Traveling Perfume

Pick one fragrance and stick with it

We'd love to be able to pack a gaggle of scents to match our moods when traveling, but it's just not realistic. You've got to commit to one fragrance unless you want to run into big trouble with those not-so-forgiving TSA folks. How to choose? Pairing a scent with your destination makes logical sense, but we encourage you to think about how that destination makes you feel. Take the Caribbean, for example. A fragrance with a bounty of tropical florals seems appropriate. However, because we’ll be feeling sexy, tan, and have voluminous hair (thank you, ocean), we’re better off with something that has warm vanilla notes instead.

Wrap it up

To properly protect your fragrance en route, wrap the bottle in toilet paper, first from head to toe and then from side to side. Secure the padding with rubber bands at the neck and the base of the bottle. Put the whole, cast-like piece into a zip and seal bag, squeeze out all the air, fold the top over, then seal. Store it either inside of a boot or tennis shoe, or between layers of clothing—either way, it should be tightly wedged into your bag so that it doesn't shift in transit.

Make it last

If sightseeing begins at 8AM and you're not heading back to the hotel before cocktail time, your fragrance is bound to fade. There are two ways to hold onto that scent. First, spray it onto bare skin. We're normally all about moisturizing, but the scent will stick to bare skin best. Second, spray it onto your clothes and hair. Perfumes stick to fabric and hair longer than they do to skin. Finally—and this may help you narrow down your options—opt for a perfume over an eau de toilette. It's a denser formula with a longer burn.

Go with a mini bottle

The way around all of the above is to invest in a purse spray version of your favorite perfume. Many brands out there make travel-size bottles that were engineered not to spill. Chanel No. 5, for example, comes in a twist-up bottle—the spray nozzle retracts like lipstick. Atelier Cologne sells 30 ml sizes—not exactly purse-friendly, but better for the suitcase than the brand's jumbo 200ml bottles—as well as a gorgeous travel set. Another favorite brand is Juliette Has a Gun. Their refillable purse spray "bullet" is no bigger than a lipstick and can carry up to 3.75ml of any Juliette Has a Gun scent you’d like.

RESOURCES

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  www.chinaexpeditiontours.com