What are your candles made with?

Our candles begin with GMO-free, vegan, 100% soy wax; it's fully sustainable and sourced from right here in North America.  Some companies blend stabilizers or additives into the wax to allow for a longer shelf life or to cut costs.  Some add paraffin for an enhanced scent throw.  We choose not to.  We strive to use phthalate-free fragrances as well.  Our wicks are cotton braided (lead and metal-free).  We also avoid any dyes (except for special occasions) or fancy sparkles or other foreign objects in the candles.  We simply focus on providing the best quality fragrance and wax.  Our goal is to make our candles as eco-friendly as possible. 

 

How long does it take to get my order?

We are a small but mighty team. We don't mass-produce or keep large quantities on hand in a big warehouse.  We handcraft our products once you place your order and they're shipped within 7-10 days. The header of our website will always give you an estimated turnaround time for the shipping of your order based on our current order volume.  If you're pre-ordering an item or experience, be aware the turnaround time may be longer; in these instances an estimated shipping date will be noted in the product description.  Also, our candle concierge, Meghan will always keep you updated on your specific order status.

 

Do you ship internationally?

Yes we do!  We typically ship all international orders through DHL Express as their delivery time is the most expedient for a reasonable price.  Please note - when international customers check out on the website, the shipping cost is automatically generated based on the product size, weight and destination.  8 times out of 10, it ends up being a higher cost than we actually pay.  In this instance, we will ALWAYS refund the excess shipping you are charged.  Feel free to email meghan@luxillume.com for any international order questions.

 

What do I do if my order says it's delivered but it's not here?

Situations like this are understandably very disappointing and frustrating.  Please know that once the package leaves our hands, we're at the mercy of the same tracking information that you may have.  I sure wish we had a red bat-phone for the shipping companies, but alas we aren't that special.  We predominantly ship via the USPS and UPS.  Both carriers require that the recipient (customer) contact them to begin the investigation and claim process.  After a shipping carrier claim investigation, we (at our discretion) may choose to replace the order. 

 

What do I do if my order was damaged in shipping?

Please email meghan@luxillume.com with your order number and picture(s) of the damage. We'll work to replace the damaged items right away!

 

What do I do if I don't like the scent?

We know fragrances can be objective and we work really hard to describe them as closely to what you can expect.  But of course, everyone's sense of smell can be different!  We try to replicate the specific "piped-in" scents as best as possible.  Many other scents are just inspired by the area/treat/character/attraction they're meant to represent and are open to artistic interpretation.  We ask that you please consider this when leaving a review of the product or experience.  If you don't enjoy the scent you received, please email meghan@luxillume.com within 14 days of receiving your order. 

 

What is this "candle memory" or "tunneling" I hear about?

Great question! Candles can be finicky creatures :) The first time you light a brand-new candle, it creates a "memory" for future burns of the candle.  It won't really melt the wax along the edges beyond that initial burn.  So it's important to make sure you light it when there's a lot of time for it to burn.  A good rule of thumb is for every 1" in diameter of melted wax, it will take 1 hour to achieve that.  So a 3 inch wide candle will take at least 3 hours to melt all the way across.

The goal for the first 1-4 times you light the candle (well, every time really - but the first 1-4 are the most critical) is to let the wax melt so that the pool of melted wax extends all the way to the edge of the container (or within 1/4 inch or so). If you light it and extinguish it before it's had a chance to get all the way to the edge, it will most likely never burn past the initial edge created with the first burn (this is the candle memory we mentioned above).

Repeated short burns (not allowing the wax to melt all the way to the edge) will create a "tunnel" within the candle.  It is very challenging for the candle to naturally burn this off.  To fix a tunnel, it's advisable to scrape the excess until you have an even plane to burn from again.  You can use the wax you scrape out in a wax melter to minimize waste! Be sure to trim that wick before you re-light it too!

 

How long is an unburned candle good for?

This is tricky to answer because there's a lot of variables to consider. For the most part, soy candles have a long shelf life of at least over a year. Over time, they will lose their scent strength though. This really just depends on the scent.  Some lighter scents will fade faster than heavier scents.  Also, if they're glass candle vessels and they're kept in direct sunlight, you might notice discoloration of the wax over time.  Because we use 100% soy wax with no additives, it will develop a white frost or bloom on the wax over time.  This is harmless and just a by-product of the natural soy wax and fats within it. 

 

Is it possible to reorder a scent I loved that is no longer on the site?

We would love to try and make this happen, but it honestly just depends.  You can email Meghan@luxillume.com and make an inquiry.  Depending on our fragrance suppliers and the availability of the oils we use for our blends, some scents may be permanently lost due to the discontinuation of supplies.  It's really going to be a case-by-case basis.