How long will it take to get my order?
After payment is received and personal checks have cleared, candle orders usually ship in 2-3 business days except for the holiday season when it may take a little longer. "Smelly Bears" and "Aroma Beads" are made to order and may take longer than 2-3 business days, but should be no longer than 5 business days. If you need your products by specific dates, please call and let us know. We will do everything we can to get them to you on time. On rare occasion, supplies are on backorder. If by chance that happens, we will notify you as soon as possible.
Can you send me a catalog through the mail?
Due to constant upgrades, additions and changes to our product line, a printed catalog is not available. We always keep the website current so you may simply print out information from our site.
Do you ship internationally?
Currently, we only ship to customers in the continental U.S.
What type of payment do you accept?
Currently we accept all major credit cards via paypal (you do not need to have a paypal account), cashier's checks, money orders and personal checks. Personal Checks must clear before any products are shipped. Mail payments to: Scented Specialties, LLC - 406 Gainesway Dr., Madisonville, LA 70447. There is a NSF check fee of $25 per check.
Does Scented Specialties use lead wicks?
No, Scented Specialties does not use lead wicks in any of its candles!
What if my product arrives damaged?
All products that leave our business are well packaged and in good condition. If you receive a product that has damage to it, you will need to report it to USPS or UPS for a refund. We can not refund any money for damaged shipments.
What if I don't like the scent that I choose?
We can not take returns on a product because you don't like the scent. If you are not sure about a scent, plese purchase our tea light candles in the scent you want to try so that you will know what our larger candles wil smell like. Tea lights are very inexpensive and Scented Specialties does not have a minimum purchase requirement.
Why do your fragrance options change?
Scented Specialties attempts to provide scents that are appropriate to each season. We have a large selection of "year round" fragrances and then rotate seasonal scents in and out of stock. Also, if a fragrance is not popular, we may choose to discontinue that fragrance.
What is "Triple Scented?"
Candle wax will only hold a certain amount of fragrance oil. Triple scenting means that 1.5 ounces of fragrance oil per one pound of wax is used as opposed to the standard of .5 ounces of fragrance oil to one pound of wax. You can go a step further and ask what type of fragrance oil is being tripled. Scented Specialties uses only top of the line, premium, "uncut" fragrance oil, and then we triple that! That's whay our candles are so strong.
Why do some candles tend to loose their scent after burning only a few hours?
Scented Specialties adds fragrance oil to the entire candle, from top to bottom. If you have purchased a candle that has smelled great in the store and then only smelled great for a short burning time at home, this is because some companies only use scent in the "topping off" process of making the candle. That means only the top portion of the candle has scented wax, the rest may be just colored wax.
Why do some candles smell stronger than others?
First of all, not all people's "smellers" work the same. Secondly, some fragrances are just more delicate by nature than others. We triple scent each and every candle we make.
Will my candle fill my entire house with fragrance?
It depends. You need to consider the room or house size when purchasing candles. For example - a large room needs a large candle, a small room needs a small candle and an entire house may need multiple candles. Tea Lights are great for scenting small areas such as bathrooms. The reason is that the fragrance comes from the "melt pool" of the candle, and the larger the diameter of the container, the larger the melt pool. And remember, all fragrances are not created equal. By nature, some fragrances are just stronger than others,
Do you have a candle that magically "eats" bad odors or smoke?
All Scented Specialties candles will cover smoke or bad odors. There is no "magic" ingredient that will make one candle cover odors better than another, however one of our stronger scents may cover the smoke or odor more quickly.
What is the "breaking in" process of a candle?
The very first time you burn your new candle, you should allow the candle to liquefy all the way to the edge of the container. Believe it or not, candles have a memory and they tend to burn the same way each time you burn them. You want to "train" your candle to burn evenly, all the way down to the bottom of the container. This will help your candle achieve maximun burn time.
How do I keep my candles looking their best?
Candles will fade or discolor when they are exposed to intense light for extended time periods. For this reason, do not display your candles for long periods in direct sunlight, fluorescent lighting or other strong light sources. Also, because Scented Specialties uses a soft wax blend, our candles will soften in temperatures over 80 degrees or in direct sunlight. Store your candles in a cool, dry place. Never leave them in a hot car.
What is the recommended amount of time to burn a candle?
One hour per inch of candle container diameter. For Example, if you have a 3 inch diameter container, burn the candle for 3 hours, then extinguish. If you extinguish the candle before the liquid wax or "melt pool", is all the way to the ends of the container, you will have problems in the future with even burning. If you let the candle burn longer than what is recommended, or "power burn", your candle will burn down much quicker.
What causes some candles to leave wax on the side of the container or burn a hole down the middle of the candle?
This happens for several reasons. First, perhaps you did not successfully complete the "breaking in" process. In other words, maybe you didn't burn your candle for the recommended amount of time the first time you burned it. Drafts may also cause uneven burning. Another reason could be a non-centered wick. If a wick should ever move to one side while burning, extinguish the candle and reposition the wick to the center of the container. Finally, and the most probable reason is improper wick size. Too often, candlemakers use the wrong wicks for the wrong purposes. Scented Specialties does extensive research and testing to make sure we use the right wick for the job.
Why do candle wicks sometimes become mushroom shaped?
A "fragrance mushroom" is a carbon build up on your wick. This is just a friendly reminder that your have purchased a highly scented, handmade candle! If you see a "fragrance mushroom" on your wick, extinguish the candle, trim the wick to 1/4", relight and enjoy. Do not allow the wick trimmings or other materials to fall into the wax.
What is the proper length to keep your wick?
A wick should be trimmed to 1/4" before lighting. This will keep the wick from smoking and increase the burn time you get out of your candle. A wick should naturally trim itself at 3/8".
How to cut and when to cut a wick?
Wicks should be cut whenever the fame begins to flicker excessively or exceeds 3/4" in length. The best way to trim a wick is with a tool designed especially for wick clipping. You can also use scissors or even nail clippers, if the candle & wick is not hot. Proper length after clipping should be 1/4".
What happens if I cut my wick too short?
If a wick is too short, the candle will not burn properly. The flame may go out due to wax flooding the wick. If this happens, you can carefully pour out some of the liquid wax. If the wax is not liquified, carefully "dig" out some wax from around the wick. Scented Specialties' premium wax blend is soft enough that you can use a spoon.
Why should I discontinue using the candle when 1/2" of wax remains?
As the flame nears the bottom of the glass jar and most of the wax is gone, the glass at the base of the candle can get extremely hot and could be dangerous. If you discontinue using the candle with 1/2" of wax remaining, the base should not get too hot. You should also to remember to burn all candles on heat resistant surfaces.
What is the best way to exstinguish a candle?
Use a non-flammable instrument and dip the wick into the melted wax. Then reposition your wick to the center. This will prevent your wick from smoking.
What is soot and how can it be avoided?
Soot is created when a flame exceeds 1 inch in length. Keep the wick trimmed to avoid such a high flame. The quality of wax will also determine how much soot a candle will produce. Scented Specialties uses only the finest premium wax blends ensuring one of the cleanest burns possible. Also, drafts cause candle flames to flicker and smoke is released when a flame is disturbed. Keep candles out of drafts. Scented Specialties recommends using some sort of "candle topper" with jar candles.
What are "burn times" of your candles and why do they differ?
Candle burn times vary due to many different reasons. First, placement of your candle is very important. Candles in drafty areas will burn quicker. Types of wax and fragrance oil contribute to differing burn times. Wick height is another factor. The longer the wick, the quicker the candle will burn.
Should I save my empty candle jars to be refilled?
No. Unfortunatley glass weakens and we do not recommend refilling our jars to be used again as candles. However, you could use the jars for other purposes or you could recycle them with your other glass items.
