Handbag Necessities
By Lauren CobleWednesday, June 3, 2009
For most women, purses are necessary. They carry all the things we can't go without (and also all the junk we can). I encourage you to hold your bag upside down and let it all fall out. A clean purse, however silly it may seem, truly lends itself to a more organized lifestyle. Let those days of searching for pens and coupons in a handbag jungle be something of the past. Instead, fill your bag with only the necessities and try to keep those old receipts at bay. Here are some fun and essential items that are perfect for any woman's purse.
The Bare Necessities - of course, your wallet, I.D and whatever you use to pay for things (cash, check books, credit cards -- whatever!)
Mirror Compact - Mirrors always come in handy: whether it be checking your lipstick or checking for food in your teeth, it's a good idea to have one. Ulta sells a mirror compact with 1x and 3x power and a digital clock on the front of it. For such a cool little piece of technology, it surprisingly only costs $2.99.
Lip Gloss - Need I explain? Every woman should have a tube of lip gloss in their handbag.
Chapstick with an SPF - No one likes having chapped lips and not being able to do anything about it. Carry one around just in case! Also, chapstick with sunscreen in it is especially smart here in the Sunshine State. Protect those lips from the rays!
Pens - For writing checks, signing receipts, or just scribbling notes on your hand. It's a pain to ask for them and it's probably a lot more hygienic to just use your own. Try to carry at least one on you all the time!
Stain Remover - Don't get stuck wearing your lunch on your clothes. Burts Bee's has an organic stain remover I'm interested in trying and Tide of course has those stain remover pens, perfect for purses.
Band Aids - Tuck a few in your wallet or in a pocket in your bag. I carry some around all the time, from little cuts to blisters from heels, their good to have on you!
Tampon Case - Sure, you can let those lovely monthly necessities float around inside your bag, but they're not exactly cute and you probably don't want them falling out in public. So investing in a stylish case is fun and adds some order to your bag. I love these french tampon cases from Uncommon Goods. Their just too cool. They cost $32.00, so they're not cheap, but hey, you'll use them every month!
Pill Box - Use it to carry painkillers for that sneak attack headache, or for whatever medication you might use. I take allergy medicine and it's so nice to not carry around that big dorky medication bottle. You can find tons of them at the Pin Up Girl Clothing's website. I like their AC/DC one, it's not as expensive as most, and I think it would be nice to think "rock on" every time I take my allergy meds. They have artist series ones that are completely awesome too. You can totally find one that fits your personality, same with the tampon cases!
Mini Perfume - You can usually get sample sized perfumes or just mini ones at department stores and even places like Walgreens or CVS. If you don't feel like doing much of a search a great website to check out is Valentine Perfume. They have tons of mini perfumes at reasonable prices. I ordered the Escada Island Kiss for $14.99 (one of my favorite perfumes). They have a pretty wide variety, including scents from Ralph Lauren, Marc Jacobs, Clinique, and Gucci.
Hand Lotion - Since some soaps dry your hands out its smart to carry around a little thing of lotion. They can usually be found at drug stores in the aisle with travel sized items.
Make-up bag - One that will hold your mini-perfume, compact mirror, lipgloss, chapstick, and whatever other make-up products you like to carry with you. Letting all your make-up and beauty products float around loose can make your bag chaotic, plus, it makes fixing up your make-up easier because its all in one place.
Some other items you might want to include in your purse are tissues, hair ties (for those humid Florida days), clear nail polish (especially if you wear panty hose), hand sanitizer, and a nail file. I know-it seems like a lot, but it really isn't. I love having an organized purse, and even more so-I love not having to worry about little mishaps like ketchup stains or random blisters on my ankle. With an organized purse full of all the essentials life really can be a little more simple. I know my stain remover pen has saved me a few trips home to change!
(Photo Source: Purse Photo, http://www.icantwaittovote.org/blog/images/The%20Louis%20Vuitton%20Mahina%20XXL%20Handbag.jpg)
