SELF-CARE FOR CANDLE ADDICTS

I get a bit giddy for candles, not going to lie, and one of the reasons I appreciate a fancy brand is not just for a good scent, but they all seem to give you tips on how to burn a candle properly. How can you burn a candle wrong I hear you ask? So there's a little bit more to it than just striking a match and lighting the wick if you want your candle to endure a bit longer and burn better.. and if you are going to fork out for a spend-y one, you do kind of want to get your money's worth. Here's some of the bits I've learned.

Candle 101 is that the first burn is crucial. Though it's tempting to give a candle a quick light when you get home, you need to give yourself a good three hour window for that first burn, so that the melt reaches the edge of the candle. If you don't, you'll get that tunnel effect, where the candle doesn't burn evenly, just down the centre. It doesn't look great and it's also not going to burn so long.

Okay, let's talk implements. My candle kit sort of looks like tools of torture from a horror movie, but I'll be honest, when I first bought them, it was more just for how they looked on the coffee table rather than knowing why they were important.

Wick trimmers – the clue is in the name, but there's a good reason you should do it, and do it every four hours of burn time or so. By trimming the wick down, you get rid of build up of carbon on it, which can cause a smokier burn, interfering with the scent and also causing that black stain effect that happens on candle jars sometime. You can just use normal scissors, but it gets a bit trickier when you get to the bottom of the jar.

What about the candle snuffer then? Well, seemingly, blowing out a candle with your breath makes more smoke than you really need to – and I've had a few candles in my time that have really, really smoked after being blown out – which affects the scent again. Snuff it for less smoke, and it should help the wick stay in better condition for the next burn.

This tool, to be honest, I've never actually used before, but seemingly it should help dig out a wick when it gets encased in wax. I'm sure it'll come in useful one day.

So, there's my self-care tips for candles, but if you've got any good tips, pop it in a comment below, everyday is a school day!

[This post contains gifted products]