Hi! I'm Dani, the owner of amberandoak.co. I create videos showing the behind the scenes of being a solo candle business owner, and hopefully they will help or entertain you :)
I’m based in the US. I use a tips dipped in each oil placed in the same baggie for 24 hrs will give me the final answer on if I want to combine scents or not.
Sadlu due to legislation we are not allowed to do this in the UK as every scent has to go through individual testing to be approved despite all the contents already being individually tested to go on sale to the general public. I've had to go back to the drawing board and start trialling a different wax as I went from 100% success to 100% failure after buying more wax and wicks (same wax and wicks just a different batch) and since then I've not found another wick that will burn adequately so I've now start using soy, I was using Parasoy because the cold and hot throw is incredible as well as holding colour really well.
Please read the REACH regulations for the UK. You can blend fragrances provided the original fragrance have been registered and meets compliance. The original fragrance must have been registered for use in candles. You will need the correct CLP labels for the blend and a revised SDS. A number of the large fragrance suppliers in the UK can help if you are blending only their fragrances.
Did you ever try raising up your digi boil so that your scale and poring pitcher fit under it? I think it is memory box candle who puts it on concrete blocks. Just might save you a step in the process.
It was a no go for me with the 444 wax for that reason alone. The ugly tops!! 😂 Same! 454 wax ❤er! I’m still trying to find the perfect wick for the 8 oz straight jars but the wax is amazing.
Most of us aren't pouring candles in full glam... I love that you keep it real. I think content is more relatable when we see the same struggles that we have. Very nice video! :)
I use 464 wax and I’ve just come to terms that it is picky with fragrance oils. There are some fragrance oils that just work wonderfully and give me beautifully smooth tops with no sink holes right off the bat, I dont even need to use a heat gun, and some others where it is just a hot mess and I have to keep smoothing the tops over and over again. I had to come to terms that sometimes it is just not worth the effort, energy and anxiety to continue trying to make one fragrance oil work, so I just pivot from there. If I have a very particular vision I am trying to achieve with the FO that is not working, then I try to use a similar fragrance oil from a different supplier to see if that would fetch me better results. IDK if it helps! On the other hand, thanks for sharing!!! Love seeing the more candid, realistic content ❤️
BBW uses paraffin wax and vegetable wax in their candles for better scent throw as do many. Generally it’s the scent that makes you get headaches as well as soot from improperly sized and trimmed wicks. Beware palm wax is contributing to the rainforest demise
I am still working on getting up and running and putting together my first line of candles. I have a strange way of looking at the candle maker competition thing, donuts! I know it sounds funny, but I feel that when you have a product that is so similar to so many other makers the competition (challenge) is in getting your product in front of people.
I am actually attending the Handcrafted Soap And Cosmetic Guild conference. As a novice maker I was nervous to attend. I’m so happy I took the plunge - everyone was so friendly and helpful. It’s an amazing community of other makers and technically competitors but it has been very refreshing to see the love and support of this community. Everyone has been so willing to share their knowledge and experiences. It has been exactly what I needed to gain knowledge and confidence to open my doors to a business. It has been a much different experience from just being on FB forum.
Omg I just saw they were in CT and candlescience was there!! I wish I knew, I guess if they sent an email it went to my spam folder :( where are you attending it, which state?!
@@amberandoak I live in western MA so I drove in everyday. I figured it was a sign I should go with it being in my “backyard”. Next year is in Reno. I think registration opens in Sept or Oct. the longer you wait the more expensive it gets. I’ll see where I am at if going makes sense. It really is a business write off so if you can swing it definitely go. I took an all day class presented by Kevin Reed from Candlescience it was amazing how much more I learned. Getting to visit all the vendors is fun and they usually offer great deals and discounts to attendees. Let me know if you have any questions!
@@nicolesakowicz2949 wow thank you for all the info!! I’m on Long Island so ct would have been sooo perfect! That’s great you got to go and soak up the knowledge and experience it :)
Just some helpful feed back- usually watch most my videos on my phone and unfortunately when you posted the scent notes it isn’t legible. I’m sure on a computer or tv you can see just fine. Love your videos and so glad I found you!
Hi Nicole! Thank you so much for watching and for that feedback! It is pretty small, I can only read it on my phone clearly when the phone is turned sideways to enlarge the video to full screen. I’ll make sure to keep this in mind for future videos as I feel most people probably watch on mobile !! 💕
Just found your videos!! My husband and I are preparing to get our own business off the ground soon. LOVE your style and ordered candles today right away!!! Excited to sniff!!!❤
Omg thank you so much Erica!! I really hope my videos can be helpful for you please let me know if you have any specific topics you’d like me to cover :) best of luck!
@@amberandoak thank you so much!! I would really love to see a video regarding 5-10 things you wished you knew before getting started on your small business. Maybe things you would tell your younger self before starting that would make the process a bit smoother! Appreciate your storytelling and willingness to share🤍
I love Candle Science! Even their customer service is amazing. But I just did what you were talking about, I placed an order and then a few days later realized that I didn't order everything I needed so I had to turn right back around and order again. My brain is all over the place. 🤣
I feel that product photography is the area I struggle with the most. Do you use canva to edit your photos? Still trying to work through that learning curve. So glad I found your channel! I love your vibe and look forward to hearing more about your business experiences.
I use photoshop! Canva is so useful for me in many other ways like making graphics for market pop ups and my site/instagram. Thank you so much for stopping by and I hope we can help each other grow!
