What’s in My Handbag

Call me nosy but I love seeing what other people carry around with them in their handbags.  They are some of my favourite blog posts to read and so I thought I would give you a quick tour of my bag and show you what I like to have with me on a day-to-day basis.

My handbag is by Rebecca Minkoff and it’s the Mini MAC bag with rose gold hardware.  It is a great city bag because it is nice and compact and the cross-body strap means I have my hands free to carry shopping, scan my oyster card or generally keep myself upright on the bus or tube.  It is quite small, which is an advantage for me because it means I can’t load it up with everything plus the kitchen sink!

I keep my essential bank cards, ID etc in this handy Cherry Lane Card Case from Kate Spade.  I think it looks really sleek and sophisticated with the black leather and gold logo.  It is perfect size for the little interior pocket of my bag so I can fish it out easily.

Along with my phone, keys, oyster card, pen (because you never know when you may need one) and umbrella (I live in London…need I say more?) I keep a couple of makeup bits with me for touch ups during the day.  Concealer is a must and I am currently using this Collection Lasting Perfection concealer in the shade 1 Fair.  It is a great little concealer with excellent coverage, especially given the fact that it only costs £4.19.  I keep my trusty One Heck of a Blot powder and kabuki brush from Soap and Glory with me at all times – you can read my review of this here – and I love the Soap and Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Stick in the shade Bashful.  It’s a lovely glossy pink that goes with everything.  I am currently addicted to the Jo Malone White Jasmine and Mint Cologne; it’s so fresh and unique and this 30ml bottle is perfect for popping in your handbag.

Continuing along the Soap and Glory theme (can you tell I’m a fan?!) I also have a couple of their hand products.  If you read my post on my top three hand creams, you will know how much I love their Hand Food.  The Hand Maid antibacterial gel is so useful, especially if you live in a city.  The great thing about it is that it smells amazing and doesn’t have the strong alcohol scent of most hand sanitisers.

I have so many lip balms it’s beginning to be a bit of a problem…but this recent find has quickly become my favourite.  The Aloe Lip Care from the Body Shop is so hydrating and feels lovely on the lips.

 

I hope you enjoyed this post.  What are your handbag essentials?

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Products mentioned:

Rebecca Minkoff Mini MAC with rose gold hardware

Kate Spade Cherry Lane Card Case

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer – 1 Fair

Soap and Glory One Heck of a Blot Powder

Soap and Glory Kabuki Brush

Soap and Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Stick – Bashful

Jo Malone White Mint and Jasmine Cologne

Soap and Glory Hand Food

Soap and Glory Hand Maid

Body Shop Aloe Lip Care

 

 

Purple Obsession

My absolute favourite colour of the moment is purple purple purple and lilac in particular.  My eye goes straight to it these days; I just can’t resist.  It’s pretty and it suits so many different skin tones.

Here’s a random collection of my favourite purple things.

This lovely jumper from Zara is perfect for spring.  Here in Britain the weather rarely gets really hot and so even though the sun has been appearing a little bit more frequently lately you still need to wrap up warm.  The pretty lilac colour gives it that spring-y look.

I jumped on the Bobble bottle train a few months ago and despite hearing mixed reviews I am very much a fan.  The built in filter means that your water is always clean and fresh, plus you only need to change it after every 300 uses!  You can get them in all kinds of colours but of course I went for the lilac one.

I don’t have enough good things to say about this GORGEOUS nail polish.  If you buy one thing this spring, make it ‘Splash of Grenadine’ from Essie.

Purple cotton buds from Tiger… I told you this purple thing had become an obsession!

In my book, nothing beats a nice pair of thick woolly socks and this lilac pair from Gap are so snuggly and warm.

Have a good week!

 

On the Fourth Day of Christmas…Topshop Bunny Mittens

Is it just me or are these not the cutest little things you’ve ever seen?!

I spotted these bunny mittens on the Topshop website last month and it was love at first sight.  They are absolutely adorable and would make a fantastic present this Christmas.

They’ll keep hands warm and toasty during the chilly winter months and they even have a string that you can thread through your coat sleeves in order that you won’t lose them.  They are also made of a lovely soft, snuggly material – no scratchy wool here!

You can take these little Peter Rabbit-esque bunny mittens home for only £12.

On the Third Day of Christmas…Something for the Men in your Life

A few years ago my sister went to South America on her Gap Year.  She came back armed with gifts from her travels, among which was this fantastic gaucho belt from Argentina for my dad.  Not only does he absolutely love it and wear it all the time, but I have friends and colleagues who have them and are just as keen.

But don’t worry you won’t have to fly all the way to Argentina to pick one of these up.  There’s a brilliant little company called Pioneros who sell them.  You can pay in pounds, euros or dollars and they ship to lots of different countries.

There is a fantastic selection of different colours and patterns to choose from so you are bound to find one that suits.  They are all handmade using genuine leather and they can take a good deal of wear.

And why not have browse the rest of their website – they have plenty of other lovely products that would make great Christmas presents.  In the photo below you can see one of their dog collars being modelled by the queen of mischief herself – our dog Dizzy!

The belts are £33 and the dog collars are £22, which, for an extremely high quality product, is not half bad!

On the Second Day of Christmas…A Sparkly Statement Necklace from Zara

Words cannot describe how much I love this gorgeous necklace from Zara.  Isn’t it just the most beautifully sparkly thing you’ve ever seen?  My photo doesn’t even do it justice. Any girl would be absolutely thrilled to unwrap this on Christmas day.  With New Years parties just around the corner, you won’t have to worry about what to wear – with this on you’ll definitely be the centre of attention.  It glitters so beautifully when it catches the light and goes with so many outfits.  I’m planning on wearing mine with a simple black top and red lips!

For a statement necklace it is not too heavy around your neck but sits really nicely when it is on.  It has a lobster clasp fastening and you can adjust the length to fit whatever neckline you have on.

And if you want something with a bit more colour, have a look at the rest of Zara’s jewellery; they have some amazing pieces at the moment.

At £29.99 it is fairly pricey but it is well made and looks absolutely fantastic.  It is definitely something that can be worn again and again and would make a very special present.