GailC

13 hours ago, Daisymay66 said:

Midwest Fragrance Co

CW

BCN

If CW is Candlewic, you need to head over to the current poll and vote for them because poor Candlewic has 0 votes.

I really like CW too, but haven't ordered from them in a while.

Midwest isn't included in the survey, but TallTayl said she would add suppliers if requested to do so.

2 hours ago, LilFirecracker said:

I bet the FO storage facility owned by @GailC would be fun to shop at!! 🤣😍

The problem is I couldn't part with many of my FO's, no matter that I've had some for years and still haven't used them.

Smells are free though! My grandchildren and great grandchildren and great niece like to sniff the oils in my cabinets.

I  have ordered from 7 of those on your list, but 2 of my top 3 aren't on it. Aztec and Fragrance Buddy.

(It sure is hard to narrow it down to 3 though. Some people were totally unable to do it in the 2013 survey.  )

On 4/11/2013 at 8:52 AM, emilyspoppy said:

I think one of the lessons I'll take from this thread is how subjective choosing FO's can be. It makes complete sense, though.

Why are we shopping? Is it business or pleasure? Are we a chandler only, strictly a soaper or do we make a multitude of scented products.

One of the qualities MOST of us are looking for from a fragrance supplier is stregnth of throw. I'd say that is the biggest issue, but variety of fragrances is very important as is price and service. The "opinions" of members who posted on this board can be very usefull if we can apply that information to the way we shop for fragrances.

What tends to distract us most, however, is we all seem to have one or two fragrances we can't seem to do without regardless of who offers them.

As Will S. wrote; "There's the rub."

By far, the majority of us are always searching out that elusive "smell" we just have to have, or we have one that's "acceptable", but we want to find one that's just a bit "better", a bit "truer", a bit "stronger".

Thus we seem to be perpetually searching for something that even when we find it we'll get bored in time and the prospect of a new "love" will keep us scouring the internet stores hoping to stumble onto that magical elixer that we'll rave over until we move on in our fickle way to start a new quest.

Two days ago I sent in an order to a supplier, I had never puchased from before. Yesterday I placed another order will a "new to me" supplier that didn't even get one mention in this thread.

I know this is beyond foolish and really a waste of my ever-diminishing resources, but I can't seem to stop.

Am I the only one in this leaky barge?

I need to cut back; But, how?

Was this thread really that useful? I hope so. I'll try to keep it in mind myself when I feel the need to "explore".

I'll admit that my motivation to shop with two new suppliers this week was not fragrance driven, but regardless, over twenty FO samples with each wound up in my shopping carts. I just shook my head both times I pushed those "committ to order" buttons.

There will be close to fifty new little bottles of oil that I will have to manage to squeeze onto my already very over-loaded fragrance racks.

Dave

I don't know if you're still on this forum Dave, but this post really resonated with me. Especially this:  By far, the majority of us are always searching out that elusive "smell" we just have to have, or we have one that's "acceptable", but we want to find one that's just a bit "better", a bit "truer", a bit "stronger".

Unfortunately, I can't seem to stay off the Facebook Destash group. Lately I have ordered 22 samples from one seller and am waiting for 4 sixteen oz bottles of FO from another. One of my joys in life is sniffing bottles of new fragrance oils. My cabinets are already stuffed full, but I don't care!

On 3/25/2013 at 8:53 PM, Belinda said:

I'm very new to tart/candle making, but have ordered from several suppliers. I guess most have good oils and also duds but I think I've had the best luck so far with the following.

Indiana Candle Supplies-so far haven't got one from them that hasn't been good and strong.

Natures Garden-most have been good with a few duds

Cajun-have only ordered a few from them but so far only one that I didn't like

The Candle Makers Store would be next. I like everything I've ordered from them so far, just haven't put that many in wax yet.

I've ordered a lot of oils from Just Scent and love several of them that I have but have had several duds too.

Right now I'm waiting on an order from Daystar and Candlewic

I've ordered several from Fragrance Buddy and they have been a hit and a miss too. They have free shipping with a $50 order and I like that.

@Belinda, has your top suppliers list changed in 9 years? I think it's interesting that one of your top choices was The Candlemaker's Store. I've seen so many negative reviews about them. 

You and I have discussed them before. I haven't been impressed with many of their oils, although to be fair, most of what I have gotten are the free ones with $100 order and the $10 specials available in their little store. The few regular priced ones I've ordered have been strong enough though. It's true with that company; you get what you pay for.

@TallTayl, strawberry blended with your own rhubarb sounds good!

10 hours ago, TallTayl said:

Only maybe 3 in my list were worth continuing to purchase from. Many were indistinguishable from others.

 

Really? What are the 3?

I didn't list any private sales either. Some I can't remember.

I forgot I order one or two from Maple St when I was buying clamshells.

Didn't put that one on my inventory list for some reason.

Years ago someone did a survey of our top 3 suppliers. Now I can't remember which 3 won the survey. It would be interesting to do another survey and compare. Some companies have gone out of business and new ones have sprung up. I bet the top 3 would still be close to the same as it was.

28 minutes ago, BenderSF said:

 

Well hop to it!  😆

 

(Unless it's The Candlemaker's Store....I had really bad luck with all of those...)

I get my jars and wax from The Candlemaker's Store because it's about a 2 1/2 drive from my house, but I haven't bought many FO's that were strong enough. The free ones with order are meh.

I have bought 2 or 3 of the specials that were good, but more that were not. They were tempting because they were in the little store area for sale.

I have bought a few regular priced ones that I liked. I really should try more of those, but they seem to get a lot of bad reviews so I'm leery. 

Oh no! I see more names on your posts I haven't ordered from yet.

2 hours ago, BenderSF said:

I've ordered from 23...way more than just a hobbyist like me should. 😆

 

 

The good news is I'm slowing down.  (I think...)  (I hope....)

Don't count on it.

I tell myself not to order from a new supplier, but then I do.

Aztec

Nature's Garden

Fragrance Buddy

Rustic Escentuals

Candlewic

Candlescience

Mill Creek

The Candlemaker's Store

The Flaming Candle

Just Scent

Cierra

Virginia Candle Supply

Studio Fragrance

Lone Star

Indiana Candle Supply

AAA Candle

Bitter Creek

EAP Innovations

Muddy Soap Company

Southwest Candle Supply

Candles & Supplies

Tennessee Candle

Peak

Heaven Scent (still miss this one)

Bluegrass Candle (Miss this one too, so close to home)

Mr Missy (Was that the name?)

Northstar (first one I ordered from in 2009)

So many more I have yet to try! Keystone, Cajun, Candle Cocoon, New York, Indigo, Midwest.....

On 1/25/2022 at 10:31 PM, moonshine said:

I think it was millcreek but arctic air is very nice 

and it was one of those suppliers that had a good cherry lemonade ….I think 🤔 

I really like Arctic Air too.

My favorites from Mill Creek are:

Grandma's Kitchen

Southern Hospitality (dupe of Juniper Breeze)

Backroads (Dupe of YC Storm Watch...so good!)

High Cotton

Arctic Air

Harvest Spice

Hillbilly Homebrew (I have to rename this one)

Cozy Home - haven't had this one for awhile but I recall it was a good apple scent

Seaside

On 11/26/2021 at 7:26 PM, Marleigha said:

I don’t know if living close is such a good thing anymore.  LOL.  And with all these companies and not really being disciplined in who I purchase from, I spend sooo… much on FO’s anymore.  I never imagined I’d have as many FO’s as I do.  Thank you for sharing your Millcreek favs.  I just placed an order with FB and now I have to place my order with FC and RE.  The list never ends.  LOL. I do want to try an actual order from MC though.  Their cozy home and grandmas kitchen are both stellar.  Thanks again Gail!  😇🙏🏼  

Oh you're right! I buy way too many FO's anyway; if I lived close to NG, I would really have trouble practicing any self control.

I was just digging through one of my FO cabinets yesterday looking for a certain scent. I saw so many bottles I've purchased through the years that I haven't used in awhile, and some I haven't used at all yet. I should look through my 2 cabinets every time I think about placing another FO order!

If the companies would just quit having sales! I was surprised Candlescience had a sale. I don't recall one in the 12 years I've been making candles except for their 99 cents sample sales. Of course I HAD to order some of their sale FO's plus FB's Thanksgiving sale.

I am totally out of Grandma's Kitchen but I just can't order from Mill Creek for awhile.  Apple Harvest from CS will have to do for now. 

@MarleighaLucky you,, living so close to NG! I am in Indiana and have been there twice. It was so fun smelling all their samples; well not all, or nearly all. I had a list both times.  

Mill Creek has some good FOs. A few of my favorites are Grandma's Kitchen, Amish quilt, Harvest Spice, Backroads, High Cotton and Arctic Air. Also Cozy Home and Seaside, although I haven't bought those for awhile.

On 11/12/2021 at 8:44 PM, Sarah S said:

@GailCdid you think of a name?

How about Joy Juice?

Berry Twist

Raspberry Kiss

Juicy Sweet

Sunshine and Berries

Fruit Salad

 

I love coming up with names!

You're good at coming up with names.

My daughter came up with a name similar to one of yours; Twisted Berry.

If you find a Rain FO that actually smells like rain, I'd like to know.  In my opinion, fragrance oils just can't duplicate Nature's scents usually, like Rain and Fresh Cut Grass. 

Realistic citrus scents should be easy to find.

I think Honeysuckle from Nature's Garden and Fragrance Buddy smell like real honeysuckle.

Some of my FO's are 8-10 years old and are still good. I've had very few that have turned bad. Like kandlekrazy said, go by the smell. And a few do turn dark after several years.

I would be in deep trouble if fragrance oils only stayed good for a year!

Some of you are so good at coming up with names for fragrances. I bought Vampire Blood from Aztec when it was on sale at an introductory price.

I don't make Halloween candles, and don't like the name Vampire Blood anyway. It's a BBW type. Here is the scent description:         

Fruity strawberry top notes followed by citrus and jasmine with sweet raspberry and plum bottom notes.

I was going to call it Very Berry, but then saw it also has citrus, so that won't work.

Thanks for any suggestions!

I couple of years ago, I ordered a few FO's and a case of 24 jars and shipping was $15. I thought that was very reasonable with the case of jars.

I won't order from them again because their shipping charges have increased so much, just for FO's.  I have found new suppliers since then besides my tried and true ones.  I have way too many supplies so I can live without one.  

7 hours ago, Belinda said:

Oh yes! How could I forget about some of those! I don't think I cared for snicker doodle from CS much so I might send that one to you. I have it from CW too and although it's good and strong it reminds me of brewed tea for some reason. I had even thought about mixing sugar cookie and cinnamon together for a snicker doodle scent but just haven't yet, or maybe sugar cookie dough and cinnamon. I love snicker doodle from JS but it smells like maple cream to me. Is that what a snicker doodle cookie is supposed to smell like? I always thought they had a cinnamon note but not sure. This one smells like maple so I call it maple cream cookies but I love it.

I always thought that Snickerdoodle cookies smelled like cinnamon too, but CS smells like maple too, like you're describing JS's. In fact, CS Snickerdoodle reminds me of Pumpkin Pecan Waffle, guess that's why I like it.

I ordered Snickerdoodle from VA Candle Supply and it smells like cinnamon.  I'm sure cinnamon and sugar cookie would make a nice Snickerdoodle.

Some of your favorites are also mine Belinda. Some others:

#1 Leaves - Aztec

Pumpkin Cheesecake Aztec

Cinnamon Stick - CS Others have good Cinnamon Stick too, but CS is my favorite

Pumpkin Caramel Crunch -CS

Snickerdoodle - CS

Grandma's Kitchen -Mill Creek

Harvest Spice - Mill Creek

Hillbilly Homebrew - Mill Creek

Chestnuts & Brown Sugar - JS

Celtic Moonspice - RE

Spiced Pumpkin Latte - RE

Apple Cider Donut- Candlewic

Pumpkin Chai - Candlewic

Chai - Flaming Candle (Customers love this one, I call it Cinnamon Chai)

Home Sweet Home - NG

Apple Cinnamon Streusel - NG

Hot Orange Danish - NG

@franu61, I would have never dreamed of combining lavender and pumpkin. Very interesting. Orange Gingerbread sounds good.

I have blended a little. Once I had some gingerbread I wasn't crazy about and blended it with pumpkin.  

I have some Pecans & Pralines from Peak. Never cared for it, not sweet enough. Last Christmas I blended it with Sugar Cookie and vanilla I think, named it Nutcracker and it sold like crazy. Silly me didn't save the recipe but I'm sure it was just some vanilla and/or sugar cookie..

Candles: 

wax used: Soy 444

fragrance load (%): 8%

average cure time: 1 week

Wax additives: none

container size: 9 oz glass straight sided jar

wicking notes: cd 10

Cold throw: good

Hot Throw: excellent

Black Chamomile is now on my list of favorite fragrances. I think it is a unique scent. "Soft notes of coconut water and chamomile blend with tea leaves, wild lily and tonka bean."

I really had no business adding yet another supplier in December last year, but I'm glad I did.