Reader Request: Tarts 101

UPDATED 11/29 (SEE BELOW FOR NEW INFO!)

This post is in response to many requests I've received to revisit an old post I wrote (back in 2009) regarding candle tarts. Thanks to everyone who requested that I revisit this topic--I LOVE candle tarts and am so happy to cover this again!

If you're unfamiliar with candle tarts, they are little wickless wax discs that you place in a ceramic tart-warmer (like an oil warmer but bigger). Tart warmers can be traditional (the kind that require you to burn a tea-light to make the tart melt) or electric (the heat from a bulb makes the tart melt).

 My pink tart warmer with tarts from etailers, Yankee Candle, Bath & Body Works and Slatkin & Co (NOTE: BBW no longer sells tarts -- I bought these at my local Bath & Body Works Outlet store).

I love candle tarts because, unlike candles, you don't have to commit to one scent for a long period of time. Once you've changed your mind and would like to burn a different tart, you can pop it out (I use a letter opener to pry the tart out in one piece after it cools, but you can also pop your tart warmer in the freezer for a few minutes and the wax tart will pop out easily). Most standard tarts will emit fragrance for at LEAST the duration of one tea light, but usually I can burn through two or three tea lights before the fragrance is no longer detectable.

The other thing I love about tarts is their price: they usually retail between $1 and $2 each, which is great if you're on a budget and would like to try a variety of different scents.

I have several tart warmers which I have owned for years (the one pictured above was purchased at the now-defunct Illuminations. Oh how I miss Illuminations!). I know that Yankee Candle sells lots of different styles, and you can also get them from tart sellers or on ebay or places like that.

As for the tarts themselves, there are a TON of great etailers that specialize in tarts, but if you want a quick-fix, head to your nearest Yankee Candle store or Bed Bath & Beyond (I think Kohl's sells Yankee Candle tarts as well) for Yankee Candle tarts.

Here are just a few great tart etailers (there are many more than you can find on places like etsy and ebay):

UPDATE: When I originally wrote this post, I was under the impression that one of my favorite tart makers of all time had moved from ebay (Carol, aka Candles From the Keeping Room) and that she no longer sold tarts in her new online store. Apparently I had the wrong website because, thanks to YOU, I now know that her website is candlesfromthekeepingroom.com and she DEFINITELY still sells tarts! YAY!! Her pink sugar blends are some of my favorite tarts of all time and I highly recommend this seller. I've honestly never had a bad or weak tart from her and her tarts come in the most adorable shapes! Thanks again to everyone who set me straight on her new website!

Cozy Cottage Scents - for a GREAT intro to the world of tarts, read their FAQ page here. They literally tell you everything you need to know about tarts much better than I could. CCS is a great seller who makes regular tarts and also "cuttable tarts" that are shaped like things like cake; you just slice off a piece when you want to melt it. Their scent list is long and impressive.

Somethin' Special: they have an ebay store as well as their own online store. What I love about Somethin' Special is that they have tons of great dupes (do you love the scent of Lush Karma? Aveda Shampure? Why not try them in a tart?). They also offer a dupe of one of my favorite perfumes of all time: Philosophy Baby Grace. Their tarts are so strong--one tart can fill my entire house with fragrance.

Almost Country Tarts and Warmers - a great seller who also used to sell on ebay but now has her own store. Nice, strong tarts that come in adorable shapes (donuts!) and reasonable prices.

Cleanse Your Soul - closed for the holidays but will reopen in 2012. What I like about CYS tarts is that they make them in EVERY scent on their site (their primary focus is bath and body products--I love their perfumes and body scrubs too). The scent list is extensive (with tons of original blends you won't find anywhere else) and if that doesn't do it for you, they also provide custom blends. It seriously might take you until 2012 to narrow down your shopping cart.

I'm Soy Excited - as the name implies, this tart seller makes soy candle tarts that come in "bars" that you simply break apart to melt. I like bars because you can mix and match and put a few different scents in your tart warmer all at once. Her tarts are nice and strong and the scent list is impressive (lots of dupes).

Tart lovers: what are some of YOUR favorite tart sellers? Please leave your comments below--I'm always excited to try new etailers!

Nouveau Cheap is not affiliated with any of the companies mentioned in this post, nor has Nouveau Cheap received compensation from said companies for this blog post.