In order to give your burning candle a longest life possible, take notice of the balance between the wick and the body of wax. Especially with irregular shapes (cones or domes) you might want to tend to the process, thus prolonging the time of burning:
It is simple.
1) If the flame is getting small and the wick seems to be submerging in the growing pool of wax, it is too thin for that section of the candle. Pour off the wax* and the flame will revive.
2) If on the other hand the wick burns so strongly that it makes the candle bleed excessively, it is thicker than necessary and you might need to repeatedly trim it down to 1/4 inch.
3) If the wall thins out and a healthy little pool of wax starts draining through, patch it over from the outside with a flat little piece of wax.
4) In case of one side of the candle melting quicker and the other still retaining solid wax, take a smooth, non-flammable object (like butter knife) and push the wick gently towards the less consumed side. It’s easy to take the wax off of the object while it’s still warm.
Remember, the perfect shape for a 100% dripless burning is a thin cylinder. Other shapes, pertaining to beauty rather than practicality, will necessarily create leftovers*.
Enjoy the gifts of the amazing creature Apis Mellifera, made by loving human hands in pursuit of beauty.
*Please reuse all the unused wax: clean, uncolored wax can be used in making face creams, or given back to the beekeeper, the colored one can serve as a playdough – once you warm it through in your palm, it will create even the thinnest shapes without breaking. Any wax can be used for making a new candle, either poured or rolled.