so nice. was is Doreen? her name

I don't remember her name, but I agree.  Very nice lady.  It's a testament to both her and the product she provided that we remember both positively.

On 5/12/2019 at 12:15 PM, Darbla said:

I remember that Goddess scent well.  For some reason, mine smelled like 1970's naughahyde couch after it had been put out when it had been on fire.  I don't know why that scent was so bad for me, when everybody else thought it was wonderful.  A forum member even mailed a sample to me, and I'm sure she was being absolutely truthful about how lovely it was, but for some reason it was all kinds of bad in my olfactory system.  I even went ahead and used it hoping it would mellow in wax, and it was a bit better but it still offended my sinuses. 

  I'd jump up and down like a little kid if someone sent their leftovers.  I want to dupe it.  BC has offered to have it duplicated, but it would be a regular strength instead not the super-performer, and I'd have to buy 25lbs.  They're duping the other WYW scents, and I'd fully expect to have them dupe it, buy 25 lbs and then BC add that version back to the shelf after I'd bought 25 lbs. 

It's a little bit daunting (and expensive) to start again after a hiatus.  I think there are a few of us here in that situation.  Wax is different (worse).  FO is a mixed bag--the scents are more complex and realistic in general, but many of them are appropriate for melts, room spray, and bath bombs vs candles.  The strength just isn't there anymore.

1 hour ago, blacktieaffair said:

KrisS I DON'T have any but I thought I'd tell you a " funny" . Years ago I got a full bottle off of the BCN classifieds and I was busy as heck making up about 40 different scents that weekend in melts. BRILLIANT me went on my merry way not paying attention. I use 4794 so I was excited to test the WYW G that next night. I lit it in a tealight warmer, and within an hour we were LITERALLY ran  out of a 3000sq ft home for about 8 hours AFTER blowing it out !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! For those that don't know, WYW is double strength oil..... and I used a 1 to 1 ratio ( my normal mix amounts )......1:1 with WYW is an INSANE amount of FO to use.  I haven't done melts or anything for 6 years and last summer I just finished off the last cube I had.. I would have to cut the clamshell individual cube into 3 pieces to be able to burn it LOL ..

 

I hope you find some , that is some GREAT stuff !!! 

 

Kat

I made a similar mistake...once.   

I genuinely miss the old school suppliers and formulations pre-IFRA madness.  Another one I miss is AtWixEnd's Grandma's Kitchen.  There are dozens of FOs with that name available--I've tried many of them--but they don't smell like that particular one.   I may or may not have a small ancient sample of that one that still smells fabulous and worked well in wax when I used it a bit earlier this  year.

On 5/5/2019 at 9:55 AM, Candybee said:

What is WYW Goddess?

 

I use a fragrance called Goddess from FB. Its a dupe of the original Old Mill fragrance that was carried by Moonworks when Old Mill went out of business. And I have to say it is spot on to the original.

Wick Your Wax (WYW) was one of my favorite suppliers in the early 2000s.  They were acquired by BCN around 2004-ish(?).   Bitter Creek carried Goddess as recently as a couple of  years ago--I don't recall exact timeline.

Good suggestion on FB.  Thank you for that.  I'm familiar with the MW dupe--it's a good scent, but the WYW version was my preference.  It smelled more like perfume.  The bottom notes were clove and musk...but it wasn't as clove filled as you'd expect.

Maybe I'll get lucky and someone will PM me with a partial bottle they'd be willing to sell so I could dupe it.

Does anyone have something similar that performs the same way?   I love this fragrance.  It's been out of stock, and Bitter Creek just confirmed it's not coming back.  

44 minutes ago, TallTayl said:

Another caution.  If she is that allergic to soy, how would you partition your soy production from other waxes? Does she need completely separate equipment (melters, pour pots, stirring sticks, etc.)?  A wise woman taught me early on not to cater to the fringes, 

...and even if  you did separate those pieces of equipment, do you have the time, energy, and resources to combat her potentially claiming cross contamination caused a severe reaction?   Could you prove it wasn't contaminated?

I was in a local coffee house today and noticed they were selling container candles.  I know the owner, and I don't know what came over me.  I sent a text and mentioned I saw them, that I'd made melts longer than Scentsy was a company, and if she wanted to think about some branded ones in the future that we should talk sometime.

Of course, she wants to talk...so we'll do that in the very near future. The LLC paperwork has been in place awhile.  I know where to get insurance.  I'm no stranger to the tax paperwork and filing requirements.  I'm a perfectionist, so nothing is ever good enough for me...but the melts are genuinely good enough.  I've tested dozens of waxes and made hundreds of candles, and I know they're good enough too...but I'm doing one more round of testing anyway.

I spend 12+ hours per day in the office.  What was I thinking?  I told my boss, and (love her), she asked what took me so long and that I do my best work under pressure.

We'll see how the conversation goes.  Wish me luck

I'm curious about the phenomenon of this mythical "too strong".       Details on the FOs?

37 minutes ago, TallTayl said:

 First, I’d learn to make a nice soap, then try to make it fancy.

Tall is 100% spot-on, but I wanted to emphasize this.   It takes time to perfect a soap.  Then you want to see how nice it is in six months and then again in a year.  Others may disagree, but what appears to be a fabulous product may be rather horrific in a year. 

When my grandmother passed away, I found that she still had some of the old bars I'd made ages ago tucked away in a drawer with some old wax melts.  Various mixes, various scents, various colors.  Some were amazing.  Some not so much.  It was an eye opener.

1 hour ago, beckemmons said:

I love peaks harvest moon guess I'll have to start looking around for it somewhere else. Anyone know who else has one like it?

https://keystonecandlesupplies.com/collections/fragrance-oils/products/copy-of-winter-orange-spice

I've never bought from this company. 

I thought Keystone Candle Supply picked up most of their product line after the last closing.