Don't forget to check the beauty sale pages at Macy's here and
Nordstrom here for new beauty deals plus free shipping!


Monday, November 28, 2011

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.
SHARE:

17 comments

  1. Candles by Victoria sells amazing tarts - she calls them scent shots. They're quit big too.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I would also recommend the Better Homes and Gardens tarts and Walmart. Super cheap and smell really great.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love their candles! They smell so good :) candles with vanilla smell is my favorite!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I order tarts all the time, my favorites are

    Candles by Victoria,
    Candles From the Keeping Room,
    Cross Creek Candles
    CanDo Candles

    These sellers' tarts are amazing and there are over 800 scents to choice from.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Regina: Thanks so much for the rec! Can't wait to check that seller out. :)

    Jen: Ooh, haven't tried those! Thanks!

    Joyce: Actually, Candles From the Keeping Room IS Candles by Carol (mentioned in this blog post)! Carol is no longer on ebay (boo!!) and her online store doesn't have tarts. I freaked OUT when I saw that because I adore her tarts too! Hopefully she sells tarts again. *finger crossed*

    And thanks for the other recs. :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. I am obsessed with tarts!!! I love Crosscreek Country Candles, the owner Deana is a wonderful woman! her pink sugar blends are to die for! She will even make custom blends if you ask! I made pink sugar rush which is now on the scent list it is funnel cake and pink sugar!!


    I also love Can-do-Candles!!! Great honey I washed the kids dupe and love spiced nuts!! Has amazing prices

    ReplyDelete
  7. A brief word of warning to a former tart user - put them where no one, not even you can knock them over. If these spill - even a little - they are a pain in the butt to get up. Also, tarts are normally more strongly scented than votives, so keep than in mind when selecting a scent. Finally, recognize that most tart burners retain the scent of the former tart even after cleaning.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love, love, LOVE tarts! My favorite etailer by far is The Bathing Garden http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheBathingGarden . Shannon is wonderful to work with, her tarts come in the breakable 6 pack clam shell (I think that's what they are called). Her tarts are so freaking cute (that's what drew me in the first place!). She has some really unique scents. She sells 5, 10, 20 bundle packs, and she always includes lots of extras in packages (which she packages really well by the way!). I absolutely adore her shop. Highly recommend her!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oh I loooove tarts! I have quite a collection from etailers. I also really Better Homes & Gardens tarts from WM. Candles from the Keeping Room is different from Candles by Carol, though....CFTKR's website is www dot candlesfromthekeepingroom dot com. She is my favorite vendor of alltime! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Gina: Thank you! I've always wanted to try Crosscreek, and now that I know you "invented" a scent, I am ALL over it! Pink Sugar and funnel cake? Yes PLEASE! Oh, and what scents to you suggest from Can-Do? Thanks!

    Lacquered Lady: Haha! I have spilled my tart burner a few times and you're right--it's a pain to clean but I find that if I let the spilled wax cool completely it will pop right off a hard surface (carpet, on the other hand, is the worst!). And you know, I've heard people mention that tart burners retain the scent of the previous tart, but I really have only experienced that when it's a scent like pine, which is so strong to begin with. I tend to burn a lot of gourmand and clean scented tarts and they don't really "stick" to my burner (thank goodness!). Anyway, thanks for the tips! :D

    Angie: Oooh, I think I smell an order in my future (pun intended!). Thanks so much for the rec! xo

    ReplyDelete
  11. I've been using coffee cup warmers for years with a cheap thin glass cup to melt my tarts. you can also set small candles on them to melt.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Carol's site still sells tarts, I just order a bunch of them, they even come in fancy shapes.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I was one of those eBay sellers for a while, and I found that making my own tarts and candles is very satisfying. I no longer sell on line - it's so tough to handle a side business on top of a full-time job - but I still make my own tarts and candles for personal use and gifts. Once you find out how easy it really is, you'll never pay someone else again!

    ReplyDelete
  14. The only e-tailer I purchase from now is The Bathing Garden on Etsy. She makes some amazing tarts that are affordable (and they also come in big bundles cheaply) and they all smell so great, so complex. (The tarts themselves are even wonderfully decorated!) Shannon, the owner, is so, so sweet, too - she even packages her goodies with extras! Who does that anymore? The last batch I ordered was her Christmas ones and they're all so yummy! I definitely recommend this seller with no affiliation. =]

    ReplyDelete
  15. Jen in NY and Joyce: THANK YOU SO MUCH for setting me straight on Carol! I'm going to update my post right now--this is FANTASTIC news and I never would have known had it not been for you!! Yay!!!! Thanks a million. :)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Oh yaay, I'm so glad you can order from Carol again! I agree, her PS blends are amazing...have you tried Pink Sugared Vanilla Wafers? YUM! I have it melting right now! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Try Maxximumscented.com. Prices are reasonable, quality is excellent and the scent choices are incredible.
    Ciao,
    Pinky

    ReplyDelete

I love and encourage comments here at Nouveau Cheap, and I do not censor comments unless they violate my comment policy, which you can view here.

Please refrain from comments that contain:
• Links to your own blog or website
• Advertisements or referral links

Thanks very much for your help in keeping this a spam-free zone.

© 2009- Nouveau Cheap. All rights reserved.
BLOGGER TEMPLATE MADE BY pipdig