Made in Kinsale, West Cork, La Bougie is one of the best-known luxury candle brands in Ireland. Unlike many candle and home fragrance makers, perfumer Lucy Hagerty creates nuanced, layered scents in-house from scratch. Eau de parfums, candles and room diffusers are all made using aromatics and botanicals sourced from around the world. Each La Bougie fragrance tells a story, many inspired by Lucy’s family home in Tuscany or her extensive travels.

Sold in high-end department stores and independent boutiques, La Bougie’s bestsellers include Mission Fig (which has something of an iconic status), Sage & Bitter Orange and Honeysuckle & Sea Salt. And authentic new scents like Chocolat are already attracting a firm following.

Founded in 2012, La Bougie opened their first dedicated UK boutique in Lymington, in December 2022 to supply a growing UK customer base. An English woman who began her career as a Royal Chef before training as a perfumer, Lucy has long standing connections with the town having spent much of her childhood there before marrying an Irishman. Both Lucy and her husband are passionate sailors and divide their summers between West Cork and the Solent.

Gorgeous gift or lovely self-treat, find them online or sniff your way to a new favourite in La Bougie’s Lymington shop.