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Purse favorites… quick! Dump it out!

By Beth McKenna Moore

Posted on April 17, 2014

Let’s play a game…QUICK – dump out your purse…now look at what you have… what are your favorite things? What items do you always carry?

I love this game. I love to know what other people carry in their purse…what things they ‘can’t live without.’ Below is my list. To give some background, I’ve been carrying a smaller purse than usual (which is also on the list!) so I didn’t have much to sift through. But these are items I’m currently in love with and wanted to share, should you be in the market for new purse essentials!

1. Lipgloss/stick combo: I probably carry 4-5 of these at one time, but I have two favorites right now, both by the brand Aerin (founded by Estee Lauder’s granddaughter, Aerin Lauder)

Lovely rose scented lip gloss/conditioner that comes in a handy, sanitary tube (in other words, no fingers needed) – which I like to apply first before my lipstick. Texture is silky, conditioning, not sticky! ($28; Nordstrom)
The perfect nude lipstick shade ’14 Sequin’ – it’s a subtle, slightly shimmery, peachy nude – I think it’d work for any complexion ($30; Nordstrom)

These are my go-to for my lips when I want to freshen up or moisturize during the day with a subtle bit of color

I <3 Aerin

2. Concealer stick – I absolutely love Cle de Peau Beaute Concealer stick (I use Ivory, I have pretty fair skin). Although this stick will run you $70 a pop – it lasts a long time, I mean really long. I use it as an under eye concealer and occassional spot treatment. My last stick lasted me over a year and I was applying on a daily basis. I love this concealer because it has great coverage without being cakey and doesn’t migrate into creases during the day. ($70; Nordstrom.com/not carried in all stores)

Cle de peau beaute concealer – worth the investment!

3. Hair oil – I have a lot of hair…I tend to get fly aways and also my ends can look super dry. I love this hair oil by TIGI. I use a pump and a half and apply to my ends first and work my way up, applying only a tiny amount to my roots. This oil smooths my hair – my hair feels super silky after. I keep this in my purse because I like to apply during the day to re-tame the mane. I avoid using it on days when I haven’t washed my hair because it can be too heavy. Smells great too! ($18; Amazon.com)

A pump of this = silky smooth strands

4. A couple of hair elastics – One won’t due. I always pack an extra in case someone else is in need. I am a big fan of the twistband (read more here). But also stock up on Scunci thin, black elastics…you can never have too many. You never know when you might need to throw the hair into a pony tail! (Twistbands/12 pack for $18 sold by Birchbox.com); (Scunci no damage hair elastics/pack of 28 for $3 Drugstore.com)

The Twistband! Not your ordinary hair tie ladies!

5. A light fragrance for a light spritz during the day – I can’t tell you how many times I’ve needed to use my fragrance to freshen up. I love this light scent by Caudalie. I carry the tube in my purse, it’s not tiny…but it’s slim and fits in easily. My fave scent in this particular line is “The Des Vignes” ($39/Beauty.com)

Love this scent by Caudalie! Lost the cap, clearly.

6. Portable blush – Other than covering the dark circles and blemishes, I like to keep blush on hand in case I need a couple pats to “look alive.” I am obsessed (yes, obsessed) with this blush by Koh Gen Do which has a super handy applicator – one puff on each cheek and you’re good to go! No more blush explosions in your purse with this amazing do-hicky. ($41; Barneys)

This blush by Koh Gen Do will change ya life.

7. I wanted to throw this on my list because I typically like to carry some type of reading material with me in case I get caught on the train. I picked up this magazine for the first time the other day…and I’m intriqued…I’m loving it. For the first time in YEARS I actually want to sign up for a subscription. I rolled this baby up in my purse and have been flipping through ever since…Bust Magazine. ($5.99; Whole Foods)

I won’t lie – it was Amy Schumer that initially attracted me to Bust, but then I started reading and fell in love!

Pulled right from Wikipedia, this is what it’s all about: “…they wanted to create a positive and outspoken women’s magazine for their generation. “Our intention was to start a magazine that would be a real alternative to Vogue, Cosmo, Mademoiselle, and Glamour, something that was as fierce and as funny and as pro-female as the women we knew.””

8. Last but not least, the actual purse housing these items was a STEAL. I found it last year at Francesca’s in the mall. It was a store I’d been hesitant to go in, because it looks like my great aunt’s closet farted out a store. But, once inside there are a lot of treasures to be found at reasonable prices! It’s a good size purse…it’s easy to dance with, it carries the essentials plus some. They’re still selling it – it’s called “The Staten Island Clutch” Perfect for spring/summer! ($38; Francescas Collection)