Some things are too personal to keep to yourself.
I have been making candles for a long time now. Long enough to know that fragrance is never really just a scent. It is a feeling. A memory. A moment you want to hold onto a little longer. And over the years, the candles that have meant the most to me have always been the ones tied to something real, something lived.
The Founder's Collection is the most honest thing I have ever made.
Where It All Began
It started on a walk.
In 2003, my husband and I were strolling down Forest Avenue in Laguna Beach when something shifted in me. The air was warm, the light was golden, and somewhere between the salt breeze and the sound of our footsteps, the idea took hold. I was going to start a candle company. I was going to call it Laguna Candles.
We went home and I got to work, right there in our kitchen.
Those early days were humble and beautiful. The kitchen gave way to the garage as the dream grew bigger than the space we had. And then, finally, we opened our first storefront and manufacturing facility on Laguna Canyon Road, 821-A, the address that changed everything.
Forest Ave. is the candle that honors that walk, that moment of quiet inspiration between two people who had no idea what was about to begin. Blooming orchid, bright grapefruit, jasmine, and hyacinth. It still takes me back every time I light it.
The People Behind the Scents
Every candle in this collection carries a name. And behind every name is someone, or something, that has shaped who I am and why I do this work.
Heritage was born from my wedding day. A day wrapped in warmth, quiet joy, and the kind of love that only deepens with time. Fresh musk, warm woods, and a whisper of patchouli. It does not demand your attention. It earns it, slowly, the way the best things in life always do.
Perloat is named after my grandmother. She lit up every room she entered, and this fragrance carries that same energy, luminous white florals, jasmine, vetiver, and oak moss. Elegant and untamed. Feminine and fierce. She knew exactly who she was, and so does this candle.
CSLH is for family. For the bonds that run too deep for words and the love that never truly leaves you. Bergamot, mandarin, cedar, and amber. Calm and steady, like a hand-held in yours.
Layne is for resilience. For the name that reminds me where I come from and the family that kept blooming through every season of life. Crisp bergamot, bright lemon, warm cashmere, and white musk. Strength and grace in a single flame.
And 821-A is for the address where the kitchen dream finally found its home in the world. Golden sands, almond flower, coconut, and dewy fig. Close your eyes and you are there. The door is open, the candles are burning, and it is only the beginning.
Why I Made This Collection
I made the Founder's Collection because I believe that the things we love deserve to be remembered. Not just in photographs or stories, but in the way a room smells on a quiet Sunday morning. In the flicker of a flame that makes you stop, breathe, and feel something.
These six candles are pieces of my life, hand-poured with gratitude and love, and I hope that when you light one, you feel it too.
The Founder's Collection is available now at Laguna Candles. Each candle is hand-poured in small batches, 11oz, and crafted from our signature wax blend with premium fragrance oils.
Shop the Founder's Collection at lagunacandles.com