For a long time, I thought that knowing how to use a candle consisted in lighting it with a lighter or a match, and extinguishing it once you are fed up or leave the room . What naivety!
On TikTok, Kudzi Chikumbu alias @SirCandleMan shares his expertise in wicks, waxes and fragrances on video. And since I discovered it, I would not say that my life has changed, but rather that my candles last longer and my interior smells better.
And given the money it costs, it helps me feel like I finally got my money's worth! Even if the ideal would be to do without it of course, especially since it pollutes the indoor air relatively.
In short, some advice from Mr. Candles of TikTok can be useful for you to optimize its use and thus get the most out of this scented decoration. Small anthology.
Where to best place your candle
It may seem obvious to many people, but it can only do good to remember it: a candle is used on a perfectly flat surface and at the sheltered from drafts, with nothing above. We therefore avoid placing it on the ground, or on a wobbly coffee table, or in a narrow hallway, or in front of a window that is sometimes open.
How to properly relight your candle to avoid black smoke?
If you are one of the few people to read the instructions for use before using an object, you surely already know it: the first using a candle requires letting it burn for at least an hour, depending on its capacity and number of wicks, so it's worth checking.
As for the following uses, to improve combustion and optimize the life of its good smell, Sir Candle Man recommends, once the candle is extinguished, to cut the wick of it a few millimeters if ever it splits or clumps together after combustion. Ideally, it should even be cut after each use, in fact.
This prevents when it is relighted that it does not make a flame that is too big, too bright, which would therefore burn too quickly, and could also cause smelly black smoke.
How best to extinguish your candle to prolong its life?
If you just blow out your candle and basta to extinguish it, you may quickly find yourself with a flame causing black smoke, edge smearing, or an off center wax tunnel effect. Against this, Kudzi Chikumbu recommends turning it off normally, then immediately refocusing the wick and putting it back straight. This will allow it to be turned on again later in better conditions.
How to combine the scents of scented candles well?
If you are really a fan of candles, you may have already thought or tried to mix the scents by lighting several at the same time.
@SirCandleMan recommends burning a rather earthy and/or woody fragrance with another fruity fragrance in a room at the same time.
It's somewhat the same logic as for the formulation of skin perfumes, ultimately: top and heart notes seem all the more sparkling or intoxicating thanks to the depth provided by warm base notes.
You can also take inspiration from the olfactory pyramid of your favorite eau de toilette to recreate something similar with your candles.
If you are passionate about this universe, know that @SirCandleMan gives his reviews of popular candles on the market (coucou Dyptique, Byredo, Bath & Body Works, and other Yankee Candles), and recommends cheap dupes of the most popular models. expensive. Just to avoid having the impression of burning money at both ends.
Also read:Emmanuelle Sits, luxury authentication influencer: “I rip off scammers”
Headline photo credit: TikTok screenshot @SirCandleMan
