Skip to content
FREE SHIPPING WHEN YOU SPEND $55+ OR $4.99 FLAT RATE (CONTIGUOUS US ONLY)
Effing Candle Co - Wooden Wick Candles Hand Poured In Kansas City Effing Candle Co - Wooden Wick Candles Hand Poured In Kansas City
Account
Search
Loading...
Cart
  • NEW

    NEW
  • shop all

    shop all
  • fragrances

    fragrances
    • woodsy and leather scented candles

      woodsy and leather scented candles
    • clean, fresh & citrus scented candles

      clean, fresh & citrus scented candles
    • spicy scented candles

      spicy scented candles
    • sweet and gourmand scented candles

      sweet and gourmand scented candles
    • vanilla scented candles

      vanilla scented candles
  • collections

    collections
    • the spring collection + NEW scents

      the spring collection + NEW scents
    • birthday gifts

      birthday gifts
    • gifts for him

      gifts for him
    • housewarming + host gifts

      housewarming + host gifts
    • wedding + engagement gifts

      wedding + engagement gifts
    • sympathy + encouragement gifts

      sympathy + encouragement gifts
    • realtor closing gifts
    • kansas city's favorite candles

      kansas city's favorite candles
    • gifts under $20

      gifts under $20
    • travel candles

      travel candles
    • employee appreciation gifts

      employee appreciation gifts
    • sale

      sale
    • holiday

      holiday
    • fall candles

      fall candles
    • valentine's day

      valentine's day
    • mother's day gifts

      mother's day gifts
  • about
    • our story
    • our ingredients
    • scent menu
    • blog
    • contact us
  • Account
  • Home
  • / Effing Candle Co. Blog - Candle Care, Crystal Care, and Tips for Buying Thoughtful Gifts
  • / Behind-The-Scenes Of Candlemaking: Can I request a fragrance?

Behind-The-Scenes Of Candlemaking: Can I request a fragrance?

Karen Hansen · March 19, 2021

"You know what would be a great fragrance?"

"Can you make a candle that smells like _____?" 

"I smelled a candle by ____ brand and loved it. Can you make it?" 

We get these questions a lot and the answer is YES you can always *request* a fragrance, but know that it's just that - a request. Here's some behind-the-scenes info on how we come up with new candle fragrances and why it's not always possible to give you your dream scent:  

  1. I am a one-woman team. I do all of the product development, recipe testing, product creation, popups, shipping, customer service, community engagement, social media, email marketing, paid search, SEO, event planning, partnerships, wholesale, and more. 
  2. Formulating new candle fragrances is expensive. Samples of high-quality fragrances are $5 each and, because it's a liquid in a glass bottle, they're expensive to ship. A typical fragrance sample order from a distributor is about $65. We typically source samples from 3-4 distributors before landing on a scent we like. Sometimes we go through the whole effort and don't find anything we like. It's part of the process, but it stinks (literally and figuratively) to spend $200 on product research (not including the cost of purchasing enough of the fragrance oil to actually make candles to sell) and not have a new product to show for it. 
  3. It's time consuming. If we find a fragrance we like, we have to purchase it and test it (and test it and test it). Finding the right amount of fragrance to use so the candle is just right takes several tests and the wax we use needs 1-2 weeks to cure. We've found efficiencies to reduce the time it takes between testing and launch, but it's still a process.
  4. The candle world does NOT operate like Amazon - there is no free or two-day shipping. It can take three to four weeks between purchasing and receiving samples. Then three to four weeks again between purchasing and receiving the fragrance oil to use in tests and finished products. 
  5.  It's a risk. We never know if a new scent is going to be a hit. Just because you like it or we like it doesn't mean that it's going to have universal appeal.
  6. We kind of have a good thing going here. We've carefully curated our scent collection to stuff that - selfishly - we like. Sometimes suggested scents don't work with our existing assortment. Think of it this way - you like wearing neutral colors so your wardrobe is made up of neutrals and then someone wants you to add something that's hot pink and leopard. It just doesn't really work with what you already have. 

Know that if you've requested a scent, we L O V E you for thinking of us. We love that you want your favorite candle to be one that we make. We want that, too! 

Share
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter

0 comments

Leave a comment

Please note: comments must be approved before they are published.

  • behind the scenes
  • candle care
  • kansas city

Previous

Introducing The Spring/Summer Collection and NEW VESSELS!
March 12, 2021

Introducing The Spring/Summer Collection and NEW VESSELS!

Next

April 22, 2021

Earth Day Reflections

Categories

  • behind the scenes
  • candle care
  • kansas city

Collections

Featured articles

Be the first to know about cool stuff

unsubscribe at any time

Effing Candle Co. makes affordable nontoxic wooden wick candle. Our candles are handmade and shipped in Kansas City. Find funny candles, political candles, and candle gifts. You deserve an effing candle!

Our studio is located at 3703 Main Street and we're open to the public:

Thursdays 12-6

Fridays 12-5

Saturdays 12-4

  • Search
  • Pop-Up Requests
  • Corporate Gifts
  • Blog
  • Donation Requests
  • Press
  • Wholesale
  • Candle Refills
  • Rewards Program
  • Shipping & Returns
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us
Copyright © 2023 Effing Candle Co.. Powered by Shopify
Amazon American Express Apple Pay Diners Club Discover Meta Pay Google Pay Mastercard PayPal Shop Pay Venmo Visa

Get 10% Off Your First Order

Confirm your subscription and get the code ☺️