Scents are part of every day life and are the most common trigger of memories.

So it makes sense to fill your everyday spaces with scents that you love and want to be the background of a relaxing, invigorating experience.

Even though it may be a familiar routine, there are some vital steps to ensuring you get the best out of your scented candle that you might not have realised!

We've put together our top tips to burning your candles the correct way.

• Your first light of a candle should last at least 2-3 hours. This first burn will set the precedent for future burns. Make sure the candle isn't extinguished before the wax has burnt to the edges, otherwise the candle will never burn past that rim. You should aim for the whole surface to be transparent before extinguishing. 
• Never blow out the candle. It is important to use a wick snuffer instead of just blowing out your candle. Think about it- you've just spent hours filling your room with an amazing aroma and then by blowing out your candle the scent is replaced by a burnt-wick smell. 
• Constantly cut the wick. To ensure you're getting the best of the candle scent and to optimise burn time, you should aim to cut the wick before, during and after the burn. The wick should be approximately 1/2 cm long at all times, otherwise it will start to smoke.
• Recycle the housing. All Oliver Thom we've selected candles which have tantalising scents but that have beautiful housing that you can re-use. Once you've burnt the candle down and removed any excess wax, you can have yourself a beautiful little container for bits and pieces, a drinking glass or even a small vase. 

View our range of scented candles here.