BATON ROUGE- Every Thursday WBRZ travels miles to bring you a neat adventure. This week the adventure begins before wax even melts at this candle place. At Bougie Bar-Baton Rouge, it is about the hands-on experience.

The moment customers walk through the doors, they’re greeted by a wave of rich, layered fragrances sweet, floral, fresh, and everything in between. It’s an immersive first impression that quickly sets the tone: this isn’t your typical candle shop.

Instead of browsing shelves, guests become creators.

“Bougie in Parisian French means candles, so we wanted to incorporate the word bougie and bar to make a Bouujii Bar,” said Rusty Philips co-owner of the bougie bar. 

The concept blends a social outing with a hands-on activity. Visitors can come by themself or with a group, sampling scents and building a custom candle from scratch. The studio offers a wide range of fragrance categories, allowing customers to mix up to three scents into a personalized blend.

“We want you to be able to come in with your group of friends and make a candle that’s really nice and unique,” Phillips said. “But you also have the time to hang out and connect with people who you may not get to see on a normal basis.”

That balance between creativity and connection is what sets the studio apart. The process encourages guests to slow down, explore their preferences, and engage with one another turning a simple purchase into a shared experience.

Still, choosing the perfect combination isn’t always easy.

“Sometimes that is hard because you have so many fragrances to pick from, so we do have some suggested combos,” Phillips said.

Once a scent is selected, customers move into the production phase—starting with preparing the wick, then blending fragrance oils with melted wax. While the steps are approachable for beginners, staff say there’s more precision involved than it may appear.

“Some people think that you’re just mixing wax and oil together,” Phillips said. "There is a science.” 

That mix of accessibility and craftsmanship adds to the appeal. Participants leave not only with a custom candle but also with a better understanding of the process behind it.