The first burn, properly.

The first burn is the candle's whole life in miniature. Whatever shape the wax takes in the first two hours, it will return to forever after. Tunnel it once, and it will tunnel for the next forty.

So: light it, set a timer, and leave it alone. The wax should melt all the way to the rim of the glass before you extinguish.

Patience is the only ingredient we cannot pour.

If you have to leave the room, put the candle out and start again later. Better a delayed first burn than a bad one. After the first burn, two to four hours per session is the sweet spot — long enough for the fragrance to bloom, short enough that the glass doesn't overheat.

Trim the wick before each subsequent light. 5mm. Scissors, a wick trimmer, or your fingers if the wax is hard. A trimmed wick gives a clean flame; an untrimmed one mushrooms, smokes, and stains the inside of the vessel.