Following my yesterday’s post on perfumes I took with me to the recent trip to Hawaii, I decided to ask you about your packing habits when it comes to bringing perfumes.
Saturday Question #86:
Do You Travel Light?
I know, the last 18 months weren’t great for trips, but before we completely forget how it was in the “old normal,” let’s talk about it. How many perfumes do you usually bring with you? Do you take full bottles, travel bottles, decants or samples? Do you have a set of perfumes that travel with you to specific/all locations, or is it something different every time?
My Answer
Normally, I take with me about 2 perfumes per day away plus a scent to wear on a plane. I don’t wear all perfumes that I bring, but I like to have a choice. For each trip I select perfumes that I think fit the occasion. And since most of my travel destinations do not repeat (or at least that happens not too often), every time it’s something new.
Usually, I take with me decants – either those perfumes that I have in that format or those that I make from my bottles. The only place to where I bring a real bottle is Hawaii: my Bronze Goddess always travels with me there.
Hawaii trips are unique in sense that it’s almost always the same predictable weather and activities. So, I collected a whole wardrobe of tropics-suitable perfumes, and I take them with me every time I have a vacation on one of the islands. And after the last trip, to which I brought about 25 different perfumes for 8 days, I’m thinking about sticking to my “2 perfumes per day” rule in future.
Undina's Looking Glass 
I mostly take decants for traveling, maybe a smallish bottle. The last time I had about 6 decants for 3 weeks plus a 25ml bottle of Aromatics Elixir. I also don’t wear as much perfume on holidays as I do at home, so this is usually enough
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Seven different scents… I could probably do that if I have to :)
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I usually have a small bag of samples and decants that I travel with. And usually, depending on where I am going I may pick up a bottle or two of new perfume so I don’t bring a bottle with me. In other words, I am covered at all times by having enough perfume on me :)
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Are those the same samples and decants, or do you select new set every time?
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The same…the bag sits unused until the next trip… LOL.
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It totally depends on whether I’m traveling by plane or car. This summer, when we went to New Hampshire by car, I took a whole box of perfumes of all sizes, thinking I would try many of them. Alas, I didn’t, but I enjoyed having my box with me and having all those options! Plane travel is so restrictive for liquids that I usually take a couple of travel sprays or decants, plus several samples. Also, if I’m going somewhere that will have interesting perfumes, I take very little with me as I hope to return with new ones! If going overseas, I like to try something new in the duty-free shops before getting on the plane (I try to use a light hand and not try anything loud, so as not to disturb other passengers).
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I liked visiting duty free, but I’m too afraid to try anything on skin – not to be stuck with something I’d hate.
The only time I came back from a vacation with more than one perfume was when we visited in one trip the UK, Spain and Sweden: I got one bottle for each of the first two destinations and would have got the third one but I couldn’t find any local perfumes I’d want to have in Stockholm.
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I made a terrible error in Duty Free on two occasions, Angel and TF White Patchouli. Had to scrub frantically!
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Ack! Yes, those could be strong! I try on the paper slips first, then I choose one I’d like to wear in flight.
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Last real vacation was 1997….don’t remember what I traveled with but my guess is I would have traveled light as I always picked up a bottle of where ever I was to commemorate the trip.
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1997, really? I hope you get a real vacation soon!
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Ha ha! yes when all three are done with college :)
actually I don’t mind…I traveled extensively when I was young well into my young adulthood. I am happy being at home now.
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So, in 20+ years you didn’t have a single vacation with your family even by car for a day or two (but with sleeping not at home)? No visits to relatives or friends?
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For short trips, I’ll take 1 sample per day; for longer ones, I’ll bring fewer and alternate. I suppose I try to keep them less “variable” when perfumes are not the key aspect of the experience (unlike wearing and smelling them in everyday situations). Of course, always hoping to find new ones on a trip as well, like others here!
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Do you take new samples or those that you’ve tried before?
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Usually those I’ve tried before so I don’t get any nasty surprises!
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Samples, decants or travel sprays. Have never traveled with a bottle (over 15ml). This past year (college visits, mostly) I took one per day for my project. In the past I might choose two or three for an entire trip. We generally try not to pack too much.
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I’m curious: once you’re done with your project, will you go back to wearing less perfumes more often?
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Hey Undina,
We love to travel, as you know. I used to take a wardrobe but in the last few years have been tending to keep the number quite low. Also, there has been a quiet amassing of travel sized bottles in the last decade.
There’s always a vintage fave like Niki de Saint Phalle or Miss Dior. At least one of Neela’s and Hermès 15ml travels. I’ll also pop in a couple of travels/decants that need to be used up because I’ve bought a bottle, want to know them better or they are looking close to done. Sometimes I’ll throw in a couple of brand new sample/decant arrivals.
On overseas holidays there are usually multiple bottle buys so there will become more and more choice as the holiday progresses.
Portia xx
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I remember being impressed by your holiday perfume haul. I understand that it makes sense for you taking into account how expensive the shipping to Australia is and probably related to that higher prices for the same perfumes where you live, but with my indecisiveness I usually can manage 1 new purchase per a trip :)
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I also get completely caught up in the hype and the moment Undina. I’m an SAs dream customer. If they can get me excited my brain goes into neutral and my credit card into 5th.
Portia xx
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I never travel light, despite my best intentions. I bring way too much clothing, which I never wear. My perfume packing is more successful. On average, I’ll bring at least three perfumes, to wear and to photograph. Clearly, I should pack more perfumes and less clothing. Ha! Ha!
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I also don’t travel light, and it goes not only for clothes and perfumes: I have a tendency to bring with me everything I think I might need – medicine, some cleaning supplies, etc. etc. :)
BTW, it was your influence that I started taking with me on car trips some perfume bottles to take pictures of.
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Glad to know I’m not the only one, dear Undina. Perhaps, we’ll get it right in our next lifetimes.
I’ve always wanted to be a good influence 🙂, so that’s great to read. You’ll be amazed how many photo opportunities present themselves.
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For air travel I’ll bring at least 5 decants or samples. Depending on how long I’m going for it could be 10. When I go by car I might bring a bottle as well as the decants. I don’t go out of my way to go perfume shopping while I’m away, but if I should come upon a perfumery I’ll always go for a sniff.
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I always plan perfume sniffing on my trips – if there are any suitable places to do it, I mean. Hawaii in that respect are absolutely not interesting: the choice of perfumes there is worse than where I live.
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When travelling, I usually travel with either travel sizes or samples. Most trips these past few years have been less than a week and have usually brought one scent per day – which fits into my normal daily home routine of wearing a different scent each day (have enough perfume in either full size bottles and travel sizes that it can take about 3 weeks to repeat a scent).
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A couple of years ago, when I traveled for work and vacation together (so, it was more than 3 weeks), I brought with me less perfumes than days I was away – and it was slightly uncomfortable because I also usually wear something different every day.
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I take one sample a day with me, plus a few extra in case I don’t like the original selection I brought when the time comes! And I do vary them every trip unless I am in a hurry…they might lean more summer or winter depending on the season, just like being at home.
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