What’s your EBP?

EBPHappy October, folks! It’s that time of year again to ask: What’s your EBP? As you all probably know by now, it’s not some kind of official-speak, as in, “Hey, Joe, what’s your ETA to the next delivery point?” It’s Emergency Backup Perfume, and it was coined by lovely Posse reader AnnieA on a post several years ago. It’s something a lot of us probably do without even thinking about it. We apply a scent at home, then put the spray or vial or mini bottle into to-go mode and head out the door. And after a busy day or week (or in my case, sometimes months), we forget to take them all back out again.

OK, I’ll go first. In my seemingly always messy handbag, I have lurking: samples of Tom Ford’s Velvet Orchid, Frederic Malle’s Eau de Magnolia, By Kilian’s Apple Brandy, and a new love of mine which I carried on about in a recent post, Hiram Green’s Moon Bloom.

Up until last week, it’s been fairly warm here but we have just had our first cold snap, so my scents are a mixed bag this time around.

So have a peek at the bottom of your purses, backpacks, briefcases, etc., and share your EBPs: what vials, sprayers, rollerballs, etc., are rolling around in there?

As always, a word of caution: I try to keep my EBPs in a plastic zip-top baggie as I’m deathly afraid of leakage. Having once had the lining of a handbag stained this way, I’m not eager for a repeat performance. And it is nice to have your scent choices all together and see them at a glance, instead of spread out loosey-goosey in the bottom of your purse, which is what I used to do, before said accident.

  • AllGirlMafia says:

    Awww, I have a tendency to form the same attachment with random objects.

  • AllGirlMafia says:

    I have a small dainty Altoids can in which I keep samples of Ralph Lauren Glamourous, Chanel 22 and Annick Goutal Mon Parfum Cheri. It is a sweet lil selection of EBP’s.

    • Eloquaint says:

      That’s really clever, and would totally legitimize my sheepish desire to continue carrying around the little Altoids box that my husband bought for me while we were in NYC, to which I have developed an unaccountable attachment.

  • Eloquaint says:

    I don’t carry an EBP anymore. I’ve had too many unhappy leakage experiences. What I do carry is a tube of scented hand lotion. I’ve never had one of those dribble on me. Right now I’m enamored of TokyoMilk’s Honey and the Moon.

  • malsnano86 says:

    I’ve nearly always got a small decant of Mary Greenwell Plum in my purse, as well as one of Iris Poudre and a few miscellaneous samples.

  • jaime says:

    I don’t carry an ebf around, but in my desk at work, I have a bottle of the Healing Garden’s Green Tea spray, and a bottle of The Body Shop’s Lavender lotion…one if I need to energize myself in the afternoon…the other if it’s been a long day and I need a mental break!

  • Farouche says:

    Since I recently cleaned out my purse (!), I only have one decant tucked away for safekeeping and emergency spritzing: Boxeuses. When I can remember and if I have a small spritzer, I’ll try to include my SOTD for refreshment purposes.

  • AnnieA says:

    I have yet to sort out the EBP situation at work, where an anti-perfume officemate cannot abide any spritzing, even if not actually in the office. Need to get some rollerballs and do some decanting, as it turns out that the solid perfumes I brought in are frankly not very interesting.

  • einsof says:

    while i will not admit to carrying a purse (this is a canvas shopping bag. ok, it’s black and has a little style. FINE. manbag. whatever.) BUT i do always have an assortment of essential oil blends for this or that (hand sanitizing, something to put on a handkerchief if there are people sneezing and carrying on around me, etc.)

  • teri says:

    I purchased Lucky Scent’s recent sample bag of patchouli scents and that’s what’s in my handbag right now. I tend to like patch scents in the cooler weather.

  • I always carry YSL’s Y, DSH Ashram, Indult Isvaraya and lately, Houbigant Orangers en Fluers. Some ingenious person ought to come up with a special pouch just for decants!

    • Ann says:

      Nice choices there, Queen Cupcake! I agree — a splendid idea! Some kind of lightly padded or quilted pouch with several inner pockets and also sewn loops to insert bottles in, to help keep them from hitting each other. I’d try it myself but I am SUCH a klutz when it comes to sewing, alas.

  • rosarita says:

    I don’t knowingly carry perfume but I just checked my makeup bag that I carry and found a sample of Sahara Noir and Coromandel. Can’t remember the last time I used either sample on the go; my makeup bag is stuffed full of lipsticks because I can never make up my mind – insert eyeroll here.

    • Ann says:

      Hi there, sweetie! Glad you stopped by and hope you are doing well. Happy you found those two; I like them both so much. I hear you on the lipsticks; I’m a little like that as well. I just try to divide them into two seasons: fall/winter with the deep reds, russets, etc., and spring/summer with the softer blue-reds, fuchsias, etc. and keep the appropriate batch in my purse. But they do sometimes get out of control and need reining in, ha!

  • solanace says:

    Today it-s a tiny sample of 31 Rue Cambon, a roll on l´Heure Bleue decant, spray samples of Vent Vert and Eau d´Emma. Can´t leave the house without EBP, lol!

    • Ann says:

      Yay, Solanace, you’ve got the classics going on there — excellent! Love them all, but just wish LHB liked me a little better. Oh, well, can’t win ’em all. BTW, not familiar with Eau d’Emma; Do tell more about that, please 🙂

      • solanace says:

        It´s a cologne, simple and well crafted. I received it from a perfume fairy, and googled since I liked it so much. It´s made in Grasse, by a small brand, Esther, with local materials, so of course it does smell nice and natural…

  • Laurels says:

    I recently cleaned out my purse, so I know exactly what’s in it, perfume-wise: a spray sample of Jo Malone Blackberry & Bay. It’s nice in most kinds of weather (at least the fairly moderate variety we usually get here in So. Cal.), inoffensive but not boring, and a favorite of my three-year-old nephew. I should add something suitable for 100F, but luckily I haven’t needed an EBP lately. (Knock wood.)

    • Ann says:

      Good for you on the clean-up, Laurels!! Please, please rub off on me 🙂 . You are spot-on about that Jo Malone; it really is an excellent, all-purpose player, and if your nephew likes it, ding-ding-ding — triple bonus points! Enjoy!

  • Julie L says:

    Um, well, lets see…I have in my mini ziploc bag a vial od: Reminiscense patchouli; an unlabeled, vague floral, a sample of Coromandel, and ALWAYS my mini of Galanos (The Preciousssss)….Oh! one of those small roll -ons made by that all natural oil company? What’s the name?…(you get them at Whole Foods) of Frankinscense/Myrrh; as well as Van Cleef Arpel’s une Aire First. 🙂 That should do it! Lol In doggie world ya never know what is gonna be needed to wipe away those smells during a long work day!

    • Ann says:

      Julie, that’s a pretty great collection you’ve got there! I love me some Coromandel, too, and my ears pricked up big-time with your mention of Galanos. I used to wear the dickens out of that, and I loved the bottle it came in, that swirly glass with the indention in the middle just fit in the hand so nicely. Thanks for a fun memory. BTW, what do you do in doggie world?

      • Ann says:

        P.S. Julie, do you know anything on the history of Galanos — has it been reformulated drastically and you only buy vintage or do newer iterations of it still smell pretty good? Thanks!

        • Julie L says:

          Galanos is MY FAV! I do believe it has been re-formulated when it came back on the market in the 90’s. It does not last as long, and I heard that was due to the Oakmoss restrictions. I ordered mine through Sears Online-they are a third party vendor=lower price. It’s STILL beautiful though! If I trusted Ebay, I would go through one of those sellers claiming to have the vintages for sale….SUCH $$$! The cinnamon/clove note is stronger.

  • Heya Ann,
    I have a small 10ml spritz bottle of Tous Gold in the glove box. I figured there’s ZERO naturals to go off and it will be gone within a pretty short time anyway. There have been quite a few times I have needed its fun pick-me-up.
    Portia xx

    • Ann says:

      Howdy, Portia! A fun pick-me-up sounds great, just the thing to give you a little extra oomph! There used to be a Tous store in the city but not sure if it’s still there. I never can quite seem to get to that wing of the mall. But I need to, for sure, now.

  • Neva says:

    My EBPs must not be prominent, because they have to fit every mood, since I don’t know if and when I’ll have to apply them. Right now I have Valentina by Valentino and Armani Code in my purse, but in a small leather bag IN my cosmetic bag 😀

    • Ann says:

      Neva, I think it’s so smart of you to carry scents that cover a lot of bases; as you said, you never know when you’ll need them. And good for you for the double bagging — take no chances 🙂 P.S. I remember loving Armani Code, too. Must sniff it again next time I’m in the store.

  • Lisa D says:

    Oddly, I don’t usually carry an EBP! Given the number of samples I’ve got lying about, I really should. In fact, I think I’m going to go pack some in a ziploc right now……

    • Ann says:

      Hiya, Lisa! That sounds like a good idea — pack up a few little favorites, just in case. I fear I don’t use my EBPs as much anymore as my office has gone completely fragrance-free 🙁 but it’s nice to have a little something to put on in the car when I go home.

  • eldarwen22 says:

    Vintage Mitsouko, Jicky and Bal (edp) have their place in my bag and now Theorema is creeping up into that line up. I had just dug out a dabber of no 22 in parfum form though.

    • Ann says:

      Oooh, lucky you to have vintage Mitsouko! And so glad you mentioned Theorema — how great is that?! I just wish Fendi had sense enough to (at least try) re-release it.

  • Spiker says:

    I have a little spray of Serge Lutens’ un bois vanille that got tucked into my bag ages ago. It’s a comforting scent that I can pull out on the go if I rushed out of the house in the morning without remembering to spritz. And, I can still feel confident I’m not going to overpower the office.

    • Ann says:

      Spiker, that is indeed a great comfort scent that works well. You’ve inspired me to go dig up mine and wear it for this chilly morning — thanks!