A fragrance is something that can really bring your outfit and appearance together. Some people can’t go without it, even when they go on a trip. And besides, why wouldn’t you want to smell amazing on your trip? There are a lot of reasons why you should take your fragrance with you on a trip, but in order to take a fragrance with you, you should keep these things in mind.
How do you take fragrances with you on a trip? First, decide what fragrance will best suit the purpose and destination of your trip. Think of things like, what’s the weather like over there? What activities am I planning on doing there? Next, make sure to have a proper-sized bottle and make sure it’s stored safely. The last thing you want is for it to spill all over your luggage. And lastly, if you’re going to spray some on you before the flight, make sure to not overuse it. You’re in a confined area and have a lot of people really close to you.
The Bottle And Its Fragrance
When you take your fragrance with you on a trip, you probably want to take your favorite fragrance with you. Each fragrance comes with a unique bottle. Some have really cool designs, but they can take a lot of space. Space is always a problem when traveling. So it might be a good idea to just take the bottle with you, and not the box. The airport also has its own rules. As you might know, you’re only allowed to take liquids packed in at most 3.4 ounces, or 100 milliliters. So if you only have hand luggage, please make sure your bottle is at most 3.4 ounces, or it will get confiscated and you really don’t want that to happen. This is because of TSA’s 3-1-1 rule, basically saying that you’re only allowed up to 3.4 ounces per liquid container.
For most fragrances, this won’t be a problem. Most, if not all of your bottles are probably 3.4 ounces or less. Taking more with you is also really impractical since, on your average trip, you most likely won’t use that much fragrance anyways.
Another thing to keep in mind is that you have to store your fragrances in a 1-quart bag or any TSA approved bag. These are those sealed little plastic bags, the same you get when you purchase a fragrance at the airport.
On the other hand, you can take however much you want in checked baggage. So if you want to take a 6.8 ounces bottle with you for whatever reason, you should stick it in your checked luggage.
The main concern for having your fragrance in your checked luggage is spillage. Checked luggage gets a serious beating. Its thrown around all over the place. Therefore, it might be a good idea to give some attention to how you store your fragrance in there. It is always a good idea to have it next to soft objects. That most likely won’t be too big a problem with your checked luggage, because it most likely will be 90% clothes. You can also wrap it in some socks, or wrap it up in bubble wrap. You really don’t want your fragrance to spill. One time my bottle of Valentino Uomo spilled, and my stuff smelled like it for a really long time. And I lost quite a bit of the fragrance itself.
Travel Size Bottles
Most trips won’t be longer than, say a month. So it might be a bit overkill to take really large bottles with you. Even the 3.4-ounce bottle is quite a lot for only a few weeks. Therefore, you should consider travel sized bottles. You can purchase a smaller bottle for example. Or have little vials where you put your fragrance in. This way you won’t be carrying more than you need.
You can also take a lot more different ones with you this way. Say you’re going to Spain for 3 weeks. You plan on going out to the clubs, chilling on the beach and do some sightseeing. All these three activities could use a different fragrance. Now, taking 3 relatively big 3.4 ounce bottles with you is probably not what you want to do. It takes up a lot of space, and there is always the risk of it spilling or losing it altogether.
Smaller bottles are usually a bit more expensive, so that is a downside of them, but being able to take more fragrances with you might be worth it. Variety is always nice.
A cheaper option is to go to a big department store where they sell fragrances and ask if they either have samples or if they can put some in a little travel atomizer. These are great because they allow you to take just enough fragrance with you in a small, relatively safe bottle.
The Destination You’re Going To
Another very important thing to keep in mind is the destination of your trip. There are so many places in the world, all with different climates and surroundings.
Not every fragrance is suitable for every occasion. So where are you going? Are you going to a very cold, snowy place, like Norway? Or maybe a really nice, hot country like Thailand? As you can imagine, you can’t take one fragrance to both these places. The darker, richer scents work really well in cold weather but aren’t as good in hot weather.
In general, when you go to a country with high temperatures, opt for something fresh and unaggressive. Something noticeable, but not overwhelming. A good option would be Giorgio Armani’s Acqua Di Gio Profumo or Prada Luna Rossa Black. These are fresh, non-offensive and generally do a very good job in warm weather.
When going to a colder country, go for something rich and dark, or something on the sweeter side. Something that really compliments the cold. A spicy fragrance like Viktor & Rolf’s Spicebomb always does the job in my opinion. Spicebomb is one of my favorites, but there are so many more who do the job just as well. Think of something like Valentino Uomo or Yves Saint Lauren’s La Nuit De l’Homme, they also work really good in cold weather.
Of course, you can further dissect your destination and make some more specific choices. In my opinion, you should just go with the ones you feel would work really well. Most of the times, they do. Trust your own nose. Would you want to smell this scent when it is freezing cold, or when it feels like you’re on the sun? If not, leave it.
What Is The Purpose Of Your Trip
A trip abroad can have many purposes. You can have a business trip or a getaway with friends or family. Maybe you want to go sightseeing, explore some cities, lie at the beach or go clubbing. A trip can have many purposes. All these purposes call for a different fragrance. A heavy, sweet clubbing fragrance is probably not what you want to wear to a business meeting.
When you’re away for a business trip, you want to go for something rich, sophisticated and not too playful. Maybe something masculine, something that makes you appear and feel more confident. A fragrance like Creed Aventus can fill in this spot.
Maybe the sole purpose of your trip is to go out clubbing. I know I’ve had 2 of these with my friends, and they were awesome. The main fragrance you should take with you, in that case, is a clubbing fragrance. Out of experience, I can tell you won’t really be doing much more than clubbing and laying on the beach, so your clubbing fragrance is your most important one here. Something like Paco Rabanne’s One Million or Jean Paul Gaultier’s Ultra Male is a very good choice. There are many more clubbing fragrances out there, so don’t limit yourself. I’ve written another article about clubbing fragrances which you can find here.
There is also a difference between clubbing in a warm country and a cold one. When in a warmer country, you can go for a more fresh clubbing fragrance, while in a colder country you should definitely go for a sweeter one.
If you want to go sightseeing, you have the easiest choice. When exploring a city and admiring its beauty, you can really go with anything. Just a very nice, subtle fragrance really goes amazing. As you’ll be on the move a lot I would recommend a nice, noticeable and strong fragrance, without it being offensive. If you have a signature scent you can just use that, or maybe pick up a nice one in the city itself.
A Fun Little Trick
One thing that I really like and try to do more is this fun little ‘trick’. It’s basically this, you buy a completely new fragrance you haven’t had before. Then, you use that fragrance during the trip. This works best when you’re doing a city trip because you can really use anything. So when you’re using it during your trip, your mind will start to connect the scent to the trip. So when you’re back home, anytime you smell that particular scent your mind will remind you of the great times and memories you’ve made there.
Your mind is really powerful, and our sense of smell is directly connected with our ’emotional brain’. This is why sometimes a certain smell can really take you back. It is kind of the same as with certain songs, which can trigger moments and memories from way back. With a scent, however, it’ll be a lot easier as you just spray it on. You wouldn’t have to listen to it a lot like with a song.
But this is really a cool idea that I myself started using a lot more. The best moments are when you unexpectedly get a whiff of the scent, taking you back to good times. I highly recommend this to anyone.
You can also pair this trick with something mentioned above. Buy one at the airport, or when you’ve landed. This way there will be even an even stronger connection to the fragrance.
Using A Fragrance On A Plane
Using a fragrance when on a plane is quite controversial. I wouldn’t really recommend spraying one on right before the flight. You’re not the only one on the plane. A plane is a closed of, crowded place where you shouldn’t really wear a fragrance. However, I sometimes spray one on a few hours before the flight. This way, the top notes will have faded away, making the fragrance not so offensive. Which is basically the one main rule for a fragrance inside a plane. If it will be offensive to anyone, especially the ones next to you, please don’t use it.
This is even more true when you’re on a long flight. Some flights last only an hour, others last several hours. The last thing you want is to sit next to someone who drowned himself in a strong and noticeable cologne for 8 hours. And you don’t want to be that guy. It just leaves a bad impression.
There are some fragrances however that are so unoffensive that they might be suitable for the plane. Escentric Molecules has a fragrance called Molecule 01, which is a very sexy, nearly undetectable fragrance. You’ll only get some whiff of this fragrance every now and then. If you insist on wearing a fragrance when on a plane, use something like Molecule 01, something nearly undetectable, something that is not offensive.
So know you know how to use (or not use) a fragrance on an airplane. But the guy next to you doesn’t. You have an 8-hour flight ahead and the guy next to you is drowned in this incredibly strong fragrance. Now what? The first thing you can do is ask the flight attendant if you can move seats. This is the easiest possible way, just keep it polite.
But changing seats isn’t always possible. You can wear a turtleneck or have some sort of scarf with you. Beforehand, you can spray a little perfume you like on it and hold it near your nose. This way you’ll have the pleasant subtle smell of your fragrance covering the ocean of fragrance next to you.
Conclusion
Taking a fragrance with you on your trip is a very good idea. Leaving a nice impression wherever you go is always a plus. So before you go, check out where you’ll be going. See what the weather is like, what are your plans there? Then pick your favorite fragrances for those situations. Make sure to properly carry them, either in checked baggage or hand luggage. When in checked baggage, make sure they are well protected so they won’t break or spill. Also be aware of the people around you when you’re on a plane. Don’t be the douche who overused his fragrance, or used a way to strong one when in the confined airplane space.
Or make the decision to not take one of your fragrances with you and buy one you’ve never had before. Use it throughout your trip and you’ll get the pleasant surprise of memories everytime you smell the scent afterward.