Tag Archives: candle

Make Your Own Wax Tart Melts

Posted on by Abi

Make Your Own Wax Tart MeltsAre you a fan of scented candles or wax melts that fill your home with wondrous and delicious fragrances?  Then like me I’m sure you have your favourite brands and aromas. Unfortunately our patronage can often be tinged with sadness when a favourite scent is retired. I was personally heartbroken when Yankee Candle retired Gingerbread and I recently learned that Salted Caramel is on the way out too!! Aside from stocking up, there is a way you can console yourself and still enjoy your favourite fragrance or one very similar for as long as you want too. Rather than bankrupting yourself in candles stocks, why not make your own wax tart melts?

The best part about this tutorial is that it’s unbelievably simple!!

 

What You’ll Need

100g Wax (this will make approximately 12 mini tarts)

Fragrance Oil

Silicone cupcake cases

 

First a quick note on wax choices. These melts can be made with several types of wax, however different varieties can take more or less fragrance. I am by no means an expert but here’s a mini rundown of three popular wax choices.

Paraffin Wax – this wax creates the most highly scented melts and gives a good even throw. However when used in a candle (so not relevant to this tutorial) it produces more soot and some people believe that paraffin wax is not eco-friendly.

Beeswax – the classic wax option (and what I used myself when making these tarts). Beeswax is the all-natural choice.

Soy Wax – Made from the oil of soy beans many people believe this to be a more eco-friendly choice. However it cannot be used to make such a highly scented tart. A great choice if you prefer a more gentle fragrance.

waxpanStep 1

Weigh your wax. I used 100g but of course you could scale this up if you wanted to make loads of tarts. Next melt the wax using a double boiler or a pan or bowl above a second pan half filled with boiling water (the same method as melting chocolate). Keep the water simmering and wait for your wax to melt, I do not suggest leaving the room as wax can be flammable.

fragranceshotStep 2

Now to add your fragrance. How much oil depends on how strong you would like the end result to be. To give you an idea, many standard shop bought candles contain 2-3% fragrance. Good scented candles contain 5-6% and strong candles (like Yankee Candle) contain approximately 8-10%.

I don’t have a fantastic sense of smell so I like my fragrances strong and unmissable. Therefore I used about 10g of fragrance oil. To weigh this I used an old shot glass.

Add to the melted wax and stir.

casesStep 3

Pour the wax into silicone cupcake cases. I don’t like my tarts to be too big so I used mini cupcake cases. Larger ones would obviously make thinner tarts or less overall. Leave to cool and then store in a lidded jar or tub.waxcooling

 

Tips.

An old metal ice cream scoop works brilliantly for decanting your wax into your cases. Don’t plan on using it for ice cream again though.

These tarts also make wonderful presents, just wrap them tightly in cling film.

Wax is flammable, never leave a melting tart or wax unattended.

 

 

 

 

 

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Scented Candle Shop – Yankee Candle Review

Posted on by Abi

IMG_5164There’s something about the festive season that makes scented candles, oil burners and reed diffusers extra magical. The correct fragrance can evoke a forgotten childhood memory, remind you of delicious treats or just help to get you into the Christmas spirit. I particularly love spiced fragrances; cinnamon, clove, orange and mulled wine and I eagerly await new scents from Yankee Candle and Ashleigh & Burwood every year.

The Scented Candle Shop recently contacted me to ask if I would like to try out a couple of items from their current range. Once I’d got over the excitement of having some new candles I took a look at their website and was pleased to discover that they stock a large range of brands and also have some really good deals available.

I chose to test out the Christmas Eve Candle and Christmas Cookie candle, both from Yankee Candles and currently available with a 25% discount!

 

Christmas Eve Candle

Christmas Eve Candle

Christmas Eve Candle

This is quite a departure from my usual spiced fragrances but when I tell you a bit more about it you’ll understand the appeal. To put it simply this candle smells very reminiscent of jelly beans!! How is that Christmassy I hear you cry, well in our house Christmas always means an increase in sweets, chocolates and sugar. It’s a whimsical fragrance that can appeal to young and old alike, in fact my kids ask me to light it every day!

The picture on the front of the jar is wonderful and festive and the bright red colour suits December décor perfectly. On a practical note the candle burns evenly and has a great fragrance throw. I wouldn’t say it lingers around the house as long as some Yankee fragrances can but that’s probably a good thing or I’d be raiding the cupboards at 2am.

 

Christmas Cookie Candle

Christmas Cookie Candle

Christmas Cookie

This is a candle for the bakers or fans of home cooking, to me it smells like the best fresh buttercream. Sweet, buttery and incredibly moreish this candle gave a great fragrance as soon as it was lit.

Make sure you keep the wick trimmed before relighting (as you should with all Yankee candles) or the excess may fall into the cream coloured wax and create a slightly dirty milk appearance. Otherwise the colour and picture on the jar gave this candle an elegant and sophisticated appeal.

IMG_5156Delivery

The Scented Candle Shop dispatched and delivered my candles in lightning speed and both were very securely packaged and protected. They even came wrapped in delicate tissue paper.

 

 

 

 

 

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Boujies Royal Pomander Candle Review

Posted on by Abi
Boujies Royal Pomander Candle

Boujies Royal Pomander Candle

A good quality scented candle can give off ambient lighting whilst setting the tone and mood of a room, particularly on special occasions such as Christmas. Unfortunately not all candles are created equal and many that smell devine on the shelf seem to barely muster up a whiff of scent when lit at home. So when I was introduced to Boujies, an independent British perfumer and modern alchemist I was very eager to put their candles to the test!

With the festive season rapidly approaching Boujies sent me their Royal Pomander Candle to try out. Billed as an indulgent fragrance bathed in sweet orange top notes punctuated by a base of cinnamon, clove and fine spices, all sounds wonderful so far. Boujies

Packaging

When buying candles packaging may not always be your first consideration, however it is the first thing you will notice about the Boujies range. Many of their candles come in their signature polished steel container inside a lovely round box. If you have gifting in mind then I think your recipient couldn’t fail to be impressed. The styling looks equally good in a modern or traditional setting and it oozes class and sophistication. Even when your candle isn’t lit it looks rather fine sat on the shelf.

Initial Scent

Some scented candles can be overly sweet to the nose and give off headachey vibes as soon as you lift the lid, but the Boujies candle was like dipping my nose into December! I left it in my lounge with the lid off and despite being unlit I could still smell a faint fragrance, perfect if you’re looking for a gentle daytime scent.

BoujiesBurning

Tunneling and uneven burns are the bane of my candle life! Put simply I like a candle to burn evenly right across the surface inside of tunnelling down the middle at pace, leaving the sides unused and disappointing. The first time I lit the Royal Pomander Candle I left it on for two hours and it melted evenly right across the surface. This gives you a much higher scent yield and better value for money.

BoujiesRoom Fragrance

Where so many candles fall down the Royal Pomander rose to the challenge, shortly after lighting my lounge smelled truly festive and decadent. Although as my husband mentioned it was so authentic that we both began to crave mulled wine and nibbles! The scent was not overpowering like an air freshener but just infused the air to create the right mood. I was thoroughly impressed by the fragrance yield.

Could the candle be improved in anyway?

At first glance this candle from Boujies may seem expensive at £36, however they really are worth the price in comparison to their cheaper (and naming no names more expensive) cousins from other brands. They make the perfect gift and don’t let down on any of their promises. Several of their fragrances are available in smaller versions costing £12-£14 which is a great way to test them out.

If I had to come up with any recommendation, I would love to see a mini gift set with miniature versions of several candles to test out fragrances, but that’s more of a wish than an improvement on my part.

Would I recommend them?

I can and I will, they’re stylish, fragrant and live up to their claims. Plus they’re a British company who manufacture right here in the UK, I believe wholeheartedly in supporting our homegrown companies and creatives.

Details

For more information on Boujies and their entire range visit their website here.

Find Boujies on Twitter.

Find Boujies on Facebook.

 

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