Cork woman returns to Bloom with range inspired by parents
Paula decided to start her own company after developing a sensitivity to synthetic fragrances.
When Paula McGovern, from Kinsale, went to Bord Bia’s Bloom last year, she was struck by the number of parents who stopped by the stand for her wellbeing business, Wizard & Grace.
They weren’t concerned about themselves, but for their children preparing for the Leaving Cert and Junior Cert exams.
“There was two major things they were telling me. One was that their child was just so stressed about the exams…they couldn’t do anything else, studying around the clock. Or the second one is that they couldn’t get off the couch…they couldn’t focus,” she says.
Having heard from customers how her all-natural candles and pulse point oils boost their wellbeing, she decided to develop a new range to support teenagers during the upcoming exam season.
McGovern started Wizard & Grace in 2022 after developing a sensitivity to synthetic fragrances after her daughter was born. She tried to find all-natural candles, but couldn’t find what she was looking for. Instead, she decided to develop her own candles using sustainable, natural ingredients.
“I went down this rabbit hole of trying to find a proper essential oil, natural candle that was just completely transparent about its ingredients, and also looked nice, and something I wanted to burn. I couldn’t find one, so I started making my own.”
McGovern has a background in journalism and PR for several charities, including Irish Guide Dogs. She was still working in communications when she started her business and believes this experience gave her essential skills for her new role.
“When you work for charity… you use your own initiative a lot, because you’re working with a limited budget. It’s a good grounding for running your own business,” she says.
Her experience working for Irish Guide Dogs partly inspired the name Wizard & Grace.
“It’s named after my dog, Wizard, who is a retired guide dog, and the second name of my daughter.”
McGovern’s products focus on wellbeing and use all-natural ingredients.
“I start with the intention of each candle that I want to create, and then I blend essential oils to match that intention and create a beautiful fragrance. Then I blend that into rapeseed and coconut wax.”
She soon expanded her range into pulse point oils to meet a growing need among her customers.
“I was hearing from customers who were bringing the candles with them in the car so they could smell them… So I thought [of] pulse point oils.”
McGovern also puts sustainability at the heart of her business. “The vast majority of [candles] are made from paraffin or soy wax, which, while it’s natural, is not a very sustainable plant or crop to grow.
“My candles are natural… everything I do… my boxes… my printers run on green energy. I use compostable paper, vegan inks.
Her new range for Leaving Cert students focuses on supporting young people during the high-pressure exam season. Each gift set includes a candle and accompanying pulse point oil.
“It’s not just for students, but obviously, right now, students are going through it, so it’s a really nice one for parents or relatives or friends to gift each other.”
Because we all have different responses to life’s major events, each set has a different intention depending on what the individual student needs.
“The first is The Mind Set, which is the combination of the ‘Courage’ candle and the ‘Stress Relief’ pulse point oil…created specifically to empower you to step into your resilience. If you’re doing the Leaving, you really do need it. The candle you can light as you’re studying, and then the pulse point oil you can use on the go.
The Focus Set combines the ‘Flow’ candle and ‘Focus’ pulse point oil, containing peppermint, eucalyptus, and may chang. "[It’s] very much for that clarity of mind. The whole idea behind that blend was to recreate that sense of walking by the ocean, you know when you get the lovely clarity… it’s very refreshing, really awakening. It’s a really nice one for when you have to get down to study and work.”
The Rest Set is perfect for those who need to slow down, and contains the ‘Rest’ candle and ‘Sleep Aid’ oil.
“[This] is the more relaxation [focused] one. So it’s lavender, chamomile and clary sage. You can start to burn the candle in the evening, start using the pulse point oil before you go to bed. It’s a really nice one to wind down.”
The new products are available online on the Wizard & Grace website, and in person at Bloom in the Phoenix Park from today to June 1, and at Cork Craft & Design in Douglas.
- See: www.wizardandgrace.com.
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