I remember my mother packing for a trip abroad years ago. She had an elegant refillable purse atomizer that she bought for the occasion at a nice cosmetics store. She decanted Chloe by Karl Lagerfeld, her one and only signature perfume, from the big bottle into the travel sprayer and that was it. She was all set. The other day I had a small moment of panic. The husband and I were unpacking our stuff in the little room at the B&B where we were staying for a three day getaway. For a brief moment I wasn't sure I actually packed the handful of perfume decant I selected to bring on the trip. The idea of not having the scents I wanted, and worse: not having perfume at all (!) was intolerable. Within a second I found my decants in the zippered compartment of my bag, not to mention that the husband was happy to share the samples he had packed (Tam Dao, Tom Ford Grey Vetiver, Frederic Malle Bois d'Orage, L'Artisan Mechant Loup), so I wasn't in real danger, but not having some Shalimar with me felt wrong.
Packing perfume for a trip, long or brief, requires thinking about what I'd like to wear in the near future. Sometimes I take a couple of samples I'm testing, but for the most part I want to have fragrances I'm already certain will make happy and comfortable. I always have something that feels like it's part of me (hence Shalimar), a few things I'm loving at that particular point in time, something for an evening out, another that will suit the weather, a comfort scent for night (not sleeping in my own bed surrounded by cats requires help), a sunny perfume that feels good outdoors... the list goes on. Here's what I packed this time:
Mona di Orio- Eau Absolue. The husband actually wore it for dinner. A perfect balance between day and night, rain and shine, femme and homme.
M. Micallef Rose Extreme- Brightens the day and stays on.
Vintage Shalimar (EDT)- Because it feels like home.
La Via del Profumo- Tawaf. A sultry jasmine and then some.
Dior- New Look 1947. Because right now I'm utterly in love with this sophisticated floral and want to wear it all the time.
Sonoma Scent Studio- Champagne de Bois. Woody and outdoorsy, yet cozy.
I could have easily packed a couple more, just to be on the safe side, but I tried to be reasonable. How about you? Do you have a fragrance you must have on hand while away? Were you ever stuck anywhere scentless?
Photo of Marlene Dietrich via Straight, Stirred Up, With A Twist.
I'm so glad to see I'm not the only one who thinks this is crucial to the travel experience! For me, it's also complicated by the fact that I refuse to check a bag when I fly. I've had to really pare down my routine and the other products to make room in my 3-1-1 bag. What I find is that I've not been stuck scentless, but that I've changed my mind about what perfume I want. There's the mood(s) I've projected and packed for, versus what mood I'm actually in. I often want something completely different than I packed. -Stephanie S.
ReplyDeleteMe too! I always bring some kind of perfume with me, I'm pretty fanatical about having perfume with me. Maybe I should buy an atomizer because the sample sizes of my perfumes will run out one day. lol I once left the house without putting on perfume and it felt as bad as having forgotten to put on pants! I'm not dressed unless I'm scented as well. :)
ReplyDeleteI always try to have four or five generous samples on hand for traveling, fragrance is an important part of my accessorizing. I've been lucky enough not to forget perfume (yet) for any of my trips. I'm also lucky enough to have friends and family back east who are happy to share because most of us are perfume-lovers.
ReplyDeleteI always travel with a small package I keep for the occasion, which includes:
ReplyDelete*a mini of Bois des iles
*a sample of Fracas
*kai roll on oil
*a sample of amaranthine
Sometimes I add a few ml of tubereuse criminelle that I decant for the occasion (when I have time to prepare properly for my travelling schedule)...
This is close to my heart as my family is packing for a three-week trip overseas. I try to travel light but I'm having trouble paring down my cosmetics and fragrances! So far I'm sure I'll be bringing atomizers of Atelier Cologne Orange Sanguine, No. 5 EdT, No. 19 Edt, Cristalle eau Verte which I layer on top of the No. 19, and a small bottle of No. 5 lotion. For my little girl, her favorite Coco Mlle and some Nenuco, which is a Spanish cologne.
ReplyDeleteWe just arrived on our mini-vacation last night, as a matter of fact! We came to San Francisco to visit friends. I packed decants of New Look 1947(!), SSS Nostalgie, and SSS Sienna Musk - we're near Sonoma afterall. At the last minute, I threw a fb of Jour Ensolielle. I can't be without it. Before even boarding the plane, I bought Chanel No.19 at the duty free. Off the Neiman Marcus and Barney's for perfume shopping today!
ReplyDeleteEven visiting family for a day or two and not having access to all of my perfumes can induce panic attacks. I always make sure that I have a couple decants in my purse and since I refuse to have checked luggage, I usually have a bottle or two.
ReplyDelete