When lighting your candle for the first time, be sure to melt your wax across the entire surface to prevent tunneling and create an even burn for the life of your candle..This can take up to 3 hours, but it will be well worth it in the end.
TRIM YOUR WICK!! This is important. Maintaining a short wick is vital to the life of your candle. Your wick only needs to be about 1/4 inch long to avoid mushrooming and releasing unnecessary soot into the air. If soot and mushrooming does occur, trim before re-burning.

Keep your wax pools free of matches, soot, debris, and other wick trimmings.
Keep candles away from open windows and drafty spaces. This will keep your candle fragrance from diminishing or fading too quickly.
Extinguish candles only with a snuffer, or dip your wick into the melted wax, then straighten the wick. This will prevent smoking, wax spattering, and mushrooming. DO NOT BLOW OUT.
Store your candles in a cool, dry place, away from sunlight and dusty areas. If dust settles, wipe the wax and jar clean with a damp cloth.