First off, thanks so much to all of you for your lovely birthday wishes. OK, now onto fragrant fun: What’s your EBP? No, that’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. So I decided to run with it from time to time. I thought it a clever idea, and something a lot of us probably do without even thinking about it.
We wear a scent from 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, months), they start to add up and we forget to take them all back out again. I did this earlier this year, so let’s take another look.
OK, I’ll go first: In my very messy handbag, I have lurking: a small decant of Tom Ford’s Shanghai Lily. However, I’m loving this lily so much, no matter the temperature, that I think I’ll have to get a bigger decant for home and leave this little spray beauty in my bag.
Also unearthed were Pdn’s Eau Soleil, Jo Malone’s Peony & Blush Suede, and Jovoy Gardez-Moi, all left over from late summer. And now that it’s late October yikes! early November — I told you it had been a while since I cleaned house (purse?)! But in my defense, summer here easily lingers well into September, very often flirting with October, darting in and out between cooler days, so it makes no sense to put away the warm-weather faves too soon. But now that autumn is really and truly here, I need to replace these with scents more temperature appropriate. I’m considering grabbing a few of my fall cuddlies like Costes 2, Byredo Gypsy Water, etc.
So have a peek at the bottom of your purses, backpacks, briefcases, desk drawers, etc., and share what EBP vials, sprayers, etc., are rolling around in there.
One 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 see your scent choices all at once, instead of spread out loosey-goosey in the bottom of your purse, which is what I used to do, before said accident.
As I am a long time lover of so many fragrances, since I was a young girl, there are so
many back-up perfumes that I go to: any fragrance by Vera Wang, Ralph Lauren, Chanel
Lancome, Elizabeth Arden and Clinque,etc. As I say and mean to you every month ~ Many thanks to you…Cindi
jchoppes[at]hotmail[dot]com
Hey, Cindi! Sounds like you’ve got a pretty sweet list of back-up fragrances there — enjoy! And thanks to you for joining the fun and craziness here at the Posse 🙂
I have a growing collection of Pacifica solids that I carry around in my purse pretty much all the time. I have Mexican Cocoa, Spanish Amber, Persian Rose, and Mediterranean Fig.
Lesseee what else do I have in here….. a 9ml of Lush The Smell of Freedom, a small decant of Cabochard (that’s where that went!), a sample of Ylang 49 I had forgotten about, the remains of a 2ml Dune decant, a sample of Fille en Aiguilles (not sure why that’s in here), and a 10ml or so rollerball of a blend I made at a bath & body shop where you can scent your own stuff. And two TokyoMilk lip balms – salted caramel and absinthe. Ok they’re not perfume but they smell good nonetheless.
I thought I had a rollerball of Pacifica Tahitian Gardenia in here too, but I guess I took that one out. I’ll have to check when I get home to see if it is where I think it is.
Jennifer, so glad you found something you had misplaced.That happens to me occasionally, and it makes me so happy, because I was certain the item was lost for good. I have a Chanel lipstick that’s MIA and I’m hoping it will turn up one of these days (can’t afford to replace it, that’s for sure).
And aren’t those solids great (and so affordable, too)? I need to get into Sephora and play with them soon.
Wow the baggie is a good idea, why didnt I think of that? I have samples of Sweet Redemption and Chanel #22, I always am in the mood for those.
Hi, Jen! Those zip-top bags are a godsend for so many things (tea, coffee, makeup), and especially if you’ve got kids (so handy for snacks and the like). Now that you’ve mentioned No. 22, you’ve got me craving that lovely incense drydown. Might have to be my SOTD tomorrow — yum!
I always carry my Diptyque solid of Phylosikos and a mini of Vetiver Tonka around in my handbag. In my desk drawer at work I have emergency supplies of Seville A L’Aube, Jour de Hermes, OJ Woman, some minis of Feminite du Bois & Ambre Sultan – and the ever-office-friendly Burberry Sport for Women.
Oh, I do love those perfume solids — they’re just so sleek and elegant in their little black cases. Nice array of EBPs you’ve got there; you would be well-prepared for any occasion with that lineup.
I carry a bottle of the namesake olivine oil from Olivine. When I need a stop-and-breathe moment, the scent of gardenia pulls me back into Now.
Howdy, dear H! Very interesting, a gardenia oil — sounds nice! And even better that it helps ground you. BTW, where do you find this luscious elixir?
It’s from a site on Etsy, also called Olivine, and the perfumer is Julie Wray. It is quite delicious. I don’t too often find Indie perfumes that stand out, but this one stands out among currently available gardenias.
Oooh — sounds yummy! Thanks ever so much for sharing!
Just switched over purses for the season, so nothing there at the moment. Still have a bottle of Bois de Filao at work, although it’s running low…
Yay, Annie — I was so hoping our EBP celebrity would stop by! Would the Filao work for fall? I haven’t sniffed that one so not sure about what’s in it. So what are you thinking might make the cut into the purse this time around?
Hello Ann! Filao is probably discontinued, so it can be hard for people to sniff, but it definitely would work for fall, as well as performing its office scent duties. Think an Hermes sample might end up in the purse…
I’ve got a decants of Carnal Flower,The Smell of Weather Turning, Let me Play the Lion and Ambre Narguile in my bag. I’d be horrified if the nuclear Narguile started leaking….I’d never get that smell out!!
Oh, yes, Samantha, that would be a good one to double- or even triple-wrap 🙂 . But I still like it. I have not sniffed your others, save for the divine Carnal Flower — always a winner!
I have the usual 4 sample vials in my bag. The scents change, but the number remains the same, as that is the amount of samples I can fit into the little ziploc bag I use to store them in. Right now I have ALOF – What We Did in Paris is Secret; Ann Gerard – Perle Mousse; Neela Vermeire – Mohur; and Mary Greenwell – Plum.
I flew out the door this morning early as I needed to drop off my election ballot and hadn’t applied any scent. So when I got to work, I broke out the Perle Mousse. Yummy.
Teri — yummy is right — I love that Perle Mousse myself and am fast gobbling up a decant. I agree — no matter your container, four seems like a good number: enough choices to suit any occasion but not so many as to trip you up trying to decide. I need to pull out my MG Plum and Mohur samples, so thanks for the reminder.
I always carry my small decant of No. 5 Eau Premiere, because it’s Never Wrong.
At the moment, I’ve also got a decant of Iris Poudre, one of Black Cashmere, and one of BK Sweet Redemption in my cosmetics bag (leakproof!!) in my handbag.
Howdy, Mals — so nice to see you! I could easily swap cosmetics bags with you as I really like all your choices. Even the Eau Premiere, which for a non-No. 5 gal like myself, is the closest I can get to the classic. And you are the second person to mention the Black Cashmere; folks must be pulling it out for chilly fall temps. Yum!
A vial of Bulgari Jasmin Noir L’Essence resides in my desk, and an almost empty decant of Lyric resides on top. I just cleaned out my purse -it was getting heavy and something was leaking – but do have the travel spray of L’Occitane’s new Fleur d’Or Acacia I acquired this past weekend in there somewhere.
Oh, I do hope that whatever was leaking was not perfume 🙁 I’ve only worn Lyric from a dab sample, but really need to try it (lightly) sprayed. Do you like it enough to get another decant or even a FB? BTW, would love to hear more about that new L’Occitane — sounds nice.
I always keep a small sprayer of Amouage Honour Woman in my purse and right now I also have Chamber Noir by Olfactive Studiosm great for the (slightly) cooler weather we are having.
Those are two great scents — can’t go wrong with either of them. BTW, I wonder if they’ll ever do the Honour in body products. Those would be nice, wouldn’t they?
I work in a very casual and non-traditional place for females, so I tend to stick to “safe” perfumes or none at all. Having said that, I have a FB of Esprit de Givenchy in my locker, in case I suddenly need to smell pretty. In my desk drawer: a decant of DK Black Cashmere. In my purse, a decant of La Maison de la Vanille Sauvage de Madagascar. In summer, it would be YSL Y (edt).
And, by the way, belated but warm happy birthday wishes to you, Ann.
Thanks so much, dear — you are too kind! I think you’re smart to have a couple of “just in case” perfumes handy. And I like your choices, especially the Black Cashmere. Think I’ll have to do dig out my little bit of it now as it’s a great warmer-upper. Thanks!
See! Neophyte that I am, I thought I was the only one with little decant bottles rolling around at the bottom of my purse, threatening to crack and unleash a level 5 olifactory event therein. Off I run to grab a plastic ziplock bag.
Currently I’m empty (gasp!), but my last rotation included Jubilation 25, Ormonde Jayne Woman, and FM’s Lipstick Rose (the last of which I just like to sniff rather than wear half the time, since it’s such a fun, tarty little thing).
You are in good company, and LOTS of it, from the looks of things here today! You had some greats in your previous batch, so can’t wait to see what you are going to refill your purse with next — any ideas?
For a while, I was carrying around a vintage mini of Mitsouko, just for a quick sniff here and then. Or I would put it on a blotter and place it on my desk. Now it’s a small roll-on sample of Jovoy’s Chypre, which I also own a bottle of. I find it refreshing, pretty and wearable in most circumstances and weather conditions.
Katrin, maybe I need to try Mitsy like that, as it doesn’t agree too much with my skin. Yum, that Jovoy Chypre sounds lovely. I really need to explore that line more; have only sampled their Gardez-Moi. Thanks!
Would you believe there is nothing in my bag?!? There are half eaten Kind bars, allergy pills of all shapes and sizes, backup chargers to electronics that I’m not carrying, two pocket knives, receipts galore, a flashlight, oodles of pens, and a handkerchief but not a single fragrant drop of perfume. The elves have struck here too. I know I had a sample of Under the Arbor since it is pretty migraine proof for me and something I couldn’t read anymore from Sephora that smelled nice but I will never buy. Will have to rectify this asap. I usually keep Incense Pure in there during the fall (in double ziploc – that stuff sticks around when spilled on leather!) but am completely out.
Yikes, Liz — those elves are just working overtime, aren’t they? Hey, at least you have pens, a flashlight and a handkerchief — MacGyver could do some pretty cool stuff with those. 🙂 Do tell about Under the Arbor; I don’t know that scent but it sounds good.
It is a CB I Hate Perfume scent that I think is pretty underrated. Lots of reviews I have read say it smells like grape Kool Aid but I have yet to experience it that way. To me it is a loamy soil scent with torn fresh grape leaves and moss and it is beautiful but quite fleeting unless applied copiously to clothing. I find it similar to Wild Hunt but with a slightly sweeter opening – same overall feeling to them if that makes sense. I would have full bottles of both if they lasted longer or cost less.
Mmmm … sounds nice. Thanks for the info!
I like to carry something warm and something refreshing. Now it is I’Heure Bleue and Eau d’Hadrien, both in 5 ml roll-on decants. There are a few samples too: Putain des Palaces, Fils de Dieu, Sycomore and Poussière de Rose. Everything inside a black sequin change purse, the kind that closes with a click.
Hi, lady — you’re carrying great scents in great style with that sequined change purse. I love those purses — that closing “click” is somehow very satisfying. Have you ever tried the Les Nuits d’Hadrien? I like that one as well, for a tad more warmth than the original, especially as its fall here.
Ann, what do you think of Gardez-Moi…meaning to try that one. Any green tinge, or strictly bwf? Right now my purse sized scents are Balenciaga Paris and AdP Iris Nobile…nothing challenging, but reliably pretty.
Howdy, Caroline! I really liked it; thought it was a nice mix of green and BWF, but not too overpowering on either extreme. You have great taste with your AdP and Balenciaga. In fact, I just put some on (Balenciaga) yesterday as all the buzz about the new Mona di Orio violet scent had me craving that note.
I have a couple of vials in my little cos. bag: Amouage Gold extrait, Amouage Rose attar, a vintage Diorling perfume and some Carnal Flower. Oh! and that new Lauren (Greg?). If those break they’re gonna have to call in a Hazmat team! xoxoxoA
Lady, you’ve got me spitting my tea out this evening! Those scents are the Musette canon of perfume greats, I think (or at least a sampling). Not familiar with the Greg Lauren scent — do tell!
I’m not sure. Something about it is setting my teeth on edge – can’t tell if it’s the jus or the bottle..or the whole Lauren B-list thing. xoxoA
That’s interesting. Since I’m out of the fashion loop these days, guess he just whooshed right over my head. Anyway, it sounds like it will be getting booted out of the cosmetic bag soon at any rate.
Nothing. Absolutely nothing is in my purse. Hmmmm. I had a small baggie with a few things in my purse and now it’s not. I know for sure Songes was in there, Coco Noir and With Love Hilary Duff (still my favorite cheap thrill). Wonder what happened to it…perfume elves or thieves? Need to rectify that and Shanghai Lily will be first into the bag.
Oh, no, not the elves yet again! Do try the Shanghai Lily; it has a soft warmth and spice that makes it very wearable IMHO. Hope you find the perfumes.
Shalimar. Always. 🙂
Ines, you are one of the lucky ones on whom the Guerlain great smiles. 🙂 She doesn’t like me much at all, although I do get on a little with her Ode de la Vanille (spelling?) cousins. Enjoy!
Hmmm. Let’s see. Here is a decant of Champagne de Bois that I have been meaning to give to a girl at the gym. And here in my makeup compartment is Ambre 114, SDV, Ambre Precieux, and APLS. And in my outside purse pocket is my decant of Tabac Rouge that I wore to the wedding on Friday. That is all.
That’s a pretty nice selection you’ve got there. And so nice of you to share your perfume. I’m not familiar with Tabac Rouge — what perfume house is that from? Thanks!
Tabac Rouge is, I believe, a new one from Phaedon- similar to Tobacco Vanille.
Oooh — sounds nice — thanks! Must investigate…
Hi Ann! My neck and back are a little stuffed at the moment, so doing regular bag purges to travel as light as possible, I think that’s sans perfume. I did have my refresh decant of Hermes Mousson in my uniform pocket though 🙂 And Prada Candy and some forgottens in my locker… :-/
My backups are all at my boyfriends instead. An FB of Omnia, and decants of Seville a l’Aube, Kilian Amber Oud, Caron Eau de Reglisse, and some others I have also forgotten about. His beloved Terre d’Hermes parfum was once mine, but it’s so ‘him’ now I don’t wear it. (he thinks it’s what Sean Connery would smell like if he were a librarian)…
Lynley, I hope you feel better. I’ve had a stiff neck before so I feel for you; traveling light definitely helps. Love your comment about Terre d’Hermes, your boyfriend and Sean Connery — that made my day!
Hey Ann,
I currently had 3 gift decants, two of which had run so badly that the brand and name have been smeared unreadable, one is BWF and the other maybe Aquatic? the other a Prada Amber a mate gave me. Also I have Olympic Amber 5ml travel spray.
Portia xx
Oh, no, dear — don’t you just hate it when that happens? I hope you can somehow figure out what the mystery decants are, by process of elimination or something. Glad to see you’re still enjoying your Olympic Amber; must try that ASAP.
I have a couple Coach wristlets that I do use to contain my EBP decants. In one of them I carry vintage Mitsouko and Deneuve and in the other it can be the SOTD and maybe a couple others. I refuse to leave the house without Mitsouko vintage or current in my purse. After cleaning my purse, I found Nuda and my full bottle of Lyric. I swear that I do have a decant of Lyric and can’t figure out why I had the full bottle in my bag.
Hi, lady! What a clever idea to use the wristlets — I might have to “borrow” that idea sometime. Glad you found Nuda and Lyric (esp. a full bottle). Must have been the perfume elves again 🙂
Tell me about it(perfume elves). Before I started to clean out my purse on a twice yearly basis, I was in the habit of carrying that massive bottle of Sycomore (or was it Cuir de Russie) for some odd reason and the purse was on the small side. Now, I’ve switched to a bigger bag and carry decants instead of full bottles.
That big ‘ol bottle– in your purse? Oh, mercy, I shudder to think of it. Had it been me, clumsy as I am, I probably would have dropped my purse (or worse, fallen), and there would be some great smelling sidewalk or parking lot.
My EBPs are DSH’s Mirabella (cannot leave home without!), Lutens’ Chergui, Amouage’s Jubilation 25, and Aroma M’s Geisha Noire.
It’s very important that I have both a rich, dark amber and a mossy-fruity-sinful chypre with me at all times, because I never know which I’ll suddenly have need of!
Oh, hm, there also seems to be a random decant of Profumum’s Acqua di Sale in here too lol.
Hi, thanks for stopping by! Nice scent choices, although I’m not familiar with the Mirabella or the Geisha.
Those two scent categories sound like good ones to have handy all the time. I’m lol with you on the Acqua di Sale — I’ve done that, too — stumbled across something and thought, “Now how in the world did THAT get in here?” Perfume elves?
Ah, if you happen to like old fashioned fruity chypres that veer to the sinful side, Mirabella is an excellent one to explore. Dawn has a special gift for chypres and old fashioned sophistication!
Geish Noire oil has a bit in common with Ambre Narguilé in that it’s rich and gorgeous and heady (but much darker and more leathery) and entirely impossible to get rid of once you’ve gotten even a single droplet on your skin. I love it, but feel rather bad for anyone who samples it and then tries to scrub it off.
Gaia of The Non-Blonde has lovely reviews of both if they sound to your taste.
And yes, I very firmly believe that Perfume Elves frequently steal from (oops, I mean move), rearrange, and add to my perfume collection in the most mystifying ways!
Those sound great — thanks so much for letting me know about them. Must investigate and possibly sample (meanwhile, wallet cringes, slips out of purse and tries to sneak away).
Oh, those naughty elves! 🙂
Le Labo Patchouli and one that’s ALWAYS there….Mona di Orio Musc!
Mmmm, nice! Love LL Patchouli mixed with a dab o’ vanilla. I’m glad you mentioned the MdO Musc — can’t believe I have never tried it. So off I go to get a sample. Thanks!
Belated happy birthday to you, Ann! Hope your special day/week/month continues to be full of joy and celebration. My EBP is a travalo of No. 19 edp, which is my HG, that I carry in my purse. Every so often when I’m going through Nordstrom’s or Sephora, I’ll get a sample size of something new, and that will linger in one of the interior pockets for a while, but there aren’t any there now. Like many other Chanel lovers, I wish that the Chanel company would make more of its scents available in the classy little purse sprays. They never seem to offer all the auxiliary items in No. 19, much less the Exclusifs scents. This time of the year, I’m wearing Sycomore a lot. I’d love a FB of 31 RC because my decant is almost gone. Also love Mitsouko in the fall. And I broke out a dab of vintage LouLou a couple weeks ago, and it was amazing. 🙂 Love cooler weather!
Thanks so much, Dina, I really appreciate it! I’m loving the cooler weather, too, and am having fun pulling out the cuddly-cozy scents. Vintage LouLou, you say? Lucky you! I remember loving that scent back in the day but haven’t smelled it in ages. Enjoy!
I don’t have one at the moment, but before I forget, I’ll throw a small roller-ball decant of TF Jasmine Rouge into my bag. I think it’s a perfect EBP! Got a sample of his Oud Wood yesteday…SWOON!
Oooh, Rina, I love those rollerball decants — so travel-friendly. That jasmine is nice, isn’t it? Alas, I haven’t smelled Oud Wood in ages, so need to go back and revisit it. That scent was one of the first times I can recall seeing an oud in the mainstream market.
Always, always, always Chanel No 5, parfum strength. It’s my usual daytime scent, and I can get it in a travel size so I don’t have to worry about leakage. If 31 Cambon came in a travel size, I’d add that for the rare day when I chose that as my scent instead. I work in health care and a little spritz of No 5 seems to keep me happy – after years of doing that I have never had a complaint so it doesn’t seem to bother anyone. I know, I know…. but I just can’t go scentless……..
Kim, let’s keep our fingers crossed that they will do 31RC in a travel-ready size. And it’s so great that No. 5 makes you feel happy — that’s what it’s all about!
I’d bet it is nice for the patients to be able to catch some Chanel sillage now and then.
Ok. Yes. I am intrigued. Going to your store righttttt now. Tom Ford’s Shanghai Lily.: Must Try
Yay, Angelique! Do try a sample and let us know what you think of it. A friend of mine does not do lily at all and she liked this one quite a bit.
Right now I have Rahat Loukhoum, Fate, Lyric Man and TF Jasmin Rouge.
Howdy, Tara! Do you have Fate Man or Woman? Love your other choices but need to sniff Lyric Man. Can’t believe I’ve not smelled that one — will have to try a friend’s bottle.
Right now I’m carrying sample sprays of Elie Saab, By Killian Pure Oud and 31 Cambon. It’s usually more but I just cleaned out my bag. My norm is about five fragrances and five lipstick/balm/gloss. Traveling light today.
Hi, Gina — nice scents there. And glad to see someone else likes to have a range of lipstick choices, too. I like to have at least two good reds, a bright pink (if it’s spring/summer), and a brick/brown (for fall/winter). And that way you can create more colors, too.