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Colorado Candle Co.

How to Make a Candle Smell Stronger (Scent Throw)

A candle that smells wonderful in the jar and faint once it's lit is frustrating. Usually the room, the burn or your nose is the reason, not the candle.

Hot throw and cold throw

Candle people call how strongly a candle smells its throw. The cold throw is what you smell from the unlit candle in the jar. The hot throw is what fills the room while it burns. Fragrance comes off the pool of melted wax, so the hot throw builds as that pool spreads. A freshly lit candle needs a while before you notice it across a room.

Why a candle can seem weak

  • The room is big or airy. High ceilings, open-plan spaces, fans and heating vents spread the scent thin.
  • It hasn't melted across yet. A small melt pool gives off a small amount of scent. A candle that has tunneled never gets a full pool (here's how to fix tunneling).
  • Your nose has stopped noticing. After a while in the same room, you stop registering a scent you're surrounded by. Step outside for a minute and come back in.
  • The wax. Soy gives a softer, steadier scent than paraffin. More on that in soy vs. paraffin.
  • The scent itself. Light, fresh scents read softer than warm, rich ones.

How to get more scent

  • Match the size to the room. A 4 oz amber jar suits a bathroom or a small bedroom. For a living room, use the 9 oz amber jar or bigger.
  • Light it early. Give it about an hour before guests arrive, so the melt pool has spread.
  • Close the door. And keep the candle away from fans, vents and open windows, which is safer too.
  • Burn to the edge every time, and trim the wick to ΒΌ inch so the flame stays steady.
  • Use two in a big room, at least 3 inches apart.
  • Keep the lid on between burns, so the scent stays in the wax.

Choosing for a stronger scent

If you want a scent you'll notice in a bigger room, warm scents like Vanilla Bean, Comfort Spice, Cinnamon & Vanilla and Spiced Pumpkin Ginger are a good place to start. Fresh scents like Clean Cotton, Sea Breeze and Pink Grapefruit are lighter and suit smaller rooms. The easiest way to find out what you like is the sampler (any four 4 oz candles for $56).

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