Travel Sprays for affordable, on-the-go glam…
Dries Van Noten Premade Fragrance Set ‘Antwerp Selection’ £120 for 4 × 10ml eau de parfum
Travel-size scents are having their moment in the sun, as an ultra-glam yet practical way to have portable perfume – but also as an affordable way to try a fragrance over several days (and weeks), writes SUZY NIGHTINGALE
‘Up, up and a-spray’ – our travel-size scent feature in Issue 2 of On The Scent Magazine
In our just-launched Issue 2 of On The Scent Magazine, we dedicated a whole feature to showcasing some of the most desirable travel sprays [see pages 64-65] around. And more than ever this year, we’ve noticed the effort fragrance houses are putting in to creating smaller, portable perfume bottles – something that’s actually incredibly expensive and time-consuming for them to produce, but which answers the growing consumer cry for practical, more budget-friendly ways of trying a fragrance before you commit to a full sized bottle.
With such a huge selection – more than ever this year, we feel – we couldn’t fit all of our must-have selections in the magazine alone, so of course had to continue them here…
MCM Eau de Parfum Spring Gift Set £95 for 75ml edp, 10ml travel spray & mini 7ml
Why have they become so popular? Well, travel sprays used to be seen as something you’d only take on holiday, and we saw a huge increase in the diversity of those offered when airport travel restrictions on hand luggage meant lugging 100ml bottles became even less desirable. However, with an ever-growing number of us now owning a whole wardrobe of fragrance rather than wearing a ‘signature scent’, suddenly we were wanting to take a whole selection of scents away with us, too.
But more than anything, we’ve seen a rise in smaller sizes being offered to bridge the gap between a sample vial (usually 2ml) that’s perhaps two or three days of wear, to larger but still travel-friendly sized fragrances that can give a couple of weeks continuous wear at least.
At a time when the rising cost of everything has us questioning every purchase a little more closely, curious fragrance lovers want to be able to truly live with a new scent before plumping for a full bottle to add to their collection – and these sizes are perfect for making sure it’s more than love at first sniff, warranting a committed relationship.
Even if you’re not going away anywhere this year, an increasing number of people are choosing to carry their fragrances to work, to the gym, or simply to top-up a favourite scent while on the go (particularly during these hotter days, which may involve horridly clammy commutes!)
And HOW fabulous it always feels to pull one of these perfumes from a bag and delicately spritz during the day, or to transition from daytime scent to nighttime glam.
Which of these would you be popping straight in your pocket, we wonder…?
Officine Universelle Buly 1803 Madagascar Amber Scented Ballpoint Pen £140 for refillable 10ml double-concentrate oil parfum
Sol De JaneiroFind Your Sol Cheirosa Discovery Set £30 for 4 × 30ml perfume mists + 10ml body lotion
Versace Eros Flame £24 for 10ml eau de parfum
Dries Van Noten bring their colourful, avant-garde style to this lust-worthy Antwerp Selection Premade Fragrance set, incorporating some of their cult favourite fragrances: Camomille Satin Eau de Parfum 10ml, Rock the Myrrh Eau de Parfum 10ml, Fleur du Mal Eau de Parfum 10ml and Soie Malaquais Eau de Parfum 10ml. Liberty’s fragrance editor comments that it ‘…encapsulates the brand’s avant-garde philosophy with aromatic notes of indulgence. This perfume set presents the house’s most iconic scents to evoke a subtle silage, laced with notes of sensual vanilla smoothed by myrrh, elevated by the dual sensuality of osmanthus and suede – all wrapped in a soft silk accord to create the ideal base for layering.’
£120 for 4 × 10ml eau de parfum libertylondon.com
MCM capture the true sense of travel scents in this so-adorable Eau de Parfum Spring Gift Set. We love the fact that you get a 75ml bottle PLUS two travel-sizes, in the form of a full-size ‘Stark Backpack’ bottle and a mini bag version, plus the regular travel-size spray – endless portable options for your perfumes, here! They say: ‘Usher in the season of rebirth with the winds of wanderlust. The award-winning MCM Eau de Parfum fragrance opens with hyper-real raspberry and progresses unexpectedly into the floral realm of hand-picked jasmine. In time, the scent reaches its long-awaited destination: a tranquil domain where warm amber and clean textured woods coexist in harmony.’
£98 for 75ml + 10ml + 7ml eau de parfum uk.mcmworldwide.com
Officine Universelle Buly Madagascar Amber Scented ‘Ballpoint Pen’ – another utterly gorgeous and so-collectable marvel from this always design-forward fragrance house. Here, the pen isn;t for writing postcards, but rather to brush ‘over the wrist, the nape of the neck or edge of the neckline, leaving behind its wonderfully fragrant imprint: the Doubly-Concentrated Oil.’ For over eight hours they promise, ‘the skin is intoxicated by a fruity bouquet of jasmine, mandarin and amber with an almost divine scent. Crafted from a very light metal – aluminium – and featuring sumptuous guilloché details, this perfume holder draws inspiration from the 1920s and its love of surprise objects, which, beneath their metallic casings, conceal a thousand and one varied items, some precious, some trivial: cigars and cigarettes, rouge, convenience mints, love notes, locks of a loved one’s hair...’
£140 for refillable 10ml double concentrate parfum oil buly1803.com
The Brazilian-inspired scent sensation that is Sol De Janeiro bring a bagful of holiday fragrances via their Find Your Sol Cheirosa Discovery Set, featuring four layerable aroma perfume mists and one lotion. A Space NK bestseller, they say ‘The set features the sun-kissed gourmand notes of Sol Cheirosa 62™ and the fruity florals of Cheirosa 68 Beija Flor™. Next, the woody sweetness of Cheirosa 59 Delícia Drench™ and the floral warmth of Cheirosa 91 ensure that each lightweight personal fragrance offers a distinct olfactory experience. The hydrating Body Badalada™ Lotion leaves the skin feeling softly comforted while creating the perfect base for fragrances. The Sol De Janeiro Find Your Sol Cheirosa Discovery Set is ideal for layering or wearing solo.’
£30 for 4 × 30ml perfume mists + 10ml body lotion spacenk.com
Looking to bring a bit of sizzle to your travel spray? Versace Eros Flame is hot to trot in this handy 10ml size. The Fragrance Shop describe it as ‘the fragrance of love and passion, deeply masculine and intense’, though we’d say it’s perfect for anyone who wants to fan the fragrant flames this summer! In the words of Donatella Versace, ‘The spark of true love is the dream that each of us pursues. True love captures the soul, body and mind, and never lets you go. It takes your breath away because without your beloved, you no longer feel complete. True love consumes everything in an eternal flame of passion.’
Top Notes: black pepper, mandarin, lemon
Heart Notes: rosemary, geranium, pepperwood
Base Notes: tonka bean, patchouli, oak moss
£24 for 10ml eau de parfum thefragranceshop.co.uk