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Very fair question. Much like finding a new apartment or even spouse online...pictures can lie. Expectations can be way off. Pictures, videos, descriptions and even reviews can be way off sometimes. It's common for people to hesitate when buying candles online because...well...you can't smell them! Here's a few tips to help you make an educated decision about purchasing a candle online. 

Know your space. If you're unfamiliar with your home, how a candle and smell reacts in that space and how it will "fill" your room, read this blog post. (link to post)

Now that you determined what your expectations should be for your home size vs candle throw, choice of scent becomes the next question. Scents are a highly personal thing and it is impossible to know each person's preference. What is possible though, is being realistic about your preferences. If your candle collection naturally seems to consist of manly, musky smells...don't go out on a limb and try a flowery scent. Stick to your instincts. Sure, everybody's lavender candle is different and unique in its own way, but at the end of the day, it is still lavender. 

Read the description. It might seem silly and sort of obvious, but read the description of the candle you are interested in. Candle descriptions are always vetted and written with intention. Their sole purpose is to help you understand the candles smell in as much verbal detail as possible. Never is a description written with the intent of "tricking" someone.

Know the season and mood you're in. Sure, maybe you have a wide variety of scents you enjoy. But be aware of the season and mood you are currently in. A pumpkin spice candle may smell lovely in the fall, but not quite as welcoming in the summer when your nose is expecting a refreshing lemon smell. Candles are a great way to transform your atmosphere season to season, so make sure you utilize that!

Don't be afraid to start small. Buy a small candle first and give it a try. Burn it in your office, bathroom or smaller space to see if you enjoy it. Then spend the money and invest in a larger size to fill your home.

It's 2019 and in the past couple of years there has been a huge uprising in eco-friendly, all-natural cruelty-free products on the market. Consumers are slowly becoming more aware of their products, where they're manufactured and more importantly HOW they're manufactured. So much so that most products read like some crazy foreign menu item.

All natural, made in America, cruelty-free, vegan, soy-based, non-toxic...does it really matter?

There are so many new standards, terms and products being used that I think it is only appropriate we spend some time and demystify exactly why our candles are all natural, hand poured, cruelty-free, vegan soy wax candles.

For starters, it is important to know what the alternative to soy wax is, and there are a bunch. Beeswax and paraffin waxes are some of the main competitors you may have seen before. Let's start with the main one, paraffin wax.

Chances are if you've bought a candle before, it has been made of paraffin wax. The problem with paraffin wax is that it is a man-made substance and a by-product of tons of horrible chemicals including oil. All of those chemicals become airborne and inhaled when you burn candles made of paraffin. The same way a cigarette is bad for you, so is a paraffin wax candle.

Bee's wax and other natural waxes are a different story. These waxes are all great alternatives to the nasty substance paraffin is, but they each come with their own set of problems. The overall aroma and burning behaviors of other waxes such as bees wax is slightly different than what most standard candle users are use to which brings us back to our main topic...

With all that said, Gold and Ivy candles are all made from all natural soy wax. Soy wax is an all natural by-product of soybeans. The majority of soybeans are grown and locally harvest in the United States and are a completely renewable resource that will continue to grow and be harvested. Soy wax is a dream to work with - it burns cleanly and at a lower temperature than other waxes, and does a wonderful job at filling your home with scent.

The decision to keep the candles their natural color is intentional too. While adding dyes and coloring to the wax may look aesthetically pleasing, it is just another added chemical that is being released in your home. 

Candles are obviously made from more than just wax and in order to call a product "all natural, vegan and cruelty-free", all of the ingredients inside are going to need to follow suit. With that said, Gold and Ivy candles are all made with cotton braided wicks and fragranced with phthalate-free, essential oil infused fragrance oils. So, no harmful chemicals, just an enjoyable and relaxing way to create some ambience in your home. 

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Ok, so you got a brand new candle. You open the box, light it and walk away. Blow it out before you go to bed and then wake up the next day and do the same thing, right?

No.

To properly burn and care for your candle it takes a little more effort. If you want to get the most out of your new candle there are a few good practices to follow. 

It's all about the first burn. Burning your candle correctly for the first time is crucial. Let the wax melt all the way to edges of the jar. This is extremely important! If your candle doesn't burn for long enough on its first time, it will begin to tunnel and leave unused and unmelted wax along the jar. This will eventually lead to your candle burning out too early, and wasting wax. 

Trim the wick! If you fail to trim the wick to around 1/4 inch after each use, you're going to run a few risks as well. First, the wick will "mushroom" leaving behind excess soot & smoke. An untrimmed wick is also a fire hazard and can burn a high flame that can be dangerous. Wicks that are left too long can begin to shift causing the jar to crack as well.

Lastly, some candles may look a little "spotty" or "wet" when looking through the jars. This happens when the temperature fluctuates and causes the wax to expand and contract. This is totally normal and does not affect the burn of your candle.

Ok, this question comes up a lot. Like, a lot. Truthfully, it's impossible to answer. There are a lot of things that go into a scent and more specifically a candle "filling your house". But, the question has been asked...so let's get into it. 

First, what is your definition of "fill your house"? How sensitive is your sense of smell? Some people can smell something from miles away while others fail to miss the week-old tuna in their fridge. Maybe it's a silly question, but it is important to be realistic about this sort of thing when considering what scent and candle size combination to put in your home. 

How big is your house? It's not often thought about, but a large home is going to be way harder to fill than a smaller home. Two story homes are always going to be difficult to fill simply due to their size. Smaller, rancher style homes might be easy to fill, but also, too easy to fill. One second your candle might smell great, but the next second you can't stop smelling your cat's freshly used litter box. There are pro's and con's to each but don't worry, there are ways to combat all of these things!

What scent are you looking at? Some scents are just naturally stronger than others. Scents such as vanilla and cotton are going to be much softer than scents such as pumpkin or oakmoss.  

What size candle are you looking at? Yes, each candle size is going to throw the scent differently. Large candles, by nature of their jars and sent to wax ratio are going to "throw" or allow more scent into the air than a smaller jar would. 

See where this is going?

So, now that you are aware of all the factors that go into this crazy question, what WILL fill your house best? Do you have a small home with a sensitive sense of smell? A small candle will be more than enough to fill your home. Is your home on the larger side and your nose not up to par? You may need two or three candles to sufficiently "fill" your home. Again, this is all perspective, so please, consider all the options and give it a try for yourself.

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