Suggestions for blends with "Campfire"

[lightmyfire]

I just got my order of "Campfire" from Flaming Candle and am looking for some tried and true blends for my specialty market customer.  I know that this FO darkens the wax (IGI 6006)  but I don't think my customer will mind.  Since this store attracts men and women (specialty wine and food market) I'd like to offer something the guys might like.  I'm looking for something that's not too heavy because of the season....I'm thinking Whiskey (CS) and Egyptian Amber (CS) but would like some other suggestions.  Thanks! 

[Paintguru]

Glad I'm not the only one with this issue!

 

 

[lightmyfire]

I saw the suggestions from a previous question on this topic but only one suggestion that someone has actually tried.  I'm going to take this challenge on and see what I can come up with!  I have a ton of sample scents to play with so I'll keep you posted

[Paintguru]

Besides the marshmallow, I did see in another thread someone suggest adding a little to tobacco.  I thought of adding it to a leaves fragrance in the hopes it would smell like burning leaves.  Good luck!

[Candybee]

I mix scents a lot and tend to have a good knack for it. If you are not keen on marshmellow then I would try berry types, woods, pines, herbs, and spice types. With some blends you may need a "sweet" type for an anchor. Something like vanilla, cream brulee, mint, fruit, or berries.

 

Examples:

Campfire + marshmellow + chocolate = smores

Campfire + cinnamon + nutmeg + apple + pumpkin = autumn embers

Campfire + pine + sandalwood + blackberry = cabin in the woods

Campfire + tobacco + vanilla + sandalwood = cigar store

Campfire + peppermint + eucalyptus + cedarwood = spa retreat

[lightmyfire]

Wow!!  Thank you SO much!!  These are wonderful suggestions and I'm excited to try them!  I appreciate you  ;-)

[Candybee]

2 hours ago, lightmyfire said:

Wow!!  Thank you SO much!!  These are wonderful suggestions and I'm excited to try them!  I appreciate you  ;-)

 

I've come up with some surprising blends by throwing all kinds of scent combos together. If it helps I first open the bottles and actually sniff them altogether to get an idea if one scent smells good with another. I've made countless scent blends starting off that way. Once I determine what scents I want to try to blend together I will either start out with equal amounts of each or try various %'s and keep tweaking until I find the perfect blend. If you have a  dropper or some pipettes it makes the job much easier. Start out using drops of each so you don't waste.

 

Sometimes when I am not sure, I will let the blend mingle overnight and smell it again the next day. Often that tells me I got it spot on or I need a little more of this or less of that, then I can do my final tweaking on the blend.

[lightmyfire]

Thank you for sharing this information Candybee.  When you are blending the drops what do you mix them in?  

[Candybee]

I use a tiny cup. I saved my cough syrup dispenser cups. You know those tiny cups you pour the cough syrup in that have the measurements on the side. Those. I have a few and they make perfect holders for blending tiny amounts of FOs together. Then you can dip a Q-tip in them to sniff or sometimes I just put the blend in my melt warmer bowl. If I like the blend I then test it out on a candle to see how it works in wax.

 

I got fairly good at it and most of the time come up with some real goodies. But I also occasionally  make stink bombs too! LOL

[lightmyfire]

Fantastic--great suggestion!  

What were some of your stink bombs??!!

[Trappeur]

On 4/10/2018 at 1:14 PM, Candybee said:

I mix scents a lot and tend to have a good knack for it. If you are not keen on marshmellow then I would try berry types, woods, pines, herbs, and spice types. With some blends you may need a "sweet" type for an anchor. Something like vanilla, cream brulee, mint, fruit, or berries.

 

Examples:

Campfire + marshmellow + chocolate = smores

Campfire + cinnamon + nutmeg + apple + pumpkin = autumn embers

Campfire + pine + sandalwood + blackberry = cabin in the woods

Campfire + tobacco + vanilla + sandalwood = cigar store

Campfire + peppermint + eucalyptus + cedarwood = spa retreat

What campfire are you talking about Candybee.....I have so many campfires and I hate everyone....then I haven't put them in wax....bad move on my part.  If I smell something I don't like by sniffing bottle I generally don't waste my time and put in wax...probably shouldn't be going that route.

 

Trappeur

[Candybee]

5 hours ago, lightmyfire said:

Fantastic--great suggestion!  

What were some of your stink bombs??!!

 

One was a garden mint scent I made. It wasn't exactly a stink bomb. It smells nice but is weak and a tad off. So I stlll have it laying around somewhere in case one day I find a use for it. Other than that I don't remember as I generally don't save or make notes for one that I don't use.

 

Once I had a bottle of CS very vanilla that went bad. Thought I could salvage it by mixing. Nope! That's how I found out that when a vanilla goes bad the only thing you can do is dump it!

[Candybee]

4 hours ago, Trappeur said:

What campfire are you talking about Candybee.....I have so many campfires and I hate everyone....then I haven't put them in wax....bad move on my part.  If I smell something I don't like by sniffing bottle I generally don't waste my time and put in wax...probably shouldn't be going that route.

 

Trappeur

 

There are 2 I like to use, one is autumn bliss  at AH, and the other is christmas hearth. I know I have blended some other samples campfire scents I got but don't remember those anymore. Mostly I use christmas hearth now and don't mix it with anything. MW used to have a fantastic campfire scent that rocked in my CP soap and candles but sadly its gone.

[lightmyfire]

I did a whiff test on FC Campfire today next to a cedar fo I have; just oob it smells fantastic.  I'll give that one a whirl.

I agree about the Christmas Hearth--that's a staple in my fall/winter lineup.

[Candybee]

18 hours ago, lightmyfire said:

I did a whiff test on FC Campfire today next to a cedar fo I have; just oob it smells fantastic.  I'll give that one a whirl.

I agree about the Christmas Hearth--that's a staple in my fall/winter lineup.

 

Cinnamon and cedarwood work really well together. I would add some cinnamon to your campfire & cedar blend and see how you like that.I love a smoky, spicy, wood blend.  Could be a fall or a holiday theme scent.

[lightmyfire]

I sure will try that---I appreciate the suggestions!  What percentage would you recommend of each scent?  The Campfire is pretty pungent so I know that will be lower on the %

[Candybee]

I start out with equal amounts unless I already have a pretty good idea of how I want my blend to be. Even a strong campfire scent can be mellowed and balanced out mixing with other scents. If you try equal amounts say 1:1:1 and the campfire is overpowing and you want to tone it down, then next I would try 1:2:2 (campfire/cedar/cinnamon) in that order.  You just have to keep tweaking on it until you get the blend that you are happy with. Thats why I do tiny one drop at a time batches. Or, sometimes I set my scale on grams and blend that way.

[lightmyfire]

Thank you Candybee--I'm going to try this out next weekend when I'm back in the kitchen candle factory.  Darn work always gets in the way   Is it crazy that I dream about making candles and trying out new scents?!  I'm thinking you'll say no..............

[Candybee]

On 4/15/2018 at 6:56 PM, lightmyfire said:

Thank you Candybee--I'm going to try this out next weekend when I'm back in the kitchen candle factory.  Darn work always gets in the way   Is it crazy that I dream about making candles and trying out new scents?!  I'm thinking you'll say no..............

 

I do it all the time.

[Trappeur]

On 4/15/2018 at 2:23 PM, Candybee said:

 

Cinnamon and cedarwood work really well together. I would add some cinnamon to your campfire & cedar blend and see how you like that.I love a smoky, spicy, wood blend.  Could be a fall or a holiday theme scent.

Now this sounds absolutely beautiful!   Hmmm..... a smoky, spicy wood blend......

 

I'm loving this....I could just smell it right now.  So cinnamon and cedarwood?   Which one? lol, lol   Should I do cinnamon broom or a plain cinnamon?

 

Trappeur

[Candybee]

10 hours ago, Trappeur said:

Now this sounds absolutely beautiful!   Hmmm..... a smoky, spicy wood blend......

 

I'm loving this....I could just smell it right now.  So cinnamon and cedarwood?   Which one? lol, lol   Should I do cinnamon broom or a plain cinnamon?

 

Trappeur

 

Cinnamon Broom sounds perfect! I had been using CS Cinnamon Stick but I think Cinnamon Broom would be a better fit. The cedarwood I use is the one from Fillmore. I would do 2 parts cedar to 1 part cinnamon broom to 1 part campfire. My thoughts are to mellow the cinnamon and campfire and bring out the wood notes in the cedar.

 

Personally I would not stop there and add a drop or two of either a good pine or balsam, maybe CS Frazier Fir or Fillmore's Christmas Tree (balsam type). That should enhance the wood notes by giving it a bit of camphor from the pine/balsam notes. Or maybe I'd enhance the wood with some nice eucalyptus notes from CS Mistletoe instead.  Awww.... so many possibilities!

 

Edited April 19, 2018 by Candybee

[lightmyfire]

On 4/19/2018 at 9:04 AM, Candybee said:

 

Cinnamon Broom sounds perfect! I had been using CS Cinnamon Stick but I think Cinnamon Broom would be a better fit. The cedarwood I use is the one from Fillmore. I would do 2 parts cedar to 1 part cinnamon broom to 1 part campfire. My thoughts are to mellow the cinnamon and campfire and bring out the wood notes in the cedar.

 

Personally I would not stop there and add a drop or two of either a good pine or balsam, maybe CS Frazier Fir or Fillmore's Christmas Tree (balsam type). That should enhance the wood notes by giving it a bit of camphor from the pine/balsam notes. Or maybe I'd enhance the wood with some nice eucalyptus notes from CS Mistletoe instead.  Awww.... so many possibilities!

 

Wow!!  This sounds fantastic and nicely complex.  

[Pam W]

On 4/13/2018 at 4:49 PM, Candybee said:

I use a tiny cup. I saved my cough syrup dispenser cups. You know those tiny cups you pour the cough syrup in that have the measurements on the side. Those. I have a few and they make perfect holders for blending tiny amounts of FOs together. Then you can dip a Q-tip in them to sniff or sometimes I just put the blend in my melt warmer bowl. If I like the blend I then test it out on a candle to see how it works in wax.

 

I got fairly good at it and most of the time come up with some real goodies. But I also occasionally  make stink bombs too! LOL

I like doing the q-tip method.  I've done some that I really didn't like the combined smell and just tossed the container aside and have come back months later (usually while cleaning up my work table)  took another sniff and OMG.....I created something wonderful but by then I'd forgotten what the heck I was blending 😞