ScentChips - an alternative to candles

Like most ladies, I’m a candle freak. Sheer gasps of delight escape from me when I round the corner at a mall to find a store like Yankee Candle, Illuminations, White Barn Candle Company, or even Hallmark (as they tend to carry lots of fun, smaller brands). Mr. Bean audibly groans when I enter a candle booth at the local arts festival because he knows that A) I will be there for days and B) I will spend lots of money on what he calls “stinky wax.”

There is, however, a downside to this obsession: our cat, Bungee, who is attracted to bright, shiny, wavering objects such as candle flames. What is the first thing Bungee will do when I bring home a new treasure in the form of a candle and light it? Run up and smell it! I’m talking singed whiskers smell throughout our apartment for the rest of the day!

To solve this problem, I’m always on the lookout for new tarts to use in my flameless burner. Many of the top companies sell tart versions of their scents, but I have recently stumbled across a fairly new candle company that sells their own interpretation of flameless candles in customizable blends. Meet ScentChips, a San Antonio company that has been hand pouring its cute scented wax leaves and button sized flowers for 30 years.

The cool thing about ScentChips is that they can be burned in a simmering pot (much like traditional wax tarts), but they’re also strongly scented enough to be used as potpourri. I ordered a box of them and am using it as potpourri here in my office at work, and it scents the entire room with no need to plug in a tart warmer!

ScentChips come in a variety of single fragrances, including fruits, florals, spices, and more. Online you can buy a single scent or one of their pre-created blends, which typically consist of 3 single scents. I purchased their Holiday Happiness blend, which includes Bayberry, Cinnamon, and Vanilla and smells wonderful! If you visit a ScentChips store in person, you can combine the single scents to make your own custom blend at no extra charge (see Store Locator to find one near you)!

You can buy a 6 ounce box of ScentChips at their website for $9.75 (NOTE: they have a variety of coupons and specials if you sign up for their e-newsletter, so don’t let the price deter you from trying them out). 6 ounces may not sound like a lot, but ScentChips claims that it will scent 3,000 square feet when used in a tart warmer, or will scent a small room in potpourri format for 5 years. Wow! Check ScentChips out and you'll see why I'm (ever so slightly) obsessed! NEWSFLASH: To celebrate their 30th anniversary, everything on ScentChips' site is 30% off!