Traveler

CS Grapefruit Mangosteen is very bright and citrusy. Great in tarts. CS Coconut Lime is really awesome - you can actually smell the juicy lime in it. CS Lime Cooler sells well for us in summer months. CS Sex on the Beach is also really great but I would classify it as more of a sweet citrusy blend. I also like NG's Yuzu (Japanese Grapefruit)...and their cirtus based Smoke Eliminator sells all year long. There are so many more to try - have fun!!

NG's Indian Sandalwood has a powdery note to it. I found I did not care for it. But that's my nose...I prefer a woodier sandalwood. Oregon Trails has Mysore Sandalwood - really smells like actual Sandalwood to me. Woody, kinda spicy, warm. It was not very strong in feather palm....but it was really nice in 4794. Wellington's straight Sandalwood threw beautifully in 4794 - another woodier sandalwood. I think it might be a good mixer with a Vanilla. I have not yet tested Sandalwood Vanillas other than BCN's which was nice....but I think it would be fun to mix your own...there are soooo many Vanilla FOs available now that you could come up with a brand new twist on the usual "Vanilla" and Sandalwood scent. Vanilla Bean or Vanilla Extract (NG's is nice) or even Vanilla Lace (CS) and Sandalwood?

IGI 4794 is also a nice wax for tarts. It pops right out of the molds once the wax has dried and you get a really nice scent throw.

@Candybee & Stella, I love the information you two find and share for us ~ I'm a candlemaker who wants to know the good, the bad and the ugly. (Unlike the candlemaker at a recent craft show who advertised her jelly jar soy candles as "100% Organic" and told people that paraffin candles cause cancer. Scary stuff!) I use and test all types of wax - soy, paraffin, palm, paraffin-soy blend. (No beeswax, too pricey). I am not anti-wax. I am anti-advertsising that is hyped, falsified, blown out of proportion. CS's decision to remove palm...but to keep promoting soy wax in such a positive light is somewhat puzzling. I don't understand people who talk about "Being Green" while buying a soy candle and then lighting up a cigarette as they walk away from my booth to drive their gas powered car home. Where they eat a fast food dinner loaded with palm oil and fat and sugar and salt and preservatives. Thank you for continuing to keep putting out factual information so that candlemakers such as myself know exactly where I stand. I would much rather know that my soy wax may be just as ugly in origin as my palm wax....and oh yes, my very evil box of carcinogen loaded paraffin wax. (I am an Equal Opportunity Wax Worker ;-) I think it's time I just started poking fun at all of my waxes and myself. I need to start enjoying candlemaking again and stop worrying....I mean, when you really think about it, as a candlemaker, my personal carbon footprint is...well it is so large by now I'm certain only NASA could map it!

LOL! Sorry, Kyme. I'm an FO "Enabler" ;-) Enjoy!

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with me. I think I am just a wee bit worn out from all of the "Go Green" rhetoric that I find myself dealing with from customers these days. So much of this move to a healthier environment is still in its infancy and I find that we really don't know what "Green" is...(We just had the local news stations going crazy over the reusable shopping bags that grocery stores sell for .99 cents as "Green" because they are made from recycled materials....turns out one of those recycled materials is lead! LOL! Hand smacking forehead.) Well, I shall mull it over a bit more. I have only one line of candles in palm at this point. But it took a year to get it right...and testing new fragrances is time and $$. Maybe I'll just hold steady for awhile longer and see how things develop with my customer base during the first half of 2011. (Who knows? CS could start promoting wax made from Acorns or recycled tires or something really fun :-) Good to know a lot of you are holding steady. Thanks again - it was helpful!

OOB it reminds me of a warm cologne that a man would wear in the Autumn. It is not an overpowering hit of orange but you get the amber, the spice, and a top note of citrus. I like it. (I just haven't had time to play this week....up to my elbows in Christmas Wreath Everything!) You might also like NG's Green Amber. It has an herbal and amber blended scent to it that somehow makes me think of Paris and Hemingway and Art Deco all rolled into one. Very different. It could be fun to name these two scents once you find out what products they work well in!

How about WVS with Patchouli? Or Amber? Or....call me crazy...Warm Vanilla Sugar and Pineapple? I often thought of blending CS Lime Cooler and CS Gardenia with just a touch of some type of unique Vanilla thrown in to the mix. Right now I have leftover tart crumbles in Macintosh Apple and Mistletoe (both from CS) in a burner and it smells really nice. I bet a splash of WVS in there would give it a different "vanilla-y" kind of kick.

Hi all, I'm trying to decide whether or not to keep selling glass glow palm wax candles in the coming year. (I am still working my way through the last batch of wax I have on hand.) What with the negative posting about it on Candlescience I am now wondering if other vendors are going to be dropping it as well....and also wondering if other chandlers are going to keep it or not? I am not overly fond of soy wax for multiple reasons (one small reason being that straight soy wax at an outdoor craft show in Florida is just...well...NOT a thing of beauty, ok?) I fell in love with Palm Wax once I figured it out. Kinda like trying to figure out men and then suddenly realizing, "Oh. Wait. I don't have to figure out men. They really are straightforward after all! Palm wax is pretty straightforward like that, too!" But now I am torn. I feel like I have to "Break Up" with this really great wax because it's origins are now completely suspect. Is there any palm wax out there from a reliable source and I just haven't found it yet? Has anyone here had customers get upset with them for selling palm oil based candles? (I also see some soapers are starting to develop recipes that don't use palm oil in response to the negative information coming out about palm oil and deforestation). Just looking for input - hope everyone is selling like crazy right now!! Traveler

I loooove CS Vanilla Lace....I think I also have a sample of their buttercream. I'll have to try that! It sounds yummy! (The Vanilla Lace makes a really nice body spray.) I also once mixed 1/2 and 1/2 CS Vanilla Lace and CS Blackberry Marmalade in 4794 for tarts. It sounds like an odd mix but it was really nice. Smooth vanilla and blackberry but not in a "foody" way. I never could think of what to name it and then of course, got caught up in filling orders for the traditional holiday scents so I have not done anything more with it. Well...off to experiment!

WOW! What a professional and inviting set up! Using black as a background was a great idea for the signs (reminds me of a chalkboard menu at a cozy neighborhood cafe ~ very chic) and your packaging is really eye-catching. Your work shows that you care about the quality of your products. If I had been wandering through that craft show I would have made a beeline for your booth. And left with a very big bag ;-)

Hi all, I am still unable to get a wick to stay lit in the mason jars with 6% FO in NG Spiced Cranberry and aslo NG Cinnamon Styx. HOWEVER - the positive news is that I made a 16 oz tin in each of these fragrances at 6% FO and am getting a good burn with 2 ECO 10s in the Spiced Cranberry (Normally this only needs 2 ECO 6s) and 2 ECO 8s in the Cinnamon Styx (another that only takes 2 ECO 6s). I have done 2 full burns on each...so still a ways to go before they are finished...but so far I thrilled that they did not drown out in the first hour!! I did recently purchase these oils and the answer is "Yes"...about 1 month ago. The mason jars are just not cooperating. And of course, at this time of year, they are one of my best sellers. They fit well in gift baskets/boxes and as stocking stuffers or gifts for office coworkers...and now I am stumped!! I am pushing clients towards Home Sweet Home and Gingerbread now....at least those are behaving!! I will let you guys know if I find a wick that works in the masons so that anyone else with a similar issue can try it out. Thank you for all the input :-) It was good to know I was not the only one who has had a spice fragrance suddenly go "wonky" on them. Can we consider "Wonky" an official candlemaking term? LOL!

Right in the middle of our busy season!! UGH!! I have already committed to wholesale clients for palm candles! This is not good. OK - time to look at Stella's list (THANK YOU!!) BTW - I did notice that Natures Garden carries container Palm wax and a pillar palm wax (www.naturesgardencandles.com) I have not yet asked if these are Glass Glow/Feather palm...but just thought I would add that to the list for anyone who uses other supplies from NG.

@Islandgirl - So this isn't some freakish occurrence? Thank you for responding so quickly!!! I was so used to these 2 FOs performing consistently - it made me panic a bit. I kept repeating tests thinking it had to be me messing up...I mean...these candles have been rock solid for years...I guess this just reinforced for me that I should always expect the unexpected. Now I can stop trying to force these FO's to work again and instead get back to the business of testing replacements FOs! @nmhoneybear - thank you for the suggestion! I will look into Wildfire Creations today - maybe they'll have some other FOs I need to sample as well ;-)

Hi all, First - I apologize for the long post. But I am really baffled by an unexpected FO problem. After 5 years of making candles with NG's Spiced Cranberry and NG's Cinnamon Sticks I am finding that candles made with each of these FOs are drowning out. I have not changed my process. These used to be my "Steady Eddies"...does that make sense? I burn these candles in my home all year long with no problem. Now...all of a sudden, they will not stay lit. I use 6006 wax. 6% FO. 51-Zinc wicks. 6.4 oz wax in 8oz square mason jars. Liquid dye. For the past two weeks I have done nothing but make test candles in these two FOs. I have tested candles with my current wax, wicks and FO. Then I ordered new wax. New wicks. New FO. And retested. Same results. Total drown out each time. The wicks I have tested are: 41-zinc, 51-zinc, 60-zinc, 62-zinc HTP 83, HTP 93, HTP 104, HTP 105, HTP 1212, HTP 1313, HTP 126 ECO 4, Eco 6, Eco 8, Eco 10, Eco 12 CD 16, CD 18, CD 20, LX 22, LX 24 The largest wicks are torches when I light them (Flame throwers, really!) and then within 45 minutes...nubs. Drowning out. I have tested the other NG FOs I have - Jasmine, Cucumber & Melons, Pink Sugar, Smoke Eliminator, Mulberry. They all burn perfectly. I have tested the 6006 wax by itself with no FO or color just to see if something funky was happening with the wax. It burns beautifully. So then I made test candles with 6% Spiced Cranberry FO and 6.4 oz wax and NO color. (Thought perhaps the dye was the issue so thought a dye-free candle might burn OK.) Nope. Total Drown out with every wick. I made a 16oz tin and double wicked it with 2 ECO 6's. Drown out. Then did another 16oz tin with 2 ECO 8s. Drown out. 2 ECO 10s. Drown out. This never happens! All my other tins made with new NG FOs in other scents are burning just fine. I have gone over and over every single step of my process. I have pages of notes. The results are always the same. 5 years into this and all of a sudden these 2 FOs won't work?? Ugh. To have this happen at the holiday season is causing quite a headache. I really thought it had to be some misstep on my part which is why I have tested and tested and tested. But now I am really at a loss. The FOs look and smell fine. They are definitely not old. Could NG have recently tweaked the formulas at all? (I did not see anything posted on their website.) Why these two FOs but none of their others? If any of you are making candles with these two FOs - you might want to burn a tester of each to be certain your wax/FO/wick combination is still working well. I'll contact NG on Monday to see if they can shed any light on this - But I am so bummmed. I love these two scents

I have had a good experience working with Patchouli and Pear Glace in paraffin and a paraffin/soy blend. I love their Vetiver also. (I use their premium grade oils when I test in candle wax.) Their Sandalwood - (though not quite the 1970's "earthy-woody" blend I hoped for) is very nice and quite a strong thrower in tarts made from 4794. Their Orange Satsuma is really nice and bright. And if you order a certain dollar amount you can get some free samples added to your order - which is always nice. HTH

Oregon Trails has a Mysore Sandalwood that smells just like the earthy, woody sandalwood oil I used to buy in the late 70's. Awesome stuff. Does NOT throw well in Starburst Palm wax but has a decent throw in straight 4794. (OT sells mostly on FO's for soap....but I like to experiement ;-) Another good sandalwood, (not quite as "earthy" as OT's) is the Sandalwood at Wellington. Strong thrower in paraffin tarts. (I have not yet tested these two sandalwoods in a soy blend or straight soy). HTH

I have customers who are allergic to soy and soy-based products in any form including soy candles when they are burning. Headaches. asthma attacks. Hives...you name it...I have heard the details! Just because people consider a soybean "all natural" does not mean that it cannot do harm to individuals who are allergic. Being allergic does include the sense of "smell"...not just "touch" or "taste". I think you are taking the right steps to reevaluate your current processes. I commend you for thinking it through. Advertising companies have marketed soybeans as "All Natural" and "Healthy" and for some reason, the American public translates that into Soybeans as "Harmless". Peanuts are "All Natural" but they certainly can cause allergic reactions. (Peanuts are a legume, like soybeans.) I once had a conversation with a soy candlemaker who shook her head at me and said "Soy is all natural - it can't cause allergies." I was astonished. My little sister is allergic to soy-based products. Years of extensive and repeated allergy testing shows this. Along with repeated trips to the emergency room. I have learned through this forum to think it through, to ask detailed questions, to not blindly believe that something is 100% Harmless just because it is vegetable-derived, to test, test, and keep testing....and above all...to really think about my role in consumer safety. So THANK YOU...to everyone here.

All joking aside, this is a woman who is engaging in misleading business practices. She is lying to consumers. I would report her to the Better Business Bureau. Period. People like her are becoming more prevalent and unfortunately, this can have a negative impact on those of us who are so diligent about the quality of work we put into our products. I have had people tell me they won't buy candles at craft shows anymore because of candles that lost their scent halfway through (among other horror stories!) So they go back to Yankee Candle instead of giving another independent candlemaker a try. It takes a lot of work to win back people who have been "burned" by one sleazeball. Do you know any of the show's organizers well enough that you could give them a head's up about this? I imagine they would want to know about someone ripping off the consumers who visit their event in good faith. If this "liar" gets into the show, she has the potential to hurt people. Not just by stealing their money through false advertising but also because her candles might be so poorly made they could start a real house fire. (Clearly she is not interested in quality.) I will keep my fingers crossed that she does not get into the show ~

Just tried the Apple Harvest today in 6006 wax. I tested it at 8% in an 8oz Square Mason jar and got a really nice scent throw when I tested it in my guest bedroom and then my master bedroom. I will say that this is not an overpowering scent but it was definitely noticeable and identifiable...and strong enough that the majority of my customers will enjoy this one. In the tart wax this should be an even stronger thrower since that is just paraffin. Since I have been having a bear of a time trying to find an Apple Cinnamon/Spice that will throw well in 6006 I am now, officially, calling off the search and sticking with this one! Now - off to test CS Lemon Chiffon. Yum! HTH

Hi, Willow Woods (www.2wwoods.com) in Pennsylvania has an awesome Eucalyptus!! It has less of the "camphor" odor and smells more like the Eucalyptus leaves on the trees in my old backyard in California. It is pricier than some Eucalyptus oils out there - but it is worth it to my customers who also want a more natural smelling Eucalyptus rather than the Vick's Vapor Rub smell. HTH :-)

Hi RWV, I love Nature's Garden Pink Sugar Type - It is awesome in 4794, 6006, and Palm wax. I use anywhere from 6% to 8% in the different waxes based on their FO load ability and I have not had a probelm with scent throw. I also use it in a dry oil body spray and it is my top seller in that product as well. Women really like this scent. FYI: I do use the Pink Sugar perfume by Aquolina and after multiple types of sniff tests with neighbors, friends and family, no one could smell a difference between the NG Pink Sugar and the Aquolina Pink Sugar. Hope I did not overload you with too much info - I know how frustrating it can be trying to find the right "dupe". Good luck with your testing! Traveler

Wow. Another quality supplier going away. I loved her oils. Time to rethink holiday scent testing! My good wishes go out to Kelly. I hope she is moving on for positive reasons and that she ends up doing something new and awesome!! (There is enough bad stuff going on in the world lately - I am always looking for the silver lining :-)

Looove the one from CS. Throws really well in 6006!!

Hi, I only know of the Strawberry Taffy scent that KY carries - but it smells pretty great to my nose. Maybe some straight cherry fo could be added to it to get closer to that scent you are looking for? So many folks on this board are experts at mixing FO's - perhaps someone will chime in with a recipe!