color vs no color

[chrisasst]

I have tried searching color vs color, no color, do you color your candles..I come up with nothing,

Is there a advantage to coloring vs not coloring you candles as far as a selling point?

Do you give the option to color if you don't?

is wicking easier with no color?

[rjdaines]

More of a personal preference. In most cases, color doesn't affect the burn of a candle but in some cases it does. One most always test. Dye affects some soy wax in that it can cause frosting. Coloring candles also adds the the cost of the candle, some don't use color for that reason.

I don't use color except when requested.

[ksranch]

I agree - personal preference. I color mine - I love to make multicolored candles that look unique, and it's working for me.

[doglvr]

I never thought about this until you brought it up! Thinking back though, and I've been a tart and candle purchaser for over thirty years (sniffle) I don't think I have ever purchased either without color. I always go for ones that have a color. When I test, I don't use color, but my finished product always has it. Thinking of my mom and friends who buy candles, they always buy colored ones as well.

What a great questions!

Jackie

[SuzyK]

I love color too much to leave them plain. People also associate the certain smells with color. I know some who do leave them plain and they sell just fine too.

[Dolphin146]

I sell both colored and uncolored melts. I myself liked the uncolored But a lot of my customers order colored. So I give them the choice. They both sell well for me

[sporadic]

I usually like to add color because it adds to the perception of smell, but many of the soy container waxes are difficult to get a good color.

[Candybee]

I usually like to add color because it adds to the perception of smell, but many of the soy container waxes are difficult to get a good color.

Try the reddiglo dye chips for soy. They work great and you can get vivid colors even red in soy.

I like color so I color mine. I think the non-colored candles look nice too but I still prefer to color mine. As someone else mentioned, people equate colors with scent; orange for pumpkin, peach for peach, etc.

[chrisasst]

I never thought about this until you brought it up! Thinking back though, and I've been a tart and candle purchaser for over thirty years (sniffle) I don't think I have ever purchased either without color. I always go for ones that have a color. When I test, I don't use color, but my finished product always has it. Thinking of my mom and friends who buy candles, they always buy colored ones as well.

What a great questions!

Jackie

Do you test any of your candles that are colored? Doesn't color clog the wick a little?

[SliverOfWax]

Candles must be tested in their final form. If you dye, you should test with dye.

My candles haven't been colored for years. I went to natural out of pure laziness, or maybe I ran out of dye, I have no clue it's been so long ago, and to me, they look so much more upscale. I don't believe there is a difference in sales. I couldn't tell you the last time someone asked me why my candles aren't dyed. Nobody seems to care or even notice.

[Ravens]

I heard and read about colors having "appeal", and perhaps it's true, but I do not add any dyes to either candles or wax tarts. Personally I prefer the natural color when it comes to candles; it'll fit just about any color scheme.

[Scented]

The way mine are designed and what I do to them seems to help draw attention to them. No solids here if I can help it. Really only one scent gets a solid color I guess. So really, if someone wants a solid color, it's a special order here lol.

[craftimade]

I color my wax unless im doing something like Vanilla. BubbleGum = red, Blueberry pancakes = blue, Sweet Lemongrass = yellow/green.

I see a lot of companies just doing white and all their jars look exactly the same. I don't want to do that.

For some of my local clients I let the choose the color they want with the fragrance. You would not believe how much they love that. I have one lady who had 5 bedroom and each room is a different color theme. But she wanted the same fragrance throughout the entire house. So there is a red, brown, yellow, green and orange candle all in Vanilla in her house. She loves it too.

[chrisasst]

I color my wax unless im doing something like Vanilla. BubbleGum = red, Blueberry pancakes = blue, Sweet Lemongrass = yellow/green.

I see a lot of companies just doing white and all their jars look exactly the same. I don't want to do that.

For some of my local clients I let the choose the color they want with the fragrance. You would not believe how much they love that. I have one lady who had 5 bedroom and each room is a different color theme. But she wanted the same fragrance throughout the entire house. So there is a red, brown, yellow, green and orange candle all in Vanilla in her house. She loves it too.

I like that Idea. Do you test every scent with every different color?

[craftimade]

I only test the fragrance with the main color. I tell my clients if they want that color I can do it but there is nothing guaranteed it will be the same as the tested color.

Never had a problem with any one of my color candles. All the colors seem to work the same.

[deisel]

i like color/scent coded candles & melts, as do most of my "user" friends. at a recent huge craft fair in PA, one vendor, with only natural colored soy candles, had no customers when we walked by. i did not stop for a sniff either-nor did it entice my craft fair bud.

kris

[chuck_35550]

Quit coloring candles years ago. Got tired of customers liking the fragrance but not the color. White works with all decors. Customers refused jelly jars too. My blueberry pancakes were golden brown but my blueberry muffins were blue...go figure. It was fun when using paraffin but pastel with soy. Bottom line is how good does it smell and how powerful is that fragrance. The rest is inconsequential IMHO.

Steve

[Michdj]

IMO color is the first draw for a customer who hasn't smelled them yet. I think it depends on who you are making them for. If you are selling online, you need something to attract the customer and stir their imagination regarding what the scent *will be like.* If you're making them for yourself and friends/family, then it's personal preference.

[SherriLynn]

I've poured soy for 11 years...6 years ago my daughter suggested we try a dye free section of white candles. Four to one color out sold the white,,, seems color is a very suggestive power in the mind before a sniff is ever taken from the jar. We discontinued our dye free line 3 years later and now color all jars. I see a lot of white candles on the market,, but not sure how well they sell for others. In our product line, they didn't sell as well as the colored.

[moonshine]

This is such an interesting thread- I have never dyed my candles, I use soy and the main reason I chose not to dye my jars is all the information I read on soy and frost with color- so I eliminated even trying it

I have used dye in chunk votives for the chunks themselves and they did frost horrible but went unnoticed once the clear over pour was added

I am doing a church craft show in October for a women's club....I think I may test a couple in color to see if people around here are more drawn to color or if it doesn't matter much - that is if they don't turn out looking horrid or I guess this could be a good time to introduce a small line of parasoy colored if I can get the dyes tested in time and all goes well

Edited August 24, 2013 by moonshine

[craftimade]

I can't imagine making my candle range with just white. There is to be color

[puma52]

I color all of my candles, BUT offer the customer the option of what color they want their candles in and they really love having that option. If they want a mac apple scented candle in white, they get a white mac apple scented candle. If they want a honeysuckle scented candle in red or a royal blue, they get that....it's all good! Now, if the customer wants a white candle made with a vanilla type based scent...I DO warn them that their candle will not be a pure white even though I do use the whitener chips from BCN... MOST of the time that off white cannot be overcome with those vanilla based scents. I love creating new colors with liquid dyes. Even just a small dusting of color is beautiful...one drop of orange or one drop of yellow in a lb of wax creates a creamy looking candle. People do shop with their eyes first I think. I am so excited today because I just ordered in and received my Fall scents from BCS and Candle Science. Today, I am making several pumpkin soufflé candles with med orange chunks and overpoured with a light cream wax and will dot the tops with orange putka pod embeds. I am also making candy corn candles with black chunks and overpoured with a light orange wax and will top those off with candy corn embeds. I will tie the jars off with either homespun or raffia. Also making several other scented candles and melts today in the colors of Fall ... In my world, color is good!

Edited August 24, 2013 by puma52

[Jcandleattic]

I know this is an old thread but...

I color all of my candles, BUT offer the customer the option of what color they want their candles in and they really love having that option.

... In my world, color is good!

I do this exact same thing for the very reason, some people will not get a candle scent they absolutely love because the color doesn't match their decor, so in this case having non-dyed candles, OR custom coloring your candles is very marketable, and works very well. That has been my experience anyway...

[craftimade]

It's funny because I always thought people liked colorfull candles. But now I run a retail candle shop - I was wrong. Most people want WHITE candles.

I make all my candles white in Large and XL jars. But for regular jars (160grams) I make them all colorfull. This is great for those that want a color candle. Example; Lemon Zest = Yellow, Sweet Lemongrass = lime green. etc.

I also make them in custom colors. I had a lady that wanted Sweet Lemongrass in bright Pink because green didn't match her room decor. Her room was bright pink and even her dog's hair color had streaks of pink.

[Jcandleattic]

It's funny because I always thought people liked colorfull candles. But now I run a retail candle shop - I was wrong. Most people want WHITE candles.

I think it depends on region/area, time of year, etc. So many things factor into it. I can only sell a white candle in the summer months, or when it's specifically asked for in a certain scent. Around the holiday's? Forget it - it's like white candles contain the plague or something. People will not even touch a white candle during the holiday season. (At least in my experience and in the markets, fairs, etc., I've been too)

Spring? Seems all they want are spring colors - pastel's, greens, yellow's - etc.,

During the summer however, I do sell white candles, but not near to the volume that I do my other ones.