Candles - And other nice smelling shit you can set on fire

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I have fond memories of going to the Yankee Candle factory with my mom when I was a kid. Dipping your own candles and buying pick your own variety packs of a few dozen candles. Also the giant Christmas shop with all kinds of stuff that I assume is still a thing. It has been like 25 years since I have been there. I'd like to go back one day.
 
Caramelo said:
For the cat owners in the thread: there are led candles that mimics fire light pretty well.

Sure it takes the pleasure of setting things on fire away and don't smell, but it's a ok substitute if you want just the aesthetic.
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I just use a sturdy glass lantern for kitty proofing

Edit: tea lights in Mason or other glass jars are also good as long as you keep them within reach so the dumbass doesn't try anything

Also be careful, some compounds in certain scents are toxic. My kitty got a cough from a citrus-scented candle. I'm too lazy to link, just Google cat toxic essential oils and never use anything with those scents. It's a pretty big list, I was looking for a new candle to buy and found it hard to find anything safe.
 
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I never really liked candles until recently. I bought two from Bath and Body Works on Candle Day. I got around to using Love Rose Vanilla a couple times this week but I don’t plan on using the Japanese Cherry Blossom one for a while.
 
So I recently got a new job, and it's for a particular place. The other day at work when doing my usual shit I noticed in the discount section (specifically, the "please come buy this shit so it's no longer here" section) they had FOUR "Tropical Starfruit" scented Yankee Candles. The 22oz candles no less.

Considering I got my paycheck, I said fuck it and got one. I paid TEN DOLLARS for a giant Yankee Candle that's usually $30, including tax. I like citrus scents, but I'm not one who goes for the baked goods, "food" related scents. This is a pretty "sweet" smelling candle, it's not something I'd usually pick, but the scent isn't too overpowering or sickly-sweet. Very passable candle, and I like that it's big!
 
I've been debating on whether to get a gel candle or a wax one. Is there any difference?
 
There’s a perfume company, Imaginary Authors, that makes candles. I just tried their Abandoned Mansion candle - it’s listed scents are cedar, quince, paperbacks. Very low - key, comfy scent. The candle was almost $50 though 💀
Still, it’s an indulgence I get a lot of pleasure out of. I work partially from home with my job, and a nice-smelling candle burning nearby is a luxury.

My go-to is Aroma Naturals. They burn forever, the votives like 15 hours. Very limited selection and linear scents, but what they have is really good for the price. Nothing too sweet or perfume-y.

I could go on a separate sperg about incense. Not the headshop stuff - nice Japanese incense that smells like a realistic campfire in the distance in a mossy forrest, mmm…
 
Toilet Grenade said:
I've been debating on whether to get a gel candle or a wax one. Is there any difference?
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Huge difference. Even the wax can differ so wildly, as there are paraffin candles, soy candles, and beeswax candles. Paraffin is considered the "non eco-friendly" wax because it's petroleum based and paraffin itself is a byproduct from petroleum/crude oil refining.. Candle gel wax is not actually a wax at all. It is a combination of resin and mineral oil. The Penreco company holds the patent for gel wax, so most gel candles are based off of the Penreco gel.

"Gel candles have a rich glow and burn more than twice as long as wax candles. But gel candles, similar to paraffin candles, are made from petroleum-based wax or synthetic hydrocarbons which release hazardous pollutants when burned. Gel candles use a different type of fragrance oil than is used for wax candles."

"There have been fire hazards associated with gel candles. Some of these candles have flared up or flamed and caused house fires. The fire safety of gel candles is debated, with some indications that the container holding the gel may shatter as the gel expands during heating." Source

Whether it's paraffin, soy, or beeswax, I will always stick with true wax. It was put on this earth for a reason, it just works.
 
I like spicy, resinous, earthy smells and my main go to for room sprays and soap is indigowild/zum. Unfortunately their little candles don't project much but their room sprays are strong. A light mist on the curtains with the windows open is noticeable for a couple days, wouldn't recommend using them too heavily in a closed up space. Fantastic for refreshing a bowl of potpourri though. The dryer balls are great, especially if you like a light scent but don't care for soapy dryer sheets. My only real complaint after using a variety of their products for a few years is that their "dragon's blood" is a house blend of something based on lavender because the environment or something so I avoid that one. Frankincense and Myrrh as well as Amber are my go-tos. I just got the Vetiver room spray and at first sniff I didn't like it at all but after an hour or so it has a very pleasant "masculine library" presence so I just use it when I'm the only one home.

Indian grocery stores are good for big boxes of good incense at a fraction of the price of witchy bitch stores and head shops (and cheap hair henna, and spicy snack mixes that kids won't get into). I'm not a big fan of HEM, smells like acrid wood smoke, but in summer I really like the not-nag-champa Satya Sai Baba varieties. Money, yoga, and super hit all come in a brick of twelve boxes so sticking them in bathroom cupboards and closets doesn't feel like a waste.

I like candles too but I'm a little less picky there and usually get fat unscented ones to just have a few candles going for comfy. Sometimes the gray/dark blue scent families from the big companies live in the bathroom when they're on sale though.
 
Wax melts are clearly superior - super happy with the electrical one I bought. As fun as it is to set things on fire, this is much more comfortable to have at home. I also think that because there is no burning smell, you just get the goodness of the wax smell.
I tend to buy candles on sale, and then scoop out the wax to use. I find it cheaper than buying the appropriate wax.

As for smells, I am absolutely a fan of the cotton / fresh laundry smells, or light floral. Agree that the artificial, baked goods smells (especially the candy ones) are atrocious.
 
If you want to put out the cash, Voluspa candles are pretty terrific. I’ve given Bourbon Vanille as a housewarming gift several times and people love it. It’s less of a “cookie” vanilla scent but warmer and richer. Baltic Amber is also a favorite, like a smoky patchouli without the patchouli.
 
OttoWest said:
If you want to put out the cash, Voluspa candles are pretty terrific. I’ve given Bourbon Vanille as a housewarming gift several times and people love it. It’s less of a “cookie” vanilla scent but warmer and richer. Baltic Amber is also a favorite, like a smoky patchouli without the patchouli.
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Seconding Voluspas. Their holiday scents in particular - Silver Birch Peppercorn! - are my favorite, but I really like their watermelon scent and their ocean-type scents like Laguna as well. Fancier than Bath & Body Works, that's for sure.
 
I love the smell of burning matches more than scented candles.
Then again it could just be the quality of the candle since they just smell like burning wick and oil and just faintly of the scent the wax is based on.

Btw has anyone ever used those wax melters? how did they smell and how long does the scent last?
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I can't walk into a Yankee Candle store without feeling like I'm going to pass out.

It takes a good 30 seconds for me to adjust.
 
I have a considerable amount of scented candles in my room, a few LED ones too. The best ones that I have are the Better Homes and Gardens ones I picked up at Walmart on a sale. One is Fir and Frankincense and the other is Patchouli and Balsam.

I tend to prefer incense as for more bang for your buck though, plus I just like the smell. I have a bunch of incense. Brands I really recommend if you are looking are Morning Star (a Japanese brand that burns clean and doesn't put off much smoke, if that is a problem for you), Triloka, Satya (easy to find in any smoke shop in the US), Escential Essences, Prasad, Om Incense, and Native Soul. Theres also one I love from Song of India called India Temple Incense, I got my mom into that one. A few of these are more hippie/new age shop type brands, but you can find them online easily. Someone already recommended Wild Berry to , which is another one that is super easy to find in any smoke shop or new agey store in the US.

Check this store out for a lot of the brands mentioned if you are interested, they also sell candles. https://www.incensewarehouse.com/
 
webonoid said:
I love the smell of burning matches more than scented candles.
Then again it could just be the quality of the candle since they just smell like burning wick and oil and just faintly of the scent the wax is based on.

Btw has anyone ever used those wax melters? how did they smell and how long does the scent last?
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It depends on the type of wax you use, mainly. I have a tealight wax melter and I use the remainders of my candles poured into foil muffin liners for melts, and they last very long. When I used to buy Yankee melts they lasted 3-4 tea lights, so around 12-16 hours depending on the scent

you can buy melts from Walmart for fairly cheap and they're very strong, but there are lots of sellers out there (etsy, ebay, etc) that make them in different scents.
 
webonoid said:
I love the smell of burning matches more than scented candles.
Then again it could just be the quality of the candle since they just smell like burning wick and oil and just faintly of the scent the wax is based on.

Btw has anyone ever used those wax melters? how did they smell and how long does the scent last?
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They work well, but the quality of the melt is a big deal. I've had some wax melts that only last a few hours, and others that last several days.
 
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