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ellajoan

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Posts posted by ellajoan

    NG --a review of fo order

    in Fragrance Discussion

    Posted

    In the past I avoided ordering from here, because I couldn't find anything I truly liked.  The only one I had previously liked was their "Fruit Loops" one, and I could find that from multiple other suppliers.  Well I got my order from NG today, and I have to give them props.  Either they've upped their game or my sniffer has changed.  Here are my thoughts on what I ordered....

     

    Coconut Cabana--this one is a tropical dream scent for me!  Absolutely loved it!  I mostly smelled the coconut and plantain, but also the bamboo, apple, and vanilla.  Smells fresh and edible!

    Hawaiian Suntan--perfect dupe for Hawaiian Tropic Sunscreen.  Another thumbs up for a summer scent.  Very different from Coconut Cabana, but still summery.

    Green Clover and Aloe--the strongest and truest of the (MANY) I've tried.  Very clean and fresh smelling.  

    White Tea--a much milder tea than others I have smelled.  Think it will shine more in wax or would make a great mixer.

    Vanilla Champagne--this one smelled closer to 7Up to me, but you can definitely note the bubbles.  Also less sharp than other champagnes I've tried.  

    Mango Papaya--this was listed as a Best Seller on their site.  Very fruity and sweet--likely too sweet for my liking, but we shall see.

    Ocean MIst--this one is growing on my OOB--at first I smelled water, now I smell some mild linen notes.  I may re-brand this as "Beach Wedding."  Also one of their bestsellers apparently.  

    Buttermilk Pancakes--I've been looking for a waffle candle, but this is a definite pancake.  Perhaps I can mix w/ some vanilla malt scent to waffle it up.  Nice, not sure how it will throw.

    Maple Sugar--similar to many maple sugar/brown sugars I've tried, but hoping it will mix well with Buttermilk Pancakes (above)

    Mojito--Smell lots of lime and not too much mint.  May mix this bad boy with CS Mojito ( that one had too much mint and pineapple and not enough lime) and see what happens.

    Fresh Basil--a true basil, not too strong, just a tad "cologne-y" to my nose.  Excited to try this w/ CS watermelon as a mixer.  

     

    Look our summer, here we come!

     

    Let me know if you've tried any of these and how they performed for you!

     

     

    • Like 3

    How much stock to bring?

    in Business Side of Things

    Posted

    It's not 2/$10, it's actually 2/$20.  My error in quick typing.   My wholesale price is &7.50 for wholesale, and I give an MSRP of $12-15.  All 3 retail locations sell for $15 or $16, and they sell different scents that won't be available at the market.  I am doing my best to keep those wholesale accounts!  :)

    How much stock to bring?

    in Business Side of Things

    Posted

    TallTayl, this is GREAT advice.  We plan on having two tables, each with the same selection of merchandise for people to sample.  I understand what you are saying about folks skipping over a crowded vendor--this has happened to us in the past, as well.  In smaller craft shows we've done, we guesstimated that between 5-10% of people stopped and bought.  BUT...we were able to greet them all and have some personal interaction w/ them, and that really helps, we've found. 

     

    So if 2% is optimistic, what would be a better percentage to shoot for from the crowd? 

     

    What would be a good strategy to get folks to stop?  Maybe have people standing outside the booth space or in the crowd with candle trays to smell, then direct them to our booth?  I've got teenage kids (who I've told) will help me out on that day.  :)

    How much stock to bring?

    in Business Side of Things

    Posted · Edited by ellajoan

    Trappeur, you were very helpful.  This is a 2x per year flea market w/ 150 vendors.  I am not certain there will be other candle vendors--I'm guessing a few but most of the items are handmade farmhouse style decor (signs, antiques, painted furniture, etc)--not typical "flea market" stuff.  It was rated one of the top 100 flea/craft markets in the US, and vendors must be selected/curated by a jury.  We were happy to be chosen!  We snagged an indoor 10 x 10 space for $90--the market has 4 hours on Fri night and a full day on Saturday.  Our candles are a bit more upscale--we charge $12 each or 2/$10 (which most people do), but they are for sale (wholesale) in a few local shops for $15-$16 each.  

     

    I was thinking if we plan for 2% of 8,000-10,000 people to buy our candles, we'd need b/t 160-200 candles.  So maybe we'll bring 250?  300?  

     

    Also trying to figure out how many different scents to bring.  Sometimes too much choice is a bad thing, but we've also found that the longer people stay at our set up (smelling everything), the more likely they are to buy.  I am planning on 15-16 different scents, but sometimes we only bring 10-12 different scents.  We really need to do well here, as we tend to make the majority of our money during fall/Christmas sales.  This will keep us sustainable until then.  

    I can't nail this scent....HELP

    in Fragrance Discussion

    Posted

    So I ordered the NG version hoping I can get this one right, b/c I love it so.  Re-visited the Peak's one, and I like it more than I remembered, but can't get it to throw well.  BTW, has Peak re-opened, or are folks using Keystone instead?  And what are the chances that Keystone won't continue to carry Peak's scents?  That whole situation confounds me.....I'm afraid to order from Peak now.

    I can't nail this scent....HELP

    in Fragrance Discussion

    Posted · Edited by ellajoan

    So I absolutely love the Green Clover and Aloe scent (a BBW dupe).  I've tried Brambleberry's (totally different from BBW version), SOS Ultra version (can't get it to throw) and WSP (way too pricey, also can't get it to throw), and Peak (didn't smell right to me).  I currently have a tester curing from Aztec w/ this scent.   The last two FO options I haven't tried are from TFC and NG.  Has anyone tried these FO in soy (I use 464)  I've got to get this one right (although I seem to be spending a small fortune on it--part of chandling, right?).  Any suggestions on wicking Green Clover and Aloe?  Thanks!

    Simple, inexpensive product photos-part 1. A cheapie Amazon light box

    in Business Side of Things

    Posted · Edited by ellajoan

    This is great timing--I just bought one of this to photograph our candles as well!  Here is the one I bought:

     

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XQYF2RH/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

     

    This one was $29.99, though, because I wanted a bigger space.  Very pleased with it so far.  Here is a sample photo I took.

     

     

    IMG_2665.jpg

    • Like 4

    How long....

    in Vegetable Wax & Beeswax Candle Making

    Posted

    .....should the burn time be of an 8 oz soy candle?  We use 464, and we tell people that our burn time is around 30-40 hours (if they trim their wick).  I found a popular soy candle online that claims their 8 oz all soy candles last 70 hours.  Do different waxes last longer?    I specifically asked them if they added paraffin, and they said they did not.  

     

    I suspect from the look of it that it's C4 (small bubbles around the edge), but there is no characteristic "cottage cheese" look after it burns at all.

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