Candle - No.10 Aboukir

Trimming that wick to a quarter inch before lighting made all the difference—no soot at all, just a clean, steady flame. The first melt took about two hours as described, and now the top is perfectly even every time.

The first burn took the full two hours to even out, but the payoff is a seriously clean melt afterward. Trimming the wick to a quarter inch does exactly what it says—no smoke, no soot, just a steady flame that lasts.

I was a bit skeptical about the 2-hour first burn rule, but following it made all the difference — the wax pool is perfectly even now. Trimming the wick to a quarter inch before each use really does keep the flame clean with zero smoke.