Talk some sense into me: candles

[MangosteenSoda]

I, until recently, had an (ir)rational hatred of candles. If there was a thread about stuff people like that you hate, for me it would be candles (and massages and musicals.. but I digress. Just the concept of tea lights would make my eye twitch.

I had a few candles in my house gathering dust because they are the kind of thing that people gift. I don’t know what possessed me, but towards the end of last year, I lit one, an it smelled glorious. It looked pretty too. Anyway, I’ve ended up burning my way through the previously discarded candles - my fireplace looks like a shrine at Lourdes. My home smells divine. I have used several boxes of matches. I fear I am addicted.

I just went to replace the first candle (the gateway drug of candles) and I discovered it costs £15. And after a bit of googling, discovered that’s not even considered expensive in the candle-verse.

What advice do you have? Any recommendations for lovely smelling and pocket friendly candles? I can spend 15 quid on one, but at my burn rate that’s going to get pretty costly. Aibu to just crack on and burn, or should I extinguish my new found habit?

@Shawdown - sadly not. I was ok with a St Eval one a while ago but then bought one at Christmas and first couple of times I lit it I was ok but then I started sneezing.

I don’t know if it’s intentional but your posts are making me laugh so much. And I wish I had the way with words that you do.

Candles are wasted on me as I forget to light them, then if I eventually do you just get a whiff of burning dust but I’m going to keep following your post for entertainment value.

I’m a boring 40 odd year old who has just been swept up in a bit of candle madness.

Let yourself go. Set a few (health and safety approved) wax fires and see where it takes you 🔥

I love candles :)
My favourites have been/are;
Woodwick candles - various scents but currently warm woods
St Eval - winter thyme is gorgeous
Bath and body works - campfire marshmallow
Valentte - jasmine and rosewood
And an amazing aldi diptique dupe - rose and spices

I love the Cowshed relax candle, I think they are quite expensive but they burn well and release their scent. My new fav are candles from the Dundee Candle Works, they also do diffusers.

St Eval's Winter Thyme is my absolute favourite. I think you may have been spoilt for other candles having used that as your gateway drug.

Hundreds of others candles tried at various price points and its the one I keep coming back to. I snap them up when on sale and they do last ages.

The tunnelling nay be down to the fact that it wasn't burnt lo g enough on the first burn. Wax has a memory so it will only burn as far as the first time you lit it. For a 30cl glass it may take up to 4 hours for a full melt pool. Your tins burn better due to heat conduction. Other issues maybe that the wrong size wick has been used.

Cheap candles are quite polluting, I’d be wary of burning them in the home.

Yes, I’m a sad arse that periodically uses her air quality monitor (from work).

The bulb is hot! You can turn the brightness up and down. It melts all the way to the bottom, although takes a lot longer to get there as it melts more evenly so candles last much longer than burning them. I’ve got one I’ve been trying for a year to finish, sick of seeing it now 😆

I have the Scandinavisk northern lights candle. It was stupidly expensive but I hankered after it for over a year so I finally got it for myself for Christmas. It looks so pretty, it warms the room well, and it smells deliciously divine! I’m still hankering after some of their other scents.

And tranquility

You need to try an electric diffuser. Smell amazing, cheap to buy the oil that goes in them and less risk of fire/soot if you’re worried about it.
I’m a convert having used candles for years.

This post may have turned me into a mad candle burning researcher. Watch out for my inaugural scholarly article in Candle Enthusiasts Quarterly.

The above is not a joke. Thank you 🙏

White Company Candles have my heart.

Ive also recently discovered candle warming lamps!!! They look cute and warm your candle up so that only the top layer melts and you get the smell without the smoke. Also it melts evenly so no dreaded candle tunnel 😲

So the lamp shines down on the candle? That makes sense.

I guess the surface and beam direction of the lamp is the thing to consider for safety - some of my previous replies might have been flippant, but I want to achieve a safe, yet enjoyable candle environment!

Candle making involves quite a bit of science believe it or not. Before i started my candle making business I never noticed how my candles burnt. Now i obsess over an even burn and hot throw 😀. My candles have been recommended by some mumsnetters so figure i must be doing something right.

Thank you. I might just give one a go!

Go on, tell us your business name! May as well given that there are going to be a few here (me, me, me) who obsess over an even burn. If I could afford, I would probably try!

Tunnelling isn’t the consequence of burning candles for a long time. It happens when you blow the candle out before the whole of the top has become liquid.

I’ve read you can fix it if you want to by putting foil round the top of the candle over the bit that hasn’t melted. It should even out.

Tealights are good for cheap prettiness and then tpu don’t burn the scented ones for so long.

I second Ikea candles. They’re inexpensive and smell amazing. You can’t imagine how excited I was when an ikea opened up 7 miles from my home!! 😁

TK Maxx is a candle-hawking front for gawd knows what. Ditto Ikea - its core business is tea lights and I will hear no dissent.

My vices are:
White Company Seychelles in summer.

M&S Apothecary ‘Restore’ in everything - candle, room spray, diffuser, body wash.

St Eval whatever the seaside-y one is called.

As per PP I have some LED flickery candles which I think are pretty realistic. I admit I don’t wear my glasses in the house though 🤣

I got an M&S apothecary restore set for Christmas and am totally hammering it, especially the bed spray. Love it. The candle has been good within my shrine like set up, but has tunnelled quite a bit.

I’m a candle maker. I have my own business. Secret… it’s very easy to make your own candles for a few pounds if that!
You can buy little sample kits from specialist candle supply shops to make your own and then jump off and a buy a bulk bag of your favourite wax and a bottle of fragrance oil and the right wicks and you have cheap candles for life.

I’ve only used my candles for the fragrance but I went to my friends house yesterday afternoon and she had a handful burning in her fireplace and I couldn’t believe the heat they produced.

This had never ever occurred to me (even since my new found candle enthusiasm). I wonder if I was traumatised from a school overnight trip to York back in the mists of time. They took us to a place that emulated a medieval feudal village and basically made all the children work as serfs for several hours.

One of the things was to make a dipping candle and the person running it was really mean.

So maybe now that I am currd of my candle phobia, I can try this. Maybe. I’m not fully against it. Thanks for the suggestion and will look for your candles!