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We live in the age of the 'It Bag.' Every brand worth its salt strives to design a bag that will adorn the arms of the rich and famous and then inspire knockoffs, homage and FOMO. Hermes have the all-conquering Birkin, now so far removed from the original ethos that Jane Birkin and Jean-Louis Duasw, then brand CEO on a flight in 1984.
They have the Kelly Bag too, Balenciaga had the Lariat, Fendi the Baguette, Dior the Saddle and Lady Dior Bags, YSL’s beautiful Mombasa, Bottega Veneta’s Cassette Bag, Mulberry’s Barnaby, and Chanel have the distinctive 11.12 quilted Classic Handbag.
It might all seem rather ostentatious and odd in a world of conflict and uncertainty that we continue to be besotted with bags. But like the perfect red lipstick, It Bags and fashion bags in general, on women and increasingly on men, allow us to buy into a brand, demonstrate style and fashion nous.
(Sometimes it backfires, and the want triggers ruthless, determined duping that can destroy the mystique. Hermes are very aware of this. Birkin sales are often the income that keeps the brand on an even keel, but the brand is keen to demonstrate control over who buys the bags. It was fascinating to see the reaction to Jane’s original bag going to auction after her passing.
Many people were horrified by the perceived laissez-faire use of the bag, scribbling on it, slapping it with stickers and stuffing it with belongings. Like Carolyn Bisette, Jane saw it as a working bag, not a fashion accessory to be fawned over or sealed away in a fortified room. When the first images appeared of the actors playing Carolyn and JFK JNR in Ryan Murphy’s series, one of the most commented upon things was the empty flatness of the Birkin the actress was sporting.)
We instinctively change our bags to suit the moment, time of day, occasion and weather - a structured tote for work, a soft shoulder bag during the day, a clutch held close in the evening hours, a weekender for adventures. Each choice of bag is adaptive and signals purpose, mood, and circumstances before a word is spoken. Choosing bags becomes second nature, an innate methodology of self-awareness.
Perfume follows the same quiet logic; something we instinctively understand is necessary, and therefore choosing scents that signal invisible intent and personality.
Inside a bag’s lining lives the rhythm of a day - keys, lipstick, notebook, sanitiser, hand cream and smartphone - objects that move with you from morning to evening, work to invitation, departure to arrival. Among them, a handbag-sized perfume holds a particular kind of power: discreet, refined, and deeply personal. In recent years there have been a few perfumes that capture the scent of the interior of well-loved bags, that mix of softened leather, lipstick, spilt ink, paper tissues and perfume scenting the bag over time.
We want to tell you that a luxury 10ml perfume is not an afterthought. It is an indication of preparedness and inherent style.
Just as you would not carry the same bag to every occasion, your favourite scent need not define every moment of your perfumed biography. Flexibility is yours to control. A bright, composed scent for daytime meetings. Something close and unobtrusive for work. Something richer and deeper for late dinners. Something that lingers intimately for private evenings.
Elegance is never static. It moves with you - and so should your scent. With a 10ml perfume size, scent becomes adaptable, chosen with the same care as material, colour, silhouette and mood. These miniature flacons allow fragrance to travel with you, become you, shifting effortlessly between settings and self.
The Modern Ritual of Carrying Scent
Without truly realising it, scent has become the most intimate accessory we have, altering with mood, setting, and moment. To carry fragrance with you is to allow for transformation - a subtle change of tone between places, conversations, and selected projections of self.
Travel-sized perfumes allow this shift to occur without interruption. They slip effortlessly into a handbag or pocket, ready to refresh, redefine, ground, and deepen presence at any point in the day. A quiet spritz of familiarity before a meeting. AA soft return of warmth before dinner. A familiar note just before stepping into the unknown.
This is fragrance as companionship, not performance.
Complete Luxury in Miniature
At Boadicea the Victorious, the Original 10ml perfumes are crafted with the same concentration and artistry as their full-sized counterparts. Nothing is diluted. Nothing is simplified. These are complete fragrances, expressed in a format designed for movement.
The elegance of our original 10ml bottle lies in discretion, signalling that luxury does not require excess. That refinement can be portable and status, when genuine, is never loud. To carry a Boadicea miniature is to carry confidence, not as a display, but as certainty.
Convenience Without Compromise
Handbag-sized perfumes offer freedom. They move seamlessly between day and evening, travel and return, city and escape, no decanting, no sacrifice of quality for convenience. Their sole purpose is to be ready when you are.
For the frequent traveller, 10ml-sized perfumes are indispensable. For the city dweller, it becomes habit. For those who value presence, it becomes reassurance - signature eaux de parfums always within reach.
Scent Discovery, Curated
For those who delight in variety. Have you considered perhaps carrying more than one miniature? Boadicea’s discovery samples and luxury gift sets invite exploration, allowing you to curate different moods, different moments and different expressions of self.
A bright note for morning light.
A deeper composition for the evening.
A familiar comfort for moments that ask for grounding.
Carrying more than one scent is not indulgence, it is intention.
A Subtle Signal of Status
There is a satisfying confidence in reaching into your bag and producing a considered choice of beautifully crafted perfume. While we still offer a small selection of our Original 10ml spritzes, we have quietly evolved towards creating miniature versions of our iconic flacons: the same sculptural forms, the same sense of ceremony, simply reimagined on a more intimate scale, reflecting the discerning opulence of our brand.
Our mini perfumes are private luxuries, echoing the associated rituals of full-size bottles in a form reserved for you alone, shared only with those close enough to notice - a fleeting moment, a subtle trace, a memory made in passing.
Remember, the most powerful gestures are often the smallest.
Always Arriving, Always Prepared
To carry fragrance is to allow yourself to arrive completed.
A luxury 10ml perfume ensures that wherever the day takes you, from meeting to meaningful moment, departure to destination, your presence is carried intact.
Every bag deserves one, not out of necessity, but because it is considered, and in the world of truest luxury, consideration is everything.