On the bed, a suitcase lies open. New Yorkers, Michelin maps, and a passport stuff the computer tote next to it. For the most part, I’ve nailed down my travel wardrobe — simple cotton dresses with cardigans and flat shoes since I’ll be primarily in the country — but the one thing I haven’t yet packed is perfume.
In the past I’ve tried to settle on one or two fragrances to bring on a trip with the idea that I’d buy something new on vacation and wear it often enough so that just a whiff later would bring back travel memories. This time I’m considering adopting an olfactory theme to the trip: iris and leather.
I figure as a foundation I’ll pack a large decant of Parfums DelRae Mythique. Its tender suede-iris is quiet and easy but delicious, and it’s equally at home in the city as it is in the rural, stone-floored house I’ll be staying in. I almost always have some Mythique handy anyway for when the day’s perfume wears off and I want something unobtrusive but wonderful all the same. Mythique will comfort me.
For when I venture to the village down the road for dinner out, or if I’m feeling particularly emotional, I’ll pack a little bit of XerJoff Irisss. Irisss is undeniably gorgeous but kind of a drama queen — think Elizabeth Taylor in her pill-fueled Cleopatra years. Irisss will radiate beautifully on top of a dusting of Mythique. Serge Lutens Iris Silver Mist could fill this role, too, but I lavishly used the rest of my decant on my birthday.
For times I feel fierce or plan to wander the national park abutting the village I’ll be staying in, I’ll pack a few drops of Vero Profumo Onda. Its earthy leather and vetiver will connect me to the forest. The woods are tame by Oregon’s standards but rich with Cathar history. Somehow I feel a little smarter and edgier when I wear Onda.
I should pack some Chanel Cuir de Russie, too, for outings to the city, when I’ll swap my old Pendleton 49er jacket and homely cardigans for a 1940s gabardine blazer and platform sandals. To me, Cuir de Russie is the ultimate fancy lady leather and iris. The Chanel treatment of aldehydes and attitude almost gives me the courage to brave chi-chi boutiques and to inquire at already-packed restaurants if they have room for another diner.
By the time you read this, I’ll be in Nice, France, getting ready to meet Denyse from Grain de Musc at the airport and drive to Cabris, home to Art et Parfum and of the late, legendary Edmond Roudnitska. After spending a day in Cabris, I’ll pass part of the next day taking the scenic route to the Black Mountains (seven and a half hours and a stupefying 18 pages of driving instructions) for a long writing retreat. Stay tuned for more!
How do you choose perfume for travel? And does anyone know a good restaurant in Nice for a Monday night?
[Ed. note: Since Angela is traveling, she may be slow to respond to comments!]
Note: top image is A balcony in Vieux Nice by Zemzina at flickr; some rights reserved.
That sounds like a fabulous trip! I hope France is escaping the rain that is drenching England and a lot of Europe lately. Enjoy your holiday and smell wonderful!
So true about the rain! The sun in shining in London today though! I’m going to enjoy it while it lasts!
Enjoy it while it lasts!
I’m in Nice right now getting ready to go to dinner, and it’s raining all right! The air is nice and soft, though.
Angela, happy to know that you are (or were) safely in Nice. Hope your adventures are going well. Looking forward to hearing about your new scents.
Hi Lulu! Nice seems years away now, and just yesterday late afternoon I made it to the retreat. Now I’m at my desk, birds making a holy racket in the valley below, and a good cup of coffee at my side. (Oh, and a little of the new Corp et Ame on my wrist.)
Wonderful article, Robin! I especially loved:
“Irisss is undeniably gorgeous but kind of a drama queen — think Elizabeth Taylor in her pill-fueled Cleopatra years.” GREAT imagery on that one
Thank you! Iriss is gorgeous but definitely has a little attitude to its credit, of course).
Angela! You just made me want to go on vacation! And there’s still plenty of time before I’ll have one. I envy you this travel to France, I’ve never been there despite the fact that it’s not that far from Poland. And you’ve picked an amazing photo for this article! I always fancied those green, wooden windows with shades.
Answering the question, when I try to chose a perfume for travel I usually go for my all-time-favourites that make me comfortable in any situation. But I hardly ever wear perfume during (summer) vacation. But if I do, I chose something that would have a scent of fun and sun-kissed skin.
I haven’t been on a good long vacation for ages. I’m really going to enjoy this one. I hope you get a vacation soon, too!
Definitely, have a good time! And please report everything when you come back. My vacation will start in July, after I’ll get my university 1st degree.
Congratulations on your upcoming degree! And I’ll definitely report back.
Wonderful read, Angela! I travel light, so I end up taking only one fragrance with me. Buying fragrance on holiday to remind yourself later of the time spent away sounds great.
I holiday in Provence every summer and I normally go to Cannes or Saint Tropez for meals (no decent beaches in Nice where one can lie back on a lounger right after a meal), but there are a couple of places I would recommend. La Reserve de Nice and Les Pêcheurs. They are both in Port de Nice. Les Pêcheurs offers a set menu that is reasonably priced.
I second La Reserve de Nice and Les Pêcheurs recommendations! Both were suggested by a friend who lives in the area, and we found them to offer delicious and reasonably priced food. Also, another favorite delicious discovery was socca, a thin chickpea flour pancake.
Just our luck, Les Pêcheurs is closed on Monday and Tuesday noon… In fact, May 1st being a very strictly observed public holiday here in France, we may end up dining on Snickers bought from a vending machine in a train station!
Snickers talking with you will be more fun than a fancy meal with most people!
I forgot about the holiday! Sorry I couldn’t be of help. There are loads of hotel restaurants along the beach that I’m sure will be open. Have fun!
Good point about those big hotels!
Now that you’ve seconded the recommendation I know it’s terrific. But I’ve also just read Denyse’s comment below, darn it.
Seconding the socca recommendation – maybe you’ll be able to get some on May Day?
I’ll look for it. Speaking of May Day, stores everywhere are selling sprigs of lily of the valley. So nice.
Great recommendations, thanks!
Have a wonderful trip, Angela! I will be thinking you and Denyse as you explore all of the beautiful spots in Cabris. And of course, I will look forward to your stories once you return.
Thank you for the good wishes! I’m sure we’ll have lots of stories to tell.
Hmm. Vacations usually end up being a business trip or a visit to family. I usually don’t stay long enough for check in luggage, and try to use my samples to try to avoid TSA issues.
I have to confess that in the end I ran out of time to make decants and ended up scooping a handful of samples into a ziplock bag. And after all that thought, too.
There are a few more coming your way. You won’t go scentless…
Oh my… I’d rather have you scenting me than to win the lottery! <3
Isn’t it great?
I can’t wait! Only hours now.
Well, that’s a way to give yourself a surprise choice everyday. Vacations rarely go exactly as planned and spontaneity is a good thing.
That is SUCH a good point.
While we’re speaking about perfume for travel, what do you think about this new Marc Jacobs Tropical Splash Rain (100ml EdT.) I just found out that it will appear soon in my Sephora and I’m dying to give it a sniff, but I’m out of town and have to wait for a week before I get to test it…
I haven’t tried it, but it sounds intriguing! Let me know what you think of it once you’ve had the chance to try it.
For sure! When I put my “greedy” nose into it, I’ll tell you what I think about it. At this moment I’m almost in a madness searching for a spring/summer fragrance. Not only I can’t decide, but I keep looking for more, to make my decision even harder, stupid me…
This is very dangerous, Lucas! My search for a spring/summer fragrance has lasted for years now, I have way too many to wear, and most I like well enough, but don’t love beyond all reason. The exceptions are my vintage Guerlains.
I’m afraid I know! But I just have to buy this summer scent within few weeks. I hunted for Chanel Blanche, but again someone overbid me and Blanche is expensive, so this one has to wait for another occasion. Eau Sauvage Extreme – I’m getting closer to buy this one and I’ve found a good deal for 50ml bottle. I still like original Eau Sauvage, but it ooesn’t last long – I may buy a 10ml mini and transfer it to my glass sprayer. And MJ Rain sounds interesting…
Oh Rappleyea, friend, what would you do in this situation?
You probably won’t like my advice, but I’d say save your money to buy the one you *really* want. Don’t buy something just to buy. BTW, have you tried the Guerlain masculines? Some of them are very nice and can be reasonable on the auction site.
Lucas, have you sniffed John Varvatos Artisan? It might be nice for summer. That’s when I like it. It has a nice little citrus burst up front and I don’t find it to get too heavy at all. Plus it doesn’t smell like a cleaning product which is what some “summery” scents remind me of.
@Rappleyea: that’s a great advice and I have that in mind. My problem is rather this – I like them all and can’t decide which one I like best. I have to reconsider everything. From Guerlain I only know L’Instant Homme in EdT and EdP and Vetyver, but it was far away from what I like
@Poodle: I’m familiar with JV Artisan but it doesn’t speek to me. Gave it few attempts, but no love was born…
Give Heritage, Habit Rouge and Cologne du 68 a try. Their line of eaux is nice too, but they are fleeting.
Thanks Rappleyea, maybe I’ll give them a try
But you have to try them all. You never know if this will be the one…
For Blanche and both Eau Sauvages I’ve got samples, so it’s not a problem. But Rain is a new release here and I think it’ll be the last one I’ll try before deciding which one will become a FB
If you keep looking for more, you may not end up with a spring/summer fragrance for THIS year. If you love several equally then draw a name out of a hat. Otherwise, it’s easier to make decisions the fewer choices you have so only decide between perfume a and perfume b, then the winner of that goes against perfume c. Always go for what you love though.
I like this A versus B then versus C idea! Thanks!
Lucas – not sure where to post this, but any way, here goes….. regarding the Dior Eau Sauvauge, have you ever tried a limited edition which I think was called Cuir? You can still pick it up. It is wonderfully soft leather, floral and slightly citrus; probably not immediately recognisable as an Eau Sauvage, but really lovely. I thought your comparison review was excellent!
I’ve read a lot about Eau Sauvage Fraicheur Cuir but I’ve never seen it. Sephora definitely doesn’t carry it here in Poland. But I may try to look around the internet.
Thank you, I had a great fun writing that review for Nozknoz and others, glad you liked it too!
I waited 10 years for a vacation so for our second honeymoon, I took a Comptoir Sud Pacifique to Hawaii because the container is unbreakable and keeps the juice dark. Aqua Motu is so good in the heat. It’s small and light enough especially when some has already been used, and it could be recycled when empty.
Those are some great practical considerations that I sadly admit never even crossed my mind!
I get anxious when I have to travel That I’m not going to have enough perfume to try. The plane restrictions are dreadful! I try to pack my little plastic bag with as many samples as I can and then add a full bag of solid perfumes and I’m still anxious when I’m done. Even if there’s practically not enough time in 2-3 days to try 30 or so perfumes. Sadly, there’s no treatment for this.
If there were a treatment, I have a feeling a lot of us would be lining up to get ours.
You smell fantastic! Have a wonderful, wonderful trip!
Cathars huh? I’m going way out on a limb to share this here, but I’ve had a very detailed past-life vision of a Cathar lifetime – not good.
That’s fascinating! I love things like that. When I get back in town, we should arrange for a phone call. I want all the details.
Happily!
What a wonderful trip! It sounds like you will be ending up in the Languedoc region, an area that I visited once and really liked. Your “olfactory theme” approach sounds very workable!
When I’m packing for a trip, I usually make a bunch of little decants of fragrances that I think will be appropriate for the location and climate, and pack them in a little box in my checked luggage. I usually end up with more than I need, but I like to have options! In contrast, I have a minimalist approach to packing clothing and shoes.
I think bringing a bunch of samples is great for a lot of reasons–not the least in that if they get lost it’s not a huge deal.
True, and it’s harder to break the little sample vials and decant atomizers!
I always take:
Whatever I’ve been wearing lately that I like
One or two standby staples in case I want them
And a few new things to try while I’m traveling. Which I almost never end up actually doing.
I think the next article is “How do you choose a perfume to wear at all?” since that’s what’s giving me trouble! I have favorites for a little while, and then I abandon them for new favorites or my old standards. And I don’t feel like I have much to wear. Which is preposterous. I need a “second tier” rotation – how to remember that I have, and then to wear, things that aren’t very favorites but that also aren’t the latest thing.
Oh my gosh, I completely understand every word you wrote! Been there for sure.
I typically don’t pack a fragrance when I travel abroad. Why not? Because I always make it point to buy one fragrance that will remind me of that particular trip, and I make the purchase when I’m in my destination city. For instance: Annick Goutal’s Hadrien? Paris 1998. I always have a bottle on hand and whenever I wear it, I recall my first trip to The City of Light. Santa Maria Novella’s Magnolia? Rome 2009. I’ve acquired quite a few lovely scents this way and they’re made even lovelier when such memories are attached to them.
I’ll actually be in Nice next week, visiting friends in Port Frejus. Can’t wait! Hope you have a wonderful trip, Angela!
What a coincidence! I hope it isn’t raining cats and dogs then like it is now.
I’ve vacationed there for the last 3 years and it’s a beautiful part of the country. Yes, I’d heard from my friends that the weather was terrible today..so I’ve got my fingers crossed for next week! Hope you get better weather tomorrow!
I like that approach, too. It’s such a great way to bring a vacation home.
Have fun Angela!
When I travel I only pack samples and usually buy a new scent as a souvenir. The last time we went away the bed and breakfast we stayed in had a no perfume policy! Oh the horror! Hubby and I would get to the car and immediately finish getting ready by spritzing on our SOTD. Needless to say I did not like that policy at all.
For crying out loud! I understand why some people might have that policy, but I have to admit I’d never book a room there if I knew ahead of time.
If I had known I never would have booked it. It wasn’t listed on their website anywhere but it was in their info book in the room and the innkeeper made it a point to stress it and point out the reminder signs that he had posted. Never again. Even the complimentary products like lotion and shampoo were unscented!
It really does seem like they should have warned you!
Poodle, that sounds so dreadful – it would totally spoil my vacation!
On the other hand, I can just imagine that they’ve been tormented by “sensitive” guests or had mattresses spoiled by couples like the one in LT’s Body Kouros review who marinated in something potent like Giorgio, LOL.
Yes, I can imagine that, too. But still.
I am in the club “pack samples for variety and buy bottle(s) as souvenir(s). But you’re going on a writing retreat, so this opens another topic, is there anything comparable to so-called “vins de méditation”? What notes could characterize “parfums de méditation”? Considering location and season I would probably pack lys en méditerranée, a pure lily note, without cloying sweetness
Yes, you bring up an excellent point, and one I hope to explore thoroughly over the next three weeks.
well, I wish you a great trip and a prolific writing sprees. I hope we do come back to this topic, maybe Robin can make a poll out of it?
That’s a great idea!
What a lovely post! I hope you have a wonderful time in France. I’ve been to Paris, but never to the countryside, and it sounds like a beautiful place to explore. I’m a very lazy traveling perfumista–I try to always have a solid perfume in my purse, and usually throw a couple of tempting samples in to try when the mood strikes.
Thank you! In the end, despite this preachy post, I ended up being a pretty lazy perfumista, too.
Ohhhhhhh… I loved the description of that spot in Denyse’s book, and I’m sure that will be a fascinating trip. Do enjoy!
Today’s the day! Now I just have to navigate my way to the airport in a rental car…
My fragrance of choice would be chloroform. Traveling is such a pain in the @$$ chore for me i’d rather be knocked out for the duration.
You said it, brother. My flight over was awful. I had two layovers and missed one connection, so I was stuck for four hours in the Munich airport. On the Chicago-Munich leg I was next to an 18-month old who cried for nearly 7 hours straight, poor thing. I didn’t sleep a wink.
Dear Angela:
OR ask them to move you to another seat. I know babies are innocent and maybe the parents HAD to travel with a child for many important reasons. But sitting beside it sucks!
I love the idea of designing a fragrance wardrobe/theme for a short trip. I usually do it if I travel for a wedding or a short work related trip .
On the other hand if I were going to Europe like you are, I would LOVE to buy something that reminded me of the trip (in my case on my only trip to Europe it was Gucci II pour homme with its crazy pimento note)
Also I enjoyed the layover in Madrid… I found that European duty free shops have such a different selection… Like Jil Sander and other european brands. But in the end I am also all bark and no bite… Came back with only a gift for my dad and a small bag of samples. Enjoy your trip. On the way back search those duty free shops, make the most of those layovers. AND if a baby cries beside you.. Hit your music player… 7 hours of music you love is always better than a crying baby IMHO
Good point, Kaos! I used to transit the Frankfurt international airport and whiled away most of the time in duty free perfume shops, sniffing strips and deciding if I needed one of the new perfumes. Jil Sander and Joop! were favs – still are!
I did stop in at duty free in Munich and tried to refresh myself with some Armani Privé Vetiver Babylone, but it didn’t quite work. I’m feeling much better after a good night’s sleep, though.
That is such a good point about the crying baby! The plane was totally full, though–not one single empty seat. For a brief moment I considered begging for free drinks as a medicinal response, even.
Regarding chosing perfume for travel:
It all depends on how much DEET I need to take.
I usually take 2 or 3 small decants, but if I am going to a very buggy or malarial area, I just don’t so the buzzers don’t have any more temptation. And No, I do not believe in the Avon Skin-So-Soft as mosquito repellant myth. Doesn’t work at all.
I didn’t think about competing potions! That said, DEET might go nicely with a crisp green chypre.
What Montagne noire are you visiting? The Languedoc one?
Nice is such a wonderful city. Much nicer than Cannes. The Vieux Nice especially. Have never been to Cabris, but have visited Grasse once.
Have a wonderful time there, and smell the country, the street markets, the sea and everything.
Yes, in Languedoc. Thanks for the good wishes!
I tend not to want perfume when I’m traveling in a new place. As a sensory-oriented person, absorbing the new smells is as much a part of a new place as well as the sights and sounds. If I’ve been there before, I have a pretty good sense of what I might be in the mood for when I’ve arrived and can bring it along.
I can totally see your point on that. It could become a distraction if you’re not careful.
I always have a few samples in my purse and if I feel the need for more then I’ll take a travel spray of TDC Osmanthus or the solid of Imogen Rose. Truthfully though I don’t give much thought to perfume for traveling–as long as I have a full bottle of high quality Lavender essential oil with me I’m good to go. Lavender to help me sleep in strange hotels, lavender to soothe sunburn, lavender to soothe bites, lavender in case I run out of deodorant, lavender to keep me calm , lavender to give me something nicer to smell than stale airplane air, etc
A fragrance with medicinal properties–perfect!
We travel quite a bit but I’m always procrastinating about the packing so I’m afraid it’s always a last minute affair for me. I have a number of those little Travelos at the ready but my no brainers are Dzongkha and Silver Factory…….or as I like to think of it “Iris 2-Ways” I always buy something on a trip but those two are perfect for filling in any gaps before a purchase happens. I really admire your ability to perfume plan into the future.
I love the “iris two ways”!
For this trip, I ended up talking a big game but not following through so much on fragrance planning, sadly.
Those Diptyque solids would be ideal for travel – a little L’Ombre dans L’Eau would be great for the country. But nothing could be better than samples by Denyse, especiallly some of the wonderful Seville a l’Aube!
Hope you both have a great trip – you’ve earned it!
Oh yes, solids would be great for a lot of reasons. Not only won’t they spill, but their sillage seems more muted.
Thanks for the good wishes!
Your trip sounds like a dream and I love the fragrance choices to go along with it. Hope u and Denys have a great time and recharge! Timely post. I am leaving tmrw for NYC and I have to pack some decants too. Mine is more of a visit to people who need me, but getting away from routine and responsibility of running a home, and raising kids is a kind of vacation for me. It seems if I have time Angela…I might need to go and smell Mythique. My one pleasure I am aiming to do is to go and see the powder puffs at Caron, thanks to Victorias review! I dont really wear make up, but I am a sucker for beautiful girly things…to look at anyways and who knows, it may lead to a period of powdering:-) I havent thought of what perfumes to pack….they should be comforting and strength inducing at the same time. BTW LUCAS…I bought the prada homme for my dad because of you! So I will let you know how he loves it. He loves terre d’hermes and he wood! He is similar to me, so i think he will love the prada.
I’ve seen those powder puffs and they are marvelous. Have a great trip! I hope you’re able to find some to relax and enjoy yourself.
The last time I traveled I took two perfumes with me. It was a short 4 day trip.
I took French Lover and 34 Blvd St. Germain.
But basically I could have taken any 2 (preferably 3) perfumes that represent the masculine woody genre, the floral genre and a third either chypre or citric.
I choose perfume depending on mood so taking a vetiver based or leather or rose or geranium would severely limit me.
So I’ll take genres (accords) rather than single notes.
Works well for me.
In the end, I packed a variety of fragrance samples, and I do appreciate having the variety. French Lover is a great one to go just about anywhere!
Thank you for the article. You smell wonderfull. Have a great trip in France, enjoy it. I like iris too, but I’m afraid to try a another scent with them. Most of the scents were too heavy for my nose. The Prada gives me a headache. I haven’t tried the DelRea Mythique yet.
Thank you so much! Mythique to me is more of a suede scent than an iris scent, but I do smell that heavenly iris. It’s fairly light though, so if a sample passes your way, I think it’s worth a try.
The last few holidays I’ve been on were in very cold countries! So I took a decant of Patchouli 24 and 50ml Musc Ravageur! Their smaller sizes worked well for travel. I also have travel sprays of Ta’if and Ormonde Woman, so I took those too just in case. I wouldn’t want to pack full 100ml+ bottles with me. So I’d restrict myself to whatever I have available in samples/decants/50mls.
I plan on going somewhere VERY HOT this year though! So I reckon I’d take travel atomisers of Bigarade Concentree and Sel Marin. Keep it simple, light, sunny, bright, joyful! Maybe even a sample of Carnal Flower or Tubereuse 40 for the evenings!
Great choices! A hot vacation sounds good to me right now, too. Where are you going?
Perfume is usually one of the last things I think about when packing; however, I do have a travel kit always at the ready and a Chanel No. 5 EDT travel spray permanently resides there.
That said, i just returned from a trip to San Antonio (Fiesta time!). It was warm! I filled a travel spray with Diptyque Philosykos, enough for the length of my trip + 1 day. My choice was based on what I currently love and its weather appropriateness. i do like the idea of bringing samples and I will throw in 2-3 so that it will be ready for my next trip (in August).
That sounds like a great approach! I’m impressed by your ability to estimate how much you’ll need, right down to the day.
voyage d’hermes
the bottle is not very good but the juice is good for very hot weather and i feel it was very appropriate for southeast asia.
on my way home i picked prada candy i thought i was going to hate it but i absolutely love it.
I love the Voyages bottle! Admittedly, I haven’t tried to use it other than testing it once or twice, and maybe it’s awkward. Candy is a surprisingly fun fragrance, and I adore its bottle, too.
Hi Angela. Hope the stuff you grabbed in the end turned out to be just right! I hate going away and carrying all sorts of unused bottles – but I HATE being away and having left behind all the scents I suddenly crave even more! I’v been in both situations. I’m going to a writing retreat in Ithaca in June and have started worrying about the question. So far I’m guessing Philosykos will be necessary, but I’m not sure what else.
Denyse brought me a bunch of samples, and it’s been really fun to try something new everyday. I’d love to hear more about the writing retreat in Ithaca! My writing retreat just started for me today.
Sorry – I’d forgotten to check for a reply! I’m glad the new sample a day is working for you. The stimulation can be helpful so long as it doesn’t turn into a distraction, I would guess. I belong to a writers’ group here in South Africa and one member/contact offered us his place in Ithaca for a writing retreat. So, though I’m currently a bit dubious about my ability, (didn’t even make it to the finals of the prix eau de Faux!) I still jumped at the opportunity.
Angela, do not miss the wonderful little town called Tourret Sur Loup. Le Loup (the wolf) is one big mountain and most towns and villages have the “sur Loup” (on the Wolf) after their name.
It is the most artistic place, I liked it even better than St Tropez.
As a rule, I travel light, and count with buying at least one fragrance on my trip. If flying there, i may not even pack a bottle but count on the airport shops to provide something unique like a travel fragrance, and they usually do.
At the moment I am swimming in Guerlain’s Vetiver Pour Elle. It has some highly undeserved bad press, I think it’s wonderful. If not – Un Jardin en Mediterannee would be kind of cliche, and so would Premier Figuier Extreme, but what else can one wear in that fragrant air?
Wishing you the most wonderful journey, Angela, and looking forward to a good story once you’re back!
The weather finally turned gorgeous, and really Un Jardin would be a lovely fragrance for the warm afternoons! I’m surprised, really, that I didn’t think of it.
I’ll be keeping up my posts here, so everyone who wants to hear more will be able to.