3 Simple Ways to Open and Fill Perfume Travel Bottles

Do you want to take your favorite fragrance with you, but don’t want to carry around a bulky perfume bottle? A travel bottle is the perfect choice to bring your perfume wherever you’re heading, and it’s so easy to fill them up without making a mess. How you fill your travel bottle depends on the type you have and the container your perfume is already in, but we’re here to walk you through them all. Keep reading, and you’ll be able to smell great no matter where you are!

Things You Should Know

Fit the bottom of a metal travel atomizer onto the perfume’s nozzle, and pump the sprayer until the bottle is full.
Spray perfume with a metal atomizer directly into a plastic travel bottle.
Put a funnel on a plastic or glass travel bottle to transfer perfume out of a splash bottle.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Refilling a Metal Travel Atomizer

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1
Remove the cap and spray nozzle from your main perfume bottle. Take off the plastic or glass cap that’s protecting the sprayer. Then, hold onto the cylindrical sprayer at the top of the bottle and gently pull it straight up to expose the short, vertical nozzle underneath it.^{[1]
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- The sprayer on your perfume may be metal or plastic depending on the fragrance you have.
- If you have trouble pulling the sprayer off, wrap it in a paper towel and grip it with a pair of pliers.
- Metal travel atomizers can’t be refilled from a splash bottle without a sprayer.
2
Fit the main bottle’s spray nozzle into the bottom of the metal travel bottle. Look for a small plastic opening on the bottom end of your metal travel bottle. Align the plastic opening on the travel bottle with the nozzle on your main perfume bottle, and gently push down.^{[2]
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- If you don’t see an opening on the bottom of your travel bottle, carefully slide the metal casing off to expose the opening.
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3
Press the travel bottle down to pump it full of perfume. Gently press down on the travel bottle once the nozzle is aligned. Continue lifting the bottle up and down and watch the tank fill up on the side of the bottle. Keep pressing the bottle down until the tank is full.^{[3]
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- A typical travel perfume bottle holds 50 full sprays or about 0.13 fluid ounces (3.8 ml).
4
Replace the sprayer and cap of the main perfume bottle. Once the travel bottle is full, gently pull it off of the main perfume bottle. Then, slowly press the sprayer back onto the nozzle before putting the cap back onto the main perfume bottle.^{[4]
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- A bit of perfume may spray out when you put the sprayer back on, so point the bottle toward a sink so it doesn’t get into your eyes.
- It’s normal if your travel bottle doesn’t spray perfume for the first few pumps after you fill it. The first few pumps remove the air from the bottle before it starts spraying perfume.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Filling Travel Bottles from Atomizers

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Pull off the plastic cap that’s protecting the travel bottle’s sprayer and set it aside. Then, unscrew the plastic sprayer from the top of the travel bottle and pull it out completely.^{[5]
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2
Spray the perfume from the main bottle into the travel bottle. Hold the perfume’s sprayer up to your travel bottle so it points inside the opening. Then, simply push down on the sprayer to spritz the fragrance into the new bottle. Keep spraying your perfume until you fill the travel bottle with the amount that you want.^{[6]
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- Leave at least ¹⁄₄ in (0.64 cm) of space at the top of your travel bottle so you can easily replace the sprayer.
- Put a small funnel in the mouth of the travel bottle to help catch all of the perfume so it doesn’t make a mess.
- Alternatively, take the sprayer off of the main perfume bottle and fit a plastic syringe over the nozzle. Press down on the nozzle and pull the syringe plunger up to pull out the fragrance. Then, put the syringe down in the travel bottle and press the plunger down to fill it.^{[7]
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3
Screw the travel bottle’s sprayer back on. Set the sprayer on top of the travel bottle so the plastic tube goes into your perfume. Twist the sprayer clockwise to screw it back on and prevent your perfume from leaking out.^{[8]
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- Put the cap on your travel bottle so the sprayer doesn’t accidentally get pressed down in your bag.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Refilling from Splash Bottles

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1
Remove the cap and sprayer from the travel bottle. Gently lift off the plastic cap from your travel bottle and set it down nearby. Then, unscrew the sprayer from the top of the bottle and pull it out with the nozzle.^{[9]
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- If your travel bottle comes with a decorative, metal casing, simply slip it off so you can see how much perfume is in the travel bottle.
2
Pour the perfume through a funnel into the travel bottle. Simply pour the perfume from the main bottle into the funnel until it fills up your travel bottle. Use a steady and slow pour so you don’t accidentally overfill the bottle. When the bottle is about ¾-full, stop pouring the perfume.^{[10]
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- Since splash bottles don’t have an atomizer that sprays, you apply it by dabbing a small amount of perfume or cologne onto your neck or wrist.
Once the travel bottle is full, screw the sprayer clockwise back into place until it’s secure. Then, just put the cap on top of your bottle so it doesn’t leak.^{[11]
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Expert Q&A

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Question

How do you stop perfume from leaking on a plane?

Barbie Ritzman
Beauty & Skincare Specialist
Barbie Ritzman is a Beauty Specialist, Influencer, and the Owner of Barbie’s Beauty Bits. With over 10 years of experience in the beauty industry, she specializes in skincare and aesthetics. Barbie studied marketing at Tidewater Community College and holds a Certificate from the Media Buying Academy. For her work, she’s won Beauty Influencer of the Year - The USA and was featured in “The Allure 50,” which includes the year’s 50 most influential people in the beauty industry.

Barbie Ritzman

Beauty & Skincare Specialist

Expert Answer

For added safety, place the travel-sized perfume bottle in a leak-proof bag or a separate Ziploc bag before packing it in your luggage. It's best to double-bag it to be extra cautious.

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Tips

To apply your perfume, hold the travel perfume bottle 4–6 in (10–15 cm) away from your body, and spray it near your neck and sides. To make the scent last, spray the perfume directly onto your pulse points, such as your wrist.^{[12]
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You’re allowed to bring 3.4 fluid ounces (100 ml) of perfume on a carry-on bag or 18 fluid ounces (530 ml) in a checked bag.^{[13]
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U.S. Transportation Security Administration
U.S. government agency responsible for ensuring safety by setting and enforcing travel protocols

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Clean out your travel bottle with water and shake it around to remove old fragrances before refilling it.^{[14]
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Warnings

Avoid spraying too much perfume since the smell may be overpowering for you and others. Instead, lightly mist yourself with perfume to keep the smell mild and pleasant.^{[15]
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