I am certainly a sucker for pretty-smelling things. No one wants to stink (I think?), but I find myself especially obsessed with testing new fragrances, via perfume, candles, room sprays... pretty much anything that ensures I and my surroundings smell nothing like the way nature intended. Unfortunately, carrying an entire 2.5 oz bottle of Roses De Chloé around to parties seems to be a faux pas of sorts — which is where the Sen7 Refillable Fragrance Atomizer comes in.
Refillable fragrance atomizers — otherwise known as a tiny, spray-y thing you can fill with your favorite perfume to keep in your purse/car/locker/whatever — are nothing particularly new. They're great for scent touch-ups after work or the gym, not to mention perfect if you're flying somewhere with only a carry-on (they're well below the TSA's 3 oz liquid limit). However, actually dumping your Marc Jacobs Daisy into them often involves tiny funnels and lots of perfume spilled onto your bathroom sink. This particular version uses a pump system to fill 'er up, plus is specifically designed so the liquid can't spill out once it's in the atomizer. Plus, it has a nice, sleek look, and comes in about a bajillion (read: 15) colors and finishes.
Sen7 Refillable Fragrance Atomizer, $40, The Grommet
While the design is lovely and the atomizer is undeniably useful, my only issue with the Sen7 version was that figuring out how the heck it works took a lot longer than anticipated. So, dear reader, before you snatch up one of your own, a little step by step tutorial is in order, I believe.
1. Prep Your Fragrance
For this story, I picked Elizabeth & James Nirvana White for it's grippy bottle and because Mary Kate and Ashley definitely could have used a travel-sized atomizer on all those trips to Paris and London and the Bahamas and everywhere else they found coordinating boyfriends. You can take the metal bit of the spray head off of any perfume bottle by gently tugging.
Elizabeth & James Nirvana White, $80, Sephora
2. Attach The Atomizer And Pump
The bottom bit of the atomizer comes off, revealing a sort of pump system. Place the pump of the perfume into the plastic bit. Now — and maybe it was because I was holding the whole contraption up in front of a chalkboard in the name of good lighting rather than placing the whole thing on a flat surface — this is where I got stuck. You want to pump the entire atomizer up and down on the perfume, rather than just pushing the metal bit down on to the plastic part. After I figured that out, filling the atomizer takes much less time than you might expect; it only took about five pumps to get a decent amount.
3. Spray Away
You did it! You filled your atomizer! Now just carry it around, spraying it whenever you're feeling particularly un-scented. Want to switch scents? Dump out any excess, then fill it with some rubbing alcohol for a night before you add a new perfume.
PS: On awesome indie beauty site Gloss48, these babies are $32 instead of the regular $40 until January 22. So get on that, fragrance freaks.
Images: Brent Karwatowski
