Caramel Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 So, I was in Borders today and saw some Illume and Pacifica candles. They looked nice and smelled great, then I noticed some tins were frosting, possibly from people removing the lids and not replacing them in addition to being near a drafty area; and the jars had some wet spot issues. And I thought of you guys. I always find myself laughing when I notice things like this (even when I see jewelry in places like NY&Co and The Limited). This leads me to wonder: can you be responsible for this if a store does not display or store your product properly? And would it matter to you as a consumer?I found myself still not bothered by this, HOWEVER, I WOULD be looking at performance, such as how it burned. What do you think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bugtussle Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 How do tins frost? I don't understand. Carole Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mizbizzyb Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 How do tins frost? I don't understand. Carolemaybe it was the wax? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jooniper Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 My tins have frosting on the tops sometimes as I use soy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southern.scents Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 My tins will occasionally frost on the top as well, just depends on the fragrance and what color I am pouring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 The wax can frost regardless of removal of lids or type of container. It's ye olde polymorphic property of soy wax. Tins show frosting on top 'cause ya can't see through the sides.If a shopkeeper buys a bunch of Godiva chocolate and doesn't display/store it properly, it'll frost (bloom), too. It still tastes just as good, but most folks won't touch it with a ten foot pole! Many uneducated folks think that frosting is bacteria or mold... In the case of an edible product, the appearance really matters and I think this attitude carries over to container candles.It's incumbent upon the shopkeeper to display/store their stock in a manner and location where it will not become "shopworn." It's likewise important for candlemakers who sell wholesale to make sure that their candles will have a reasonable cosmetic "shelf-life," hold up to a reasonable range of environmental conditions, and be SURE their customers are well-educated in the proper display/storage of their products.Wet spots can happen to nearly any container candle because of the difference in the rate of contraction between the wax and the glass due to temperature changes. While somewhat unsightly, this has nothing to do with the quality of the candle. If this really bothers folks, one can use frosted or patterned glassware so the "wet spots" are not so noticeable.I am curious as to whether container candles sold in boxes fare better with wet spots than do ones sold without a box... seems like the box would provide a little insulation against rapid thermal changes... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bugtussle Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 I guess I have never had frost on the top of candles. I use 60 paraffin, 40 soy. That is what I always liked about tins. Carole Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caramel Posted January 10, 2009 Author Share Posted January 10, 2009 Yes, the wax was showing frost- sorry if that was not clear.The Paficia (tumbler) candles did look a bit better, but still had wet spots. But then, the Illume candles were bigger and in staus jars, but the tins had the frost on top (tops not on properly, etc.). I plan on buying a few to test how they look after burning. I felt better when I saw the tops. Stella- you scare me, woman. *L* More information to take in... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 I guess I have never had frost on the top of candles. I use 60 paraffin, 40 soy.Dat why! Use 100% soy and you too can have frosting on top!:laugh2::laugh2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caramel Posted January 13, 2009 Author Share Posted January 13, 2009 I have to post pics, but I bought a three mini-candle gift set from Pacifica and two travel tins from Illume (I was NOT paying $20 something for the status jar).They all smell great, but I noticed something on the Pacifica. I will wait until I get home to check for sure, but it looks like the candle was glued into the holder (eventhough it is a container/timbler candle). Now, before you say, "No one would do that", I also saw this done in a Paperchase candle (or that is what it looked like when the WHOLE candle fell out of the container- as if it was a votive instead of a 20 oz container candle!). Now, like I said, I could be wrong, but the wick was not attached to that candle (it was totally smooth on the bottom), so I will check the Pacifica... eventhough it is adhering to its glass.I also noticed that the Illume mentions that it is not 100% soy, but a soy/paraffin blend. I kinda respect that they state this and inform the customer who may nitpick over it.I also FLOVED the Pacifica packaging (for the sets). I like researching packaging (to get ideas/insipiration); they proved that an idea I had is possible to do. I also like the Illume packaging on their website for the smaller tumblers.Ok, enough rambling... just wanted to share. Will be testing them all week for burn and scent. I figure these are some of the people I want to be comparable to, when I am successful with getting my candles together and start selling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bugtussle Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 When I started making candles 7 years ago, it was because of the Illume tins. They had a fabulous scent, burned good but were so expensive, not available locally and I could only order them online. I was hooked on them.I patterned my candles after lllume and am proud to say I have done well. Hats off to Illume!!!!! Carole Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caramel Posted January 14, 2009 Author Share Posted January 14, 2009 I forgot to take "before" pics, but I burned them and I am a bit disappointed. Me nor the Warden can smell them! And the wicks were either off or too small. There is a bit of hangup on the sides. The cold throws were amazing and the packaging outstanding, but- after reading posts here- the hot throw is not what I expected from a high priced candle (the Tahitian Gardenia was ok).Bugtussle- Illume's candles are lovely... I really love their packaging (as mentioned above), but so is Pacifica.ETA: to report that the Illume tins and one of the Pacifica's caught up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuck_35550 Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 I just have to jump in here and say that my customers only seem to be interested in the cold throw of my candles. They never pay attention to the labels or the fact that they are cosmetically nice; they don't even care about color....pick it up smell it and decide to buy on whether it smells good or not. Then they want to know how much are they and thats the end of the deal. Occasionally, someone requests a special order for a color/fragrance, but rarely. It all seems to be about the fragrance, except no one wants jelly jars for any reason...tumblers are real big and "cute jars" are helpful in selling the candle.Chuck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.