POV: You’ve made it to the airport on time and sailed through the queues only to hit a snag just before Duty Free thanks to a bulging liquids bag.
Everything’s in but it won’t close, and fate has landed you a compassionless member of airport security who doesn’t quite *get* holiday beauty essentials.
Something has to go: an impossible choice beckons. No one is binning the SPF and you’d rather stay at home than go without deo. So what gets jettisoned? With clever packing, your fragrance won’t be the first thing to get offloaded.
Does the 100ml liquids rule still exist?
It does - but hopefully not for much longer. While the scrapping of the 100ml rule has been delayed because of (sigh) supply chain issues, the ultimate plan is to roll it out across all UK airports. Teeside and London’s City Airport have done away with it already.
Why is there a 100ml rule for liquid?
It was established after British intelligence foiled a transatlantic terror plot in 2006. Now, new CT screening technology means security can see everything in your bags without undoing your careful packing.
What should go in a 100ml liquid bag?
Anything not solid counts as a liquid: think creams, mascaras, lipstick, contact lens solution, and toothpaste. Most fragrances count as a liquid that must fit into the 100ml bag.
While we wait for airports to install the new time- and stress-saving tech, the clear plastic bag remains the final hurdle between you and your long-awaited annual leave.
Squeezing everything into that 20 x 20cm bag is a right royal pain; anyone who’s flown over the last 18 years will tell you that. The choice is between decanting existing lotions and potions into 100ml containers or buying cute new miniature versions of your favourites.
The good news is that many fragrance brands produce their scents in travel-friendly measures. They come in many options, from pencil-thin sprays to rollerballs and solid blocks in tins. Although you can buy them individually or in discovery sets, they often come as a gift set freebie or as part of beauty advent calendars come Christmas.
Before we unveil the options, Rebecca Reynolds, The Perfume Shop’s expert reveals the scents of the summer and good travel beauty etiquette.
What are the summer fragrance trends this year?
“Citrus and floral fragrances are often favoured for their ability to capture the essence of summer’s freshness. Seek out perfumes that incorporate elements such as lemon, grapefruit, and orange blossom.”
Is it bad form to spritz fragrance on board?
“Although I’d recommend perhaps spritzing before or after your flight, we’d suggest carrying an EDT fragrance vs an EDP if you do wish to spritz on board as an EDT tends to be lighter in scent. That way everyone should be able to enjoy their flight!”
What alternatives are there to sprays?
“Alternatives include roll ons/rollerball fragrances. Simply pop in your bag and roll on your pulse points when you need a little top-up. Also, the Travalo are mini refill sprays that you can fill with your favourite perfume, meaning you don’t have to carry around a full bottle when you travel.”
We’ve put together an edit of the best perfumes, colognes and EDTs for travel all at 100ml or less.
Shop the best fragrance miniatures for travel below
Jo Loves Cobalt Patchouli & Cedar travel set
- Take to: Nordic fjords or a cruise
- Volume: 50ml
Already housed in a travel bag, this new launch from Jo Loves is perfect for impending OOO adventures. Alongside a 50ml square bottle of the fragrance, the set includes shower gel and body lotion (both 75ml) to help the scent’s longevity through layering. And trust us, you’ll want this scrubbed-clean scent to linger: fresh and intense, it’s like a forest walk that ends at the ocean.
Still too chunky? Take a look at the brand’s fragrance paintbrushes which come in sublime scents like Cobalt Patchouli & Cedar, White Rose & Lemon Leaves and Mango Thai Lime.
Buy now £85.00, Jo Loves
LOEWE Paula's Ibiza Cosmic
- Take to: the Balearics
- Volume: 50ml
It may be known as a party island but many travellers feel a deep spiritual connection with Ibiza. Loewe has tapped into this bohemian facet with its Paula’s Ibiza fragrance line, of which Cosmic is the first EDP. A genderless scent that feels playful and experimental, expect juicy notes of pear and mango to start, drying down to cedarwood and amber.
Buy now £90.00, Harvey Nichols
DIOR J'adore Eau de Toilette Roller Pearl
- Take to: Paris
- Volume: 20ml
What is it about tiny versions of our favourite products that make our hearts lift? Dior has managed it in this rollerball version of its J’adore EDT, creating an indulgent travel must-have that we’re never removing from our handbags. With blood orange, neroli and Damascus rose in the mix, this heady scent offers floral radiance best applied directly to the skin at pulse points.
Buy now £42.00, Sephora
Giorgio Armani Prive Les Eaux discovery set
- Take to: any swish resort
- Volume: 5 x 7.5ml
Aside from the pleasing rainbow ombre formation of Armani's Prive collection, the dinky nature of the bottles makes them perfect for adding to your travel beauty lineup.
This five-piece collection captures the best of the Les Eaux line in EDT form: Pivoine Suzhou, Rose Milano, Vétiver Babylon, Jasmin Kusamono, and Thé Yulong. Wear alone or mix and match to create your own bespoke blend.
It may seem expensive but it works out to £21 a bottle, which for the scent and the aesthetic joy, we say is worth every penny.
Buy now £105.00, Selfridges
Jo Malone Nectarine Blossom & Honey
- Take to: wholesome staycations
- Volume: 30ml
A long-running favourite here at ES Best, many of Jo Malone’s colognes come in 30ml sizes, for which our travelling selves are entirely grateful. This is our pick of the bunch, filled with nectarine, peach and cassis notes, but with a freshness that stops it from feeling cloying or overpowering. Acacia honey is also present, adding a warming note. A comforting yet bright combination.
Buy now £55.00, Jo Malone
Floral Street The Discovery Set
- Take to: rural France
- Volume: 8 x 1.5ml
Intended as a taster session for Floral Street’s bestselling blends, there’s no reason why you can’t slip a few of the 1.5ml vials into your hand luggage for streamlined spritzing while you’re away. There are eight scents to try including Wonderland Peony and Sunflower Pop, a warming combination of bergamot, mandarin and honey that smells of sweet sunshine.
Buy now £18.00, Floral Street
LOOKFANTASTIC Fragrance Discovery Set
- Take to: multi-destination trip
- Volume: 5 x 1.2ml
Easily one of the biggest travel fragrance bargains, LOOKFANTASTIC’s discovery set not only sends you five testers from some of the biggest brands in the biz, but once you’ve found your favourite you’ll also get a £10 voucher to redeem against a full-size purchase.
Buy now £10.00, Lookfantastic
YSL Fragrance Icons
- Take to: a fashion capital
- Volume: 3 x 10ml
If YSL is your preferred fragrance brand but trying to pick just one for a trip is like being asked to choose your favourite child, the agony ends here. Take three of YSL’s bestsellers without overstuffing your hand luggage thanks to this nifty trio.
Comprising Black Opium, Mon Paris and Libre, the EDPs come in 10ml glass vials ready to slip into your 100ml bag with plenty of space to spare.
Buy now £48.50, The Perfume Shop
Versace Men's Trio
- Take to: the Med or the Aegean
- Volume: 3 x 5ml
Honey, I shrunk the Versace! In normal circumstances, a statement like that could land you in hot water but if you’re talking savvy travel fragrances? Take a bow. These darling miniatures - Versace Eau Fraiche, Dylan Blue and Eros - look exactly like their regular-sized brothers but contain 5ml, just about enough for a long weekend on a stretch of Meditteranean coastline.
Buy now £20.00, The Perfume Shop
Kayali Vanilla Candy Rock Sugar | 42
- Take to: a girl’s trip
- Volume: 10ml
Sweet, feminine and full of fun, Kayali’s latest fragrance is a full-good explosion of vanilla, bubblegum and warm Tonka bean. The 10ml version is a carbon copy of its bigger 50ml and 100ml sisters but at a snip of the volume - and the cost. One for gourmand lovers.
Buy now £28.00, Sephora
