Burning tips

You might be thinking, I know how a candle works... I just, like, light it on fire, right?

Well, sure. As long as you're heeding the warning label on the bottom of your jar/tin, and remembering you're lighting a fire inside your house, you'll have a pretty good time. But surprisingly, there are a few tricks to getting the absolute most out your candle:

• Trim that wick! The wick should always be kept at about 1/4" height in order to make the candle smell better and last longer. A longer wick means a taller flame, which burns the wax faster and actually burns off the fragrance oil rather than let it gently evaporate into the air and into your nose holes. You can purchase a fancy pants wick trimmer for around $10, and leave it casually lying about to let your friends know you are so sophisticated that you own a wick trimmer, or just use nail clippers.

• Fit the candle to the space. Tins and melts are most enjoyable in smaller spaces, such as a bathroom or a small bedroom, or in any space as long as you're sitting nearby. For larger spaces, I recommend the jars. I designed these to be an attractive centerpiece for tables, mantles, and countertops. Just remember to keep flammable things away.

• The first time is special. I know you're excited, but you can't rush this. Make sure you have time to commit at least a couple hours to your first burn, or however long it takes to get a complete layer of melted wax, all the way to the sides of the jar or tin. Why? Because if you don't, you'll create a "memory ring," or an outer layer of wax that will never burn. Your wick will just keep tunneling down and you'll lose out on a lot of fragrance and burn time. This also gives you time to develop a nice "hot throw," which is the strength and radius of the scent of a burning candle.

That's it! You are now ready for long-lasting, great-smelling, clean-looking candles!