I’ve purposely switched over to a smaller bag so that I can travel light because I was finding that my Longchamp Le Pilage bag gave me a reason to cram in as much as I could. I also wanted something lighter as my walk to and from work equates to more or less an hour so carrying something heavy isn’t ideal as I am prone to getting tension in my neck, shoulders and upper back. So it was on one of those days where I was just casually browsing the shop windows in Oxford Street when I was drawn into a store by the massive “Sale” signs everywhere. It was then when I picked up a quilted bag with an across the body strap from Mango.I think it’s a decent size, about half the size of my Longchamp bag but not so small that I’ll struggle to keep it shut. It’s a faux leather bag with a button clasp fastening. I like that it also has a bit of gold detailing (adding a touch of chic to it all) including a doubled up chain which links the bag to the strap. The bag has just one small zip compartment inside. So today I thought I’d do my very first “What’s in my Bag” tag and share with you the contents of my bargain buy.
After switching to a smaller bag, I found that my Michael Kors purse (from their Spring 2013 collection) which I got from my lovely boyfriend as a birthday gift the year before last, was pretty much taking up almost half of the bag. There was no way round it if I wanted to put anything else into the bag so I had to get a smaller purse. So when my sister asked me what I wanted for my birthday last year, I told her that I wanted the faux croc leather purse I had spotted in Kurt Geiger.
The purse is about 1.5 times the size of my iPhone and the perfect size for my bag. It has a zip compartment which opens up into two sections; one side to put my loose coins in and the other for my notes. It also has a button compartment at the front with a gold plaque engraved with the brand name. Here I keep my credit/ debit cards along with my numerous loyalty cards from various stores (Boots, Superdrug, N.Dulge, Nectar etc). I also have a few plasters slotted in amongst the cards for new shoes “struggling-to -break-them-in” situations.
In the small zip compartment of my bag, you can expect to find pain killers incase of first aid emergencies (I get killer headaches) and packets of sweeteners for my coffee when they aren’t available as I do love me some flat whites and soya cuppachinos (with a sprinkle of cocoa powder on top of course), ahem…sanitary stuff for female emergencies and a spare pair of contact lenses.
Then in the main body of the bag where my purse resides, I have iPhone 5s along with the standard earphones that comes with it, my house keys, my Oyster card (which is encased in a very pretty, muted mauvey- pink faux-snake embossed card holder, which I snapped up in the sale for less than a tenner. Bargain!). I also have a pack of tissues (which I keep tied shut with a hairband to avoid them falling out and getting tatty and the hairband comes in useful for moments when the weather reeks havoc with my hair and I’ve no choice but to scrape it back into a ponytail), a nail file which I got as a freebie from shopping at escentual.com ( I have very weak flakey nails which are constantly chipping and breaking so a nail file is a must), a mini deodorant ( I’m currently using the Nivea Invisible one), some sort of perfume ( the one currently residing in my bag is the No 7. For Her by English Laundry which I got from last month’s Birchbox and smells absolutely lush), a mini hand cream ( again one I got from a previous Birchbox and it’s the Erb Asia Eastern Treat Aromatic Hand Cream which is great as it doesn’t leave your hands feeling clammy afterwards), the Hand Maid Anti-bacterial Hand Cleansing Gel by Soap& Glory, my new Narsisist Cheek Kit which houses the Leguna Bronzer, Orgasm Blush and Devotee Highlighter, a Real Techniques Retractable Kabuki Brush, my Chanel Poudre Universelle Compacte in 40 Dore Transparent for moments when I need to powder away any shine that emerges through the day, a pack of gum (the only one I really like is the Wrigley’s Orbit Complete), a biro pen, a Lord & Berry Silk Kajal Kohl Liner (from this month’s Birchbox, to read what else I got click here), and the Rimmel Scandal Eyes Eyeshadow Crayon in shade 003 Bad Girl Bronze.
So the one product I seem to have hoarding issues with are those for the lips. How is it possible that I carry around 5 lip products? I only have one pair of lips but for some reason I feel the need to carry a handful of products. The non-negotiable product of the lot is a lip balm and the one I’m currently loving is the REN Vita Mineral Lip Balm. This stuff keeps my lips feeling nourished and well moisturised throughout the day and comes in a squeezy tube (plus points for hygiene). The other lip products are changeable depending in what mood I’m in, what makeup I’m wearing, what time of year and what time of day it is. The first is the Revlon ColourBurst Matte Balm in the shade Unapologetic. It’s a beautiful coral shade in a matte formulation which I think is such a beautiful shade for Spring/Summer. The next product I have is the Loreal L’Extraordinaire Liquid Lipstick by Colour Riche in the shade Rose Symphony. This is a touch more pink compared to the Revlon Matte Balm and gives off a more glossy finish which is very comfortable and hydrating on the lips. The other two are both Nyx products; the Soft Matte Lip Cream in the shade San Paolo which is more of a dusky rose that goes on smooth and creamy but then dries and sets to a matte finish, and the Mega Shine Lip Gloss in the shade Beige which I think I’ve mentioned in a previous post that although the shade is called Beige, it’s not actually a beige. It’s closer to a bubble gum pink and is more of your traditional lip gloss but isn’t gloopy nor is it sticky. I tend to use these two products in one of two ways; the Soft Matte Lip Cream applied sparingly onto the lips and then patted out with my finger to create more of a stain, or with the Mega Shine Lip Gloss applied on top on the Soft Matte Lip Cream to provide a glossier finish but with more of an opaque coverage and an intense colour payoff.
So that is it for my first ever “What’s in my Bag” post. I’d love to know what you guys keep in your bag and whether or not you have hoarding issues like me….somehow I suspect that I’m not the only one ;).