What’s in my handbag?

We often see headlines shouting facts & figures at us about how carrying too much in our bags is detrimental to our health and specifically to our backs. This is one of the reasons why I started carrying a smaller handbag many years ago & started carrying a LOT less stuff. The other reason was that after my accident I physically couldn’t carry a big heavy handbag anymore. So here’s what’s inside my handbag…

One of the most important things is my purse. The purse is from Radley & I’ve had it for over 5 years now. I love it so much and I’ll be really sad to see it go when it does eventually give up. The purse has lots of card slots and I’ve managed to use all of them up thanks to my many loyalty cards! Obviously I also keep cash and my debit card in here, which both probably get used more than they should! I always have loads of discount vouchers stuffed in too. It’s safe to say that I’m a sucker for a bargain.

One of my beauty essentials is my Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream lip balm. I carry it with me everywhere as it’s one of the best lip balms I’ve ever tried. I discovered it after winning one in a competition & I’ve gone on to buy several after that. It has such a moisturising formulation but doesn’t feel sticky plus it’s long lasting too. It’s one of the few lip balms that actually makes a real difference to my lips. The packaging is simple but sleek and it’s really lightweight. The only down side is the price. Unfortunately it is quite expensive but I stock up when it’s on offer.

As well as lip balm I usually carry a lipstick and lipgloss with me too. The shades change depending on my mood and look that day but one of my favourite lipsticks is the Clinique Pop lip colour and primer in 04 Beige Pop. It’s a beautiful pinky nude shade & feels nice on the lips too. The lipgloss in the photo is the Sexy Mother Pucker lipgloss in Rose & Shine by Soap & Glory. The lipgloss is a bit more pink than the lipstick but the two shades go well together. I love the minty fresh scent & tingling feeling you get when you apply this lipgloss.

Tissues are always useful but never more so than during hayfever season! If like me you find yourself endlessly sneezing then tissues are extremely handy. I picked up a multi pack from Poundland a while ago & they had pictures of Disney Princesses on them; I was thrilled as they satisfied my practical side as well as my childish side that still adores anything Disney!

The little purse with beach huts on is my pain purse. I use it to hold my painkillers & medication. If you live with a chronic illness you’ll know how important it is to have painkillers to hand at all times. Unbearable pain can strike at any time so it’s important to be prepared! I choose this pretty purse for my pills as it reminds me of happy memories & it’s important to remember the good times when you’re feeling rubbish.

To my partner & family this isn’t news but I am a little bit OCD about germs & bacteria so I take antibacterial everywhere I go. I know to some this might seem a bit weird but I feel so much more comfortable after I’ve used this gel. This one smells of strawberry laces, so that makes it even more appealing to me.

Now that I’ve started using Invisibobble hair bands I can never go back to using those horrible scratchy things I used to use. Invisibobble hair bands not only look cool & come in a wide range of colours but most importantly they don’t hurt or damage your hair when you take them out.

As with most millennials I love my phone & I carry this in either my bag or a pocket if I have one. I have the Samsung Galaxy A3 & I love it. It may not be the most hyped up phone but personally I think the camera on it is really good (I take all my blog photos with my phone) plus everything is easy to use. I always carry a pen too as it has proved very useful on many occasions & you never know when you might need it. Keys are also a handbag essential buy there’s not much to say about them!

Finally, I’d love to talk to you about the actual handbag. It’s so beautiful yet practical at the same time. The bag has 3 different compartments plus smaller zipped compartments too for your phone & keys. The straps are perfect for wearing on your shoulder or carrying in your hand. I don’t currently use this bag everyday as I like to keep it for special occasions. I tend to use it for evening wear & meals out. This bag looks so similar to the Chanel 2.55 yet is just a fraction of the price. I was amazed at the quality of the bag & it has proved to be durable so far. This bag is also available in nude & white and is called Marsaille. To get yours visit http://www.boutiqueofmolly.co.uk and use code KATEISCOVETING20 to get 20% off the entire site!

What do you have in your handbag? I’d love to know what you buy from Boutique of Molly! Thanks for reading x