Handbag essentials

[17caterpillars1mouse]

So after years of only having a changing bag I want to start using a handbag again for me. This coincides with trying to feel more put together, rather than mumsie.

What would you class as essentials for going in your handbag to achieve this?

I favour a small bag. Purse, phone, keys, a pen, packable shopping bag and a lipstick.

I do have larger bag if I need to carry water but usually in those instances I also need to carry drinks for the kids and a million other things and it is more of a small hold-all rather than a handbag.

Lucked I wish I could be like you. Unfortunately I suffer with 'what if/just in case' syndrome.
Phone
Back up power bank (just in case)
Wallet
Sanitary (just in case)
Tissues
Glasses case
Sunglasses (in case)
Mini umbrella (in case)
Small cosmetic pouch
Keys on a massive holder with pocket knife, nail file etc (in case)
Perfume

Oh woe my bag is enormous

That's funny as I also seem to have to carry the entire world in my bag just in case. I think it comes from working in remote offices with no access to shops.

I always have a handbag hook as I hate the idea of putting my bag down on a wet grubby floor especially in the summer when my bags are lighter colours.

Full disclosure.. I do hand paint my own hooks but I've always carried one (Accessorize used to sell them).

In mine I have

Purse
Keys
Phone
Tangle Teezer
Lipbalm
Tissues
Sunglasses
Hand cream

I'm trying to be quite minimal just now so I have:
Phone.
Purse.
A compact mirror in a case, where I can keep a small glass nail file and some olive oil infused cotton buds (for removing wayward eye make up).
Pack of tissues.
Pen.
Lip balm (my desert island product) and a lip gloss.
Pair of leather gloves.
That's it. I prefer a crossbody type bag nowadays; much easier as I use a walking aid.

I have a medium sized cross-body bag, but always carry an overflow tote bag for work.

In the bag-bag:

Purse
Makeup bag which has a mirror, lip balm, cream blusher, emery board, and whatever lipstick I am wearing
Tiny umbrella
Hat - cashmere beanie at this time of year
Pen
Whiteboard pen (I am a lecturer)
Small zipper pouch with tampons, painkillers, eyedrops
Fold-up brush

Tote bag

Lunch
Work ID
Toothbrush and toothpaste
Marking

I carry my keys in my pocket, and often have my phone/headphones in the other pocket. I went to a personal safety talk thing when I was a student and the person leading it said to keep your keys and purse separate, because if your bag or coat was lost or stolen you would most likely have the other. No idea how useful that advice is, but it stuck with me - and when I drunkenly left my bag in a taxi at least I could get into my flat! (Still in my student days!)

I have a River Island crossbody bag. I carry:

Wallet containing cards & cash
Phone
Door key
Spare plastic bag
Small makeup purse containing lipstick, eyebrow pencil, concealer, floss, gum
Clinique powder compact
Tissues
Umbrella
Sunglasses & glasses wipe

Phone
Purse
Pill holder
Lip balm
Tissues
Pen knife
Pen
Plasters
Crystal
Pieces of pretty rock the kids found
Physio appointment card
Sweet wrappers and general kid gunk
At least one drawing or picture from one dd

This is in my small cross body bag for being on crutches my old backpack had way more shite essentials in

@skagen I love these, where can i find your store, are you on etsy?

In my knomo rucksack for work I carry
Laptop
Notebook
Slim pencil case
Make up bag
Kindle
Headphones

In a small crossbody bag (currently a jigsaw one though I have a few)
Purse
Keys
Phone
Tissues
Lipstick
Hairbrush

Phone, Purse, Keys, tissues, sunglasses, water bottle, lipbalm

@Loyaultemelie Are you allowed to carry a pen knife?

Crossbody vintage red leather bag. It’s a much smaller bag than I’m used to, so now I just carry:

Card holder wallet (instead of mammoth purse full of receipts etc)
Compact powder & Lipgloss x 2 (instead of full makeup bag)
Keys
Phone
Pen
A couple of loose £ coins for trolley & a random £5 note.

It’s made me realise I didn’t need 99% of what I used to carry

Kindle. cosmetics bag with lipstick, multi use make up brush, lip balm, cream eyeshadow stick, mascara, perfume. Phone with credit cards in the case. Keys. Spare keys. Little pouch with pen, pencil, eraser. Sudoku magazine. Pencil case with nail file, nail clippers, tweezers, hearing aid batteries, face razor, antihistamines, pain killers, nail oil, antacid tablets. Toothbrush and mini toothpaste. Tissues. Hair brush. Hair clips. Hair ties. Gloves. Hat. Sunglasses. Leather case with travel card, loyalty cards, tickets, cash, stamps. Two folding shopping bags. Little bag of herb tea bags (I don’t drink tea or coffee and feel rude constantly declining hot drinks when I am out).

If I am travelling between my two current homes I’ll also have my iPad, emergency back up kindle and spare hearing aids.

On long journeys I’ll add a phone/kindle charger, and some snacks.

I use big tote bags!

I missed off AirPods!

@FruityWidow it's a Swiss army type one so the blade wouldn't be more than 3 inches. My very law abiding Dad bought me it so I hope so!

I have one for work and one for the weekend.

Work I carry inhaler, purse, tissues, keys, sanitary pads, lipstick, lip balm, phone and shopping bag.

At the weekend it's about the same but probably with less tissues and lipsticks

I have a bit of an obsession with bags and backpacks so my default is a mini backpack which contains perfume, chewing gum, keys, coin purse and 2 bank cards, emergency snack, deadpool beanie, gloves, bag for life, 2 hair bobbles, painkillers. My bag changes depending on where I'm going, otherwise it's very easy to get carried away. Other things that are added in include 🎧 (on me), water bottle, reusable cup for cafe nero, crossword and pen, diary, sandwiches /packed lunch, work 🔦, little work book, work pass, crochet kit for on the go project. I always wear sunglasses.

Jesus.. some of you must have huge bags!

Purse
Phone
Vape
Headphones
Keys
Pen

Phone
E cig and fluid and spare coils
Painkillers
Antihistamines
Lip balm
Floss
Cotton buds
Perfume
Tampons
Tissues
Glasses cleaning cloth
Concealer
Purse

I have a handbag insert so it's all organised into pockets within that

I like small crossbody bags. I carry:-

Small cardholder instead of a large purse (it has a coin section)
Keys
Phone
Portable charger (essential as the batter on my iPhone is terrible)
Lip balm
Hair tie (usually around my wrist actually)
Powder compact with mirror
Tissues
Hand cream
Hand sanitizer (both minis)
Small perfume sample

If I'm going to work I also have another bag, usually a mini backpack, with my lunch, water bottle and kindle and I'll carry a foldable shopping bag in there too and maybe my kindle.

If push came to shove I could leave the house with just keys and phone (thanks to Apple Pay).

Purse
Keys
Glasses
Pouch containing small mirror, lippy , nail file , tissues, small perfume spray ,paracetamol.
Fold up shopping bag .,
Light weight brolly sometimes , depends on the forecast
Small hair brush
Phone

I have a small cross body bag in which I keep slimmer down purse with credit cards etc, a lip balm, hand gel, hand cream, hair band/pins and keys/ phone.

That goes into a larger bag of which I have several options depending on occasion. So I might also carry larger purse with more cards/store cards etc, diary, pencil case, notebook, laptop, headphones, sanitary items, makeup etc depending on where I am going. I keep things in leather pouches so they can all move bag to bag easily. It also means I can leave larger bag in the car / at home / in a cloakroom and still have my little bag to hand.

Oh yes, I also move a small umbrella, coffee cup, water bottle, folding shopping bag, phone charger, battery pack etc from bag to bag too. I like to be prepared, clearly!

I’m amazed how many carry hand cream . I would never use hand cream in the daytime and carry a leather bag . The oil is dreadful for leather ruining / darkening the handles particularly.

I use a small leather backpack for work (barely fits A4 sized paper) and it contains:

Keys
Headphones
Sunglasses
Sunscreen
Very small flat wallet (coins, cards, notes)
Small pouch with some essentials (tweezers, hair bands, san pro, pen)
Work pass
Carrier bag
Lip balm

I keep some stuff at work so I don't have to carry it around:
Carrier bags - more!
Keep cup
Hand cream
Hairbrush (fold-able)
Change of shoes.