What's In My Bag? July 2014

Ah, the old What's In My Bag? post makes another return. 

It must be a year since I last did one of these posts, so I think it's time to give you another peek at what I've been keeping in my bag lately. Who wants a nosey?

Handbags have always been a weakness of mine. I have quite a few in my collection, and switch between them all the time, depending on what I'm wearing or where I'm going. I've never been one to stick to just one handbag for months or years on end; I like variety!

That being said, over the last couple of weeks,  I've mostly been using my new cobalt blue scalloped satchel from ASOS. It was a birthday present from my little sister just two weeks ago, and I'm absolutely smitten with it. It's such a lovely little bag; and it's the perfect size for carrying all that I need for short trips out. It may not look like it, but it actually holds a surprising amount of stuff. 

I'm generally an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink kinda girl when it comes to handbags, but I have to pack lighter these days because I can't carry anything heavy anymore; not even for short distances. I usually just cram everything I need in to my bag and then leave half of it in the car when I reach wherever it is I'm going to lighten the load a bit! It's usually easy enough to pop back to the car if I need to touch up my make up or whatever.

So, let's take a look at what I have in my bag today...

Clockwise from top left: 

Kodak PIXPRO FZ151 Digital Camera; Cath Kidston gadget case; earphones for my Nokia phone; Apple iPod earphones; my old iPod Touch; my new Nokia Lumia phone; and my old Blackberry Curve.

Like most people in this day and age, I love my gadgets, and this lot rarely leaves my side. I always carry my camera when I leave the house, because I love snapping photos of everything, and like to have it to hand in case I see something awesome that I want to document. I need my iPod for my music fix, and like everyone, I'm permanently attached to my phone. I just got a Nokia Lumia for my birthday, but for now I'm still carrying my Blackberry with me, too.

Clockwise from top left: 

Cards: Tesco Clubcard; Nectar Card; Boots Advantage Card; Knowhow Card (laptop insurance with PC World); Lloyds Debit Card; NHS Prescription Prepayment Certificate Card; National Insurance Card; Dorothy Perkins Store Card; and a Donor Card. Cath Kidston clasp purse; receipts from Morrisons and The Post Office; a scratch card (I wasn't a winner- boo!); a voucher off my next food shop; and a trolley token. I don't have a single penny in my purse, how depressing!

When I use smaller bags like this satchel, I use my small Cath Kidston clasp purse to save space, and just throw everything in together. I've had it for about five years and it's looking a bit worse for wear now, so it might be time to start looking to replace it. I'll be sad to see it go because I love it. I wish Cath Kidston renewed some of their old prints from time to time!

Clockwise from top left: 

B Never Too Busy To Be Beautiful powder and blusher brushes; Maybelline The Colossal Volum' Express Waterproof Mascara; Clinique Chubby Stick in Oversized Orange; Clinique Chubby Stick in Super Strawberry (free with Glamour this month!!); Benefit Sun Beam highlighter; Dainty Doll click pen concealer; Paul and Joe blotting papers; and Bourjois Healthy Balance face powder in Vanilla.

I rarely keep a make up bag in my handbag, but sometimes I will chuck in what ever make up I'm wearing for touch ups. This little lot is still in my bag from my last visit to the hospital, as I did my make up in the car. I remembered to put my eyeshadow and blusher palettes away, but apparently forgot about this lot.

Clockwise from back left:

Mini Sure deodorant; pocket size Nivea Sun Lotion factor 30; Magicool body and face cooler spray; The Body Shop satsuma hand cleanse gel; EOS organic lipbalm in tangerine; and The Body Shop coconut lip butter.

In the summer, there are a few beauty essentials I like to carry with me. I couldn't get through summer without a bottle of Magicool; I keep one within reach at all times. I struggle with the heat, and the self-chilled spray instantly helps to cool me down when I get a bit over-heated. It's a God-send! I also make sure I have sun lotion with me whenever I venture out because I'm so pale. I usually use factor 50+ because I don't want to burn, but I bought a pocket sized factor 30 Nivea sun lotion on impulse, because it's the perfect size for keeping in my bag. I think it's also necessary to carry a good lip balm to keep my lips hydrated, and a little bottle of deodorant because, let's face it, getting a bit hot and sweaty during hot summer days is inevitable.

Clockwise from top left:

Trebor Softmints; Cath Kidston hair clip; two metal-free hair bobbles; various plasters, just in case; Tramadol and paracetamol blister packs (my painkillers); and one random drinking straw.

There are always a few random bits and bobs lurking in the depths of my bag. Sometimes I'm surprised what I find buried in there. A random drinking straw? Really? The painkillers and the plasters make sense, but a straw does not!

And that, dear readers, is what's in my bag right now.

What's in your bag today?