Annual Perfume Post: A Soft Waft Whilst Traveling

I've been traveling around the globe practically since I was born. And I still love to travel, whether by plane, train, or boat (not by car, though, ugh). I recently went on my very first cruise ever. I can't believe I waited so long.  I had a great time and I’m experiencing Cruise Withdrawal Syndrome even as I type (yes, that is a real thing, I did not make it up)….

Over the past ten years, more of my friends and acquaintances have come down with what I call, as a catch-all-phrase, Olfactory Intolerance. Some have become allergic; some have developed scary autoimmune diseases and strong odors can act as a trigger; some now have adult asthma. These problems pose real ethical dilemmas for perfumistas, and we’ve all struggled with them. During travel, crammed into tight spaces with other members of my species for long periods of time, I’ve been opting for solid perfumes, sometimes even making my own. They are very comforting to the wearer, yet barely perceptible 5cm from the body. 

My mainstays in the solid perfume category were/are Crazylibellule and the Poppies, and Pacifica. Tibetan Mountain Temple accompanies me on every journey. Crazylibellule, while they were still in business, went to the gym with me every day. I was so sad when the company folded in 2010, and I bought up a bunch of their remainder stock, which is now all gone. I also learned to make my own solid perfumes. Thanks to a generous (and fragrant) friend, I’ve rediscovered the Libellules in the form of Le Soft Perfume.

Last year, Isabelle Masson, the founder of Crazylibellule, returned with a new lineup of twist-up solids called Le Soft Perfume. The fragrant cylinders are housed in the same paper batons decorated with whimsical designs and colorful patterns. And happily, they cost around $25 (US). Hurray!

I’ve been test driving “Nemamiah”, which is a sprightly floral citrus gourmand. The notes are mandarin, orange, passionfruit, mango, apple, musk, and amber. It’s really not an ambrosia fruit salad, I swear!  It’s a genuinely soft waft of delicious fruit, gentle musk, and cozy amber. And cozy is what I want when I’m standing in a 2,000-person passport control line! What about you? What fragrance, if any, do you wear in a travelers’ queue or a crowd at the pool?