Over these past few weeks, I’ve been burning a lot of scented candles, especially my favourite Thymes Frasier Fir candles, which makes the house smell so Christmassy without being fake or overbearing. 
I’d love to get one of the classic candles like Diptyque or Cire Trudon, but honestly, I can’t fathom paying that much for something I am going to burn!
The one thing I detest about all candles, from birthday candles, to elegant white tapers in silver candelabra, and even lovely scented candles, is the smell of the smoke when you extinguish the flame. That ruins the whole experience for me. 
So, when I read an article in the WSJ’s Off Duty section and saw some candle hints, I paid attention. Julien Pruvost, the Executive Director of Cire Trudon, France’s oldest candle maker, gave a little Candle Burning 101 seminar in three paragraphs.
The worst habit is to burn a new candle for 30 minutes and put it out. Wait about two hours, until the surface has melted. What releases fragrance is not the flame but the melted wax.
To put out a candle, use a non-flammable metal utensil like a wick dipper (or a bent paper clip if you’re like me!) to push the wick in the wax, then wait a few seconds and pull it out. The wick will be coated in wax, so the smoke will not interfere with the scent.
A common mistake is to leave a candle burning all day. The ideal time is two hours, no longer than three.
If you learn one new trick this year, this is the best one. It really makes such a huge difference when you put the candle out – you smell the lingering scent of the candle, not the sooty smoke.
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