What’s In My Handbag: Everyday essentials from lip balm to sunglasses
On my hall table there is a lovely old wooden box in which I keep handbag-sized things so that each time I change my bag (which is at least every two days, and usually more as I have a breakfast meeting, a dog walk and a smart evening do most days, all of which require a different bag) I can fish out what is appropriate for that event, be that a tiny brush, scent, hand cream or pen.
I do love knowing what is in people’s handbags, and I am sure I am not the only one. So I thought I’d put together the current favourites that I am carting about with me.
(1) Pencil cases definitely rock my boat – I can only really write letters in fountain pen, and I do love a pencil for notetaking. This case is by Conran for Marks & Spencer. This (2) orange Plooms pen is a really lovely pen with which to write. (I wrote about them here.)
Of course I need to carry my keys on something. I’m given lots of keyrings, but my current favourites are this fabulous cheetah (3) Charlotte Olympia Bruce Keyring and (4) CHANEL‘s Classic Keyring/Bag Charm (not available), both of which were Christmas presents from the houses.
My hands get so dry, and a big beauty regret is that I didn’t start using hand cream religiously in my twenties. I like the size of this deeply moisturising (5) Lanolips Antibacterial Hand Cream, and love even more that it replaces hand sanitiser.
Squinting is not a good look on me: I always, but always carry sunglasses, as my astigmatism makes me very sun sensitive. I’ve just been given these (6) Marc Jacobs Square Cat Eye Sunglasses, and they are very flattering – blue frames are a great colour for blondes.. Here in equally good brown (blue not available at present).
I keep forgetting to carry a case for my sunglasses to avoid scratches – the problem is that they are often quite large and hard-sided, so they don’t fit into a small bag. My new solution is to buy soft cases: I picked (6a) this Butterfly Soft Sunglasses Case up from Accessorize for a fiver at Gatwick last week on my way to Austria.
(7) Clinique’s All About Shadow 8-Pan Palette in Neutral Territory 2 is very slimline, and fits into the slimmest of evening bags. The colours are perfect for everything from highlighting the browbone to lining the eyes with a dampened small brush – and there’s a mirror for on the hoof touchups.
(8) A sweep of AERIN Pretty Bronze Portable Illuminating Powder helps shape and lift my complexion, and the clever delivery system means that the powder doesn’t spill.
(9) Most of the time, I don’t carry a makeup bag, tending to just lob things in as I need them. But I usually have this excellent tiny Japonesque Go Curl Eyelash Curler kicking about – it’s so much smaller than a standard one with metal handles, and using it really widens the eyes on a no-make up, make up day.
(10) I’m loving Estée Lauder Double Wear All Day Glow BB Glow Moisture Makeup for non foundation days.
(11) Diptyque Eau Mohéli Roll-on Cologne, 20 ml. Roll-ons are such a brilliant idea – they don’t leak, and are way under the liquid allowance for planes.
(12) Everyone carries lip balm right? This is a very grown up one. I cannot pretend that I don’t love the packaging. A lot more grown up than Chapstick. CHANEL Hydra Beauty Nutrition Nourishing Lip Care
(13) My rosacea means that I pretty much always carry at least concealer. Current favourite: this non chalky Perricone MD No Concealer Concealer, which I often use on my cheeks to tone down my flushing.
(14) Jewellery often sits in the bottom of my bag: I grab it as I rush out the door and forget to put it on. When I do remember, this Eddie Borgo Cone Hinged Bracelet (gift) is my current favourite piece.
(15) My go-to lipstick is MAC Vegas Volt - it’s a lovely deep coral, almost orange, and I wear it every single day. (It’s the shade you’ll see my wearing in most of my photographs.) It seems to suit nearly all skin tones too.
(16) I’m a big fan of tiny sizes of products – Guerlain, Lancome, Benefit and Smashbox have all at times produced small mascaras, highlighters and the like. Above is a sampler size of Smashbox’s brilliant Full Exposure Mascara.
Note: All beauty products have sent as samples
