Spring break Monday: What’s your EBP?

EBPWhat’s your EBP? No, that’s not some kind of official-speak, as in, “Hey, Bill, what’s your ETA to the next delivery stop?” It stand for Emergency Backup Perfume, and it was coined by lovely Posse reader AnnieA on a post a few years ago. So several times a year, we dust it off and get a little nosy. 😉

It’s something a lot of us probably do without even thinking about it. We apply a scent at home, take the spray or vial or mini bottle with us for touch-ups later in the day and head out the door. And after a busy day or week(s), tend to forget to take them all back out again (at least I do).

OK, here goes — confession time: In my messy-as-usual purse, I’ve just pulled out a little vial of Chanel 1932 extrait that I’ve been testing side-by-side with a decant of the EDT:, also a bit of the new Cartier La Panthere that I’m quickly gobbling up, and a decant of Jessica Simpson Fancy Nights, each thanks to a lovely perfume pal.

The Chanels and the Cartier were perfect for our recent springlike days, and the Fancy Nights was a surprisingly nice mix of snuggly and sultry for the rainy and /or chillier days and nights. Call me (and my nose) crazy, but the FN could almost be Coromandel’s sweet baby sister.

So what about you all? 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. Are there items in there you love and plan to get more of, or are there some that are just sort of “meh,” and will end up thrown into a miscellaneous box or drawer when they come out?

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 or purse pocket, which is what I used to do, before said accident.

BTW, I will be in and out of town over the next few days and won’t be able to comment much, if at all, but will read all of your comments, and can’t wait to see what you unearth.

  • Lynley says:

    I have a little pouch of decants that I swap around for travel, it will always have an assortment of cozy/fresh/ easy day scent/evening scent. At the moment (I just spent the weekend down south by the coast for a wedding) it includes Roma, La Fille
    de Berlin, Jour d’Hermes, Safran Troublant, Les Nuits de Hadrian,
    Amouage Gold, Kilian Amber Oud,
    Shanghai Lily, and in my handbag is Dzongkha which I wore on the 5hr drive home.

  • poodle says:

    I always have some samples in my purse. What they are varies and they seem to multiply like my lipsticks do. If I have a small decant or bottle of something I’ll sometimes throw that in there too. Right now I have one of the Fragrance Republic scents in my bag. I usually keep them in a ziploc too because you never k ow when you’ll spring a leak.

  • Laurels says:

    For years now, I’ve had a travel spray full of Opium in my purse. It’s been a good ten months since I’ve worn Opium (which I used to wear exclusively), so I guess I should consider switching it out for something else. I’m not usually one to re-apply, but some of the lighter scents really call for it, don’t they?

  • Maren says:

    Right now I’ve got Beige, Iris Silver Mist and Apres l’Ondee. I know what you mean about the baggie though, because the ISM seems to permeate everything in the purse if it’s not contained,

  • solanace says:

    Temperatures have been changing, so a decant of Marron Chic, for warmth, and another of Eau d’Hadrien, for when it’s too warm, And a tiny sample of Sycomore. Gonna need a big decant of that, as I think it is the perfect no nonsense work frag.

  • I have a few Pacifica solids in my purse that I pretty much keep there all the time. I think I’m up to 4 now: Mexican Cocoa, Spanish Amber, Mediterranean Fig and Persian Rose. I don’t use them a lot, but they’re nice to have when I’m in a hurry or if I want to cover another scent I’m not crazy about.

  • salmack1 says:

    In my purse I have a tiny vial of Samasara parfum and a roll on of Gris Clair. When I downsized my purse size to something less than that of a Volkswagen Bug, I also got a grip on how many perfumes I carried around with me too …

  • AnnieA says:

    My EPB (CSP Bois de Filao) at work malfunctioned: a single spritz turned into a huge WHOOSH of perfume and caused an office mate to complain. I binned the almost-empty culprit, but am now quite wary of in-office spritzing, since I am the only perfume-wearer there. Definitely will be waiting for a solitary moment in the office to do any applying in the future…

  • Ashley Anstaett says:

    I have a solid perfume in my bag of Tocca Florence. I am also keeping a little sample vial of Olfactive Studio’s Flashback, because just smelling it gives me a little lift. Then I have a roller-ball of Royal Apothic Pastille, which smells just like a violet candy.

    I am a little bit wary of leakage, because once I got a terrible sample at a Macy’s (I won’t name names!), threw it into the bottom of my purse, and was assaulted by a horrible smell wafting from my purse some months later, after the tiny vial had broken. I had to live with it for probably 6 months. That vial seemed so tiny, but it was toxic!

  • eldarwen22 says:

    Since it looks like it’s going to finally stay warm, now I can bust out no. 19 and kind of ease of no. 22. I have a small make up bag in my purse filled with vintage Mitsouko and Bal, Deneuve and Jicky in EDP form.

    • Teri says:

      I broke out the No. 19 this morning myself! 🙂

      In the mini-ziploc in the handbag are…

      Monteil’s Bakir. It is a big ole scent bomb for sure, but just perfect dabbed on a tissue and sniffed when I pass the refinery or the dog food plant on a warm day and get caught in a traffic jam.

      A little bit of verbena mixed with freesia oil that is light and springy and inoffensive.

      Morgane le Fey Green

      EL’s Modern Muse which is growing on me. I may need to step up to a travel size.

  • Dina C. says:

    In my purse, I have a travalo with No. 19 edp in it. It’s my HG, so it’s always a mood-lifter if by chance I need a spritz of something. Right now I don’t have any other free floating samples hanging out in my bag. I need to go out sniffing and sampling sometime soon. 🙂

  • kizzers says:

    In my bag I have a Diptyque solid of Philosykos. It stands up to temperature changes well and there’s no risk of leakage. At work I keep a little stash of samples/decants in my desk-drawer – at the moment it is OJ Woman, L’Artisan Seville a L’aube, & Premier Figuier, Thierry Mugler Cologne and Coromandel. I also keep a mini bottle of Jour d’Hermes, a deo spray of Chanel Chance and a mini of (very office friendly) Burberry Sport Woman. I don’t have anything in the car at the moment, must fix that.

  • carlene says:

    I work at home, so they’re in a little bowl on my desk. Let’s look (it changes)…CDG/Monocle Hinoki, Cuir Ottoman & Sonoma Scents Tabac Aurea.

  • foxbins says:

    I went on a business trip two years ago and wanted to bring something small with me and what my hand reached for first was a travel spray of Atelier Mistral Patchouli. Since then, I have found that it is suitable for almost any occasion depending on how much I spray and it has remained in my travel bag. It was a strange choice at the time but I am glad I made it.

    In my purse right now is a Pacifica solid of French Lilac because I miss their smell. Come on, Spring!

  • donnakitt says:

    I no longer have a job that requires office work. I have several freelance jobs and I do A LOT of driving so during my alone time, I wear what I like. In my bag, I have sample vials of Diorissimo, JOY, SL Tubereuse Criminelle, MdO Nombres d’Or Tubereuse, Aftelier Cuir de Gardenia and JAR Golconda. The little bag that contains them has developed its own unique scent!

  • Portia says:

    Hey there Ann,
    What an excellent post. I love Fancy Nights and it is the love child of Shalimar and Coromandel for me, and SO CHEAP! What a great frag for next to no money.
    In my bag there is a big 15ml decant of Milly-la-Foret by Dior that I bought in a split. While I like it very much it was not getting reached for much so I’ve thrown it in the bag where it gets a sneaky spritz every so often. Until last week there was also a small decant of vintage Tramp by Mayfair because a friend thought it was very me, it was. Also there has been some Prada Amber, SOIVOHLE Wild Ginger Chai and a YSL Supreme Bouquet recently
    Portia xx

  • Ingeborg says:

    I do not always carry perfume in my handbag, but if I do it is usually something citrus-y or light green, something office friendly. Thankfully spillage has never happended other than at home or in overstuffed washbags during air travel. Those small samples I like well enough after testing at home, but which I will not be getting a full bottle of are the ones ending up in the office drawer. I also have a Pacifica solid there. A 30 ml Burberry Beat (it is my second small bottle of this, and I am sort of bored of it) is sitting alongside White Papers and reports in the bookcase. The real loves seldom make it to the office drawer unless I decant a little in a purse spray.

    • donnakitt says:

      Just curious, Ingeborg, what are your real loves?

      • Ingeborg says:

        I have a lot of citrus and green in my small collection.Pampleune is nearly a signature scent for me, must have been through 4 bottles I guess and still own a large bottle in addition to Mandarin Basilic. I love Chanel no.19 in extrait, but I do not own it yet. Same with Chamade in edt. I also love MMM Untitled which I use mostly outside of the office, will be getting Week-end from PdN this month if everything goes well and just testet Sous le toit de Paris from Atelier Cologne. I can totally see a full bottle of that in the future if only I make it to Paris again! have tried to branch out a little from the pure green or citrus scents and found SL Five o’clock au gingembre and Chanel Coromandel last year. Those are mainly for the six coldest months of the year in my opinion.

  • sweetharmony8 says:

    I never thought about it that way! But now that I’m thinking, I do have two perfumes I carry around with me in case I *gasp* forget to spritz before I leave. Mine are a vintage Coco Chanel and Charlotte from Sweet Anthem.