My candles stink!!! How do you do it?

[ktaggard]

Hi, everyone. I have been attempting to make candles and melts for about a year now. I am so DISCOURAGED. How do I get them to smell like Yankee or BBW candles? I have tried FOs from Nature's Garden, CS, JS, Peaks, KY and TCS. Also a varity of wax - 415, 444, ECO PB, TCS blended, feathered palm wax, 4794. I have mixed waxes, put different FOs percentanges in. But to no avail. Do I need to use additives? Do I need to buy more expensive FO's? My main goal is to have a yummy, great smelling candle or melt. Advice, please!!!

Edited March 6, 2012 by ktaggard

[deb426]

I looked through your prior posts and they all deal with your disappointment in your products. I don't really know what to say to help. Have you tried giving one of your candles to a friend to try to see what they think?

[ksranch]

Agreed - I know I have to get my stuff out of the house sometimes to be able to truly appreciate the HT I'm getting - usually because I work with it so much I end up not being able to smell anything! You're using good companies as far as oils, and good waxes. Of course not every oil will work in your system, but to say that nothing works.....

I didn't look up your past posts - have you ever described your system? As in, what temp you are pouring at etc etc etc??

[Sharon in KY]

You have to be wrong. I HAVE MADE CANDLES AND TARTS FROM ALL THE COMPANIES YOU LISTED AND HAVE USED THE WAXes. They are wonderful. Maybe you didn't like the scent to begin with. All can't stink. What scents are you making that you want to smell like B&BW & Yankee. What scent at what % and from who, go ahead and name it.....

PS

Sorry about the caps but cap lock was on and I am too lazy to go back and retype. Although this is just as much typing...:undecided

Edited March 6, 2012 by Sharon in KY

[Beth]

Which wicks with which wax... how much FO...what temps r u using.... what diameter jars...

& you might take a whole week off from pouring or burning anything. Then try testing one of your candles. It could be severe candle nose.

[debscent]

You have many variables. Give us an example of your candle making process.

[Georgia]

Seven waxes in a year? You haven't stuck with one long enough to figure it out...

Pick a wax and a fragrance you like, try different wicks, different temps and then give one away!

[Scented]

How about how much fragrance to how much wax are you going with then what size and type of wick too.

[ChandlerWicks]

I've been pouring & testing for 11 months. I've wanted to give up quite a few times. I read it could take up to 18 months, keep trying! Are you keeping track of everything? Write down each step for the experts above to help you.

[Stella1952]

I have tried FOs from Nature's Garden, CS, JS, Peaks, KY and TCS. Also a varity of wax - 415, 444, ECO PB, TCS blended, feathered palm wax, 4794. I have mixed waxes, put different FOs percentanges in. But to no avail. Do I need to use additives? Do I need to buy more expensive FO's? My main goal is to have a yummy, great smelling candle or melt. Advice, please!!!

Sorry, but you gave us nothing much to go on... One thing you didn't mention was wicks. A successful candle is a system - all the different components work together to make a pleasing product. If any one of those things are off, the candle falls short.

When you reply, please choose ONE wax to discuss because there's a lot of difference among the ones you posted. Tell us the details of what you did with that wax from melting to pouring to lighting the tester - the temp to which the wax was melted, the temp you added how much FO, the temp at which you poured, how long you cured the candle, what diameter/style container you used and the wick type and size.

[sickboy]

Yankee..Yankee..Yankee. There like Star Bucks, BIG thats all. I've had better coffee and lots of it too. I think that you should not use Yankee as a comparison first off. I'm also sure you have had tons of GREAT candles too. I heard it takes 10,000 hours to master one thing, you just need to find that one candle and master it!

Take it with a grain of salt...Keep on keeping on.

[blacktieaffair]

Since everyone is addressing the candle issue, I'll go the other way (since I dont make them ) and tackle the melt issue

4794 is one of the best waxes for melts you can get IMO. Just about any FO will work in it at a 1oz to 1 lb ratio.

Soy in some instances, requires a "cure time" before the scent really pops. Please keep that in mind when you are testing. (soy users, jump in, I only do para )

Depending on the wax, it will depend on how hot you add it to the wax, at what "load" and it also determines at what temp you are pouring into your melt molds or clams at.

Are you purchasing new FO's or off classifieds where you aren't sure how old the FO is. I have bought some that are a year old and dont work, and some that are literally five years old and throw like crazy.

How long are you stirring/blending your scent into you wax? Some take quite a while to blend into the wax to get it to bind with the molecules and release scent properly.

Always always always take the wax temp when adding FO.. too hot, it will "burn off" scent... too cool.. it wont incorporate.

Although most users on here will probably "get me " for this one but .. I'd suggest really reading up on each wax, and pick three for the qualities you want and price. Since you are only testing now, if you try to pick 7 waxes to test in a year, you truly aren't giving each a fair shot. Some Fo's from some companies, just will NOT work in a particular wax, no matter how hard you beat it, talk purdy to it, love on it, threaten it.. it just wont fly. With the waxes you picked before to test, why so many. A lot of those you listed , are vastly different from the one next to it. You have to learn the plus and minus of each one before you can make an informed decision.

Good luck. If you could / would give us more information to go on, you'd find out there are tons of people on here willing to help. But we need info.