Snoop inside my satchel (ooh-er!)

Hello lovelies! 

I'm about to share something more intimate than I ever have before... I'm going to let you have a good old (cyber) rummage through my handbag! 

I've seen posts like this before, but felt particularly inspired by this lovely lady's post earlier today- showing off her pretty things in style! And, as I just treated myself to a new bag on Sunday, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity- as it's all still nice and organised (does anyone else think the best thing about getting a new bag is spending ages putting all their things in it oh-so-neatly? No? Just me?)

So, this is my lovely new bag, that I spotted (ha!) whilst snooping around the Laines in lovely sea-sidey Brighton. 

And this is what's in it:

So, what is all this crap, I hear you cry? 

1. Tweezers
These had to be number one. I honestly don't know what I'd do without tweezers (well, apart from looking like this). This is my emergency pair for those "oh my god, where did that come from?!" moments (come on ladies, we all have them, right? RIGHT?!) when I'm out of the house. 

2. Sunglasses case
To keep my sunglasses scratch- and crumb-free

3. Purse
My lovely MIL bought me this for Christmas two years ago. She certainly knows the way to my heart is via the Cath Kidston website. 

4. Tissues
My nose is the bane of my life (as anyone who knows me will attest). It is set off by heat, cold, food, drink, breathing, moving, EVERYTHING... making me look like a snotty toddler, only without the adorable toddlerness. Although, that said, thanks to making sure I always have a pack of these in my bag I don't wipe my nose on people's shoulders- so perhaps I'm one up on snotty toddlers after all. 

5. (Skeleton) Keys
There seems to be a very skully theme going on with these. I bought the key covers when my boyfriend and I got our very own place, as they were deemed "manly" enough to share the set between us. 
The keyring was a present from my bestie, and I count it as a key-ring and rape alarm- as it makes a horrible noise and flashes red lights when you press the little button on the top. To be honest, it would probably only be effective if the rapist had severe epilepsy; but fingers crossed I'll never have to find that one out!

6. Hand Cream
In addition to the hairy/snotty thing (what a delight I am!) I suffer from a medical condition known as "Old Lady Hands", where I need to moisturise them a lot or they'll crack. I picked up loads of these lovely Crabtree & Evelyn hand-creams when they were on sale at Achica; they smell lovely and a little goes a long way. 

7. Umbrella
I'm weirdly fussy when it comes to umbrellas- they have to fold up super-small or I know I won't bother taking them with me unless it's actually raining when I leave the house, but they also have to be super-strong because the flimsy ones flip inside-out instantly and then break, and what's the point in that?!

8. Concealer
Weirdly (to some), I don't normally wear any make-up at all- I'm a very low maintenance shower-and-go kinda gal. Which is why I am cheap and bought an Aldi budget version of the famous YSL Touche Eclat concealer most girls seem to swear by. I use concealer so infrequently, spending twenty-odd squids on it doesn't appeal to me at all. However, I keep it in my bag for emergency spot situations- those times when you get a spot SO BIG you know everyone will end up talking to the spot, instead of you. 

9. Sunny-Gs
Since my granddad regaled me with horror stories of his cataract operation (you can SEE THE NEEDLE COMING TOWARDS YOUR EYE!!!) I wear the biggest sunglasses I can find. These were an emergency buy a few months ago, when I was nowhere near home and summer suddenly arrived. They were a TK Maxx bargain (£17 from an RRP of £99!) and I think they're ruddy hilarious. 

10. My phone
It's not the best in the world, because I signed up on a whim and thought it was pretty. My technologically-minded boyfriend gave me a Disappointed Head Shake when I came home with this. "What does it do?" "I don't know - but look how shiny and white it is!"

11. Kindle
A present from my lovely other half, and I love it A LOT. I was originally really sceptical of Kindles and thought they were demon spawn trying to replace lovely books. But, thankfully, I've made room for both in my life- and I walk with less of a hunchback now my handbag isn't crammed with huge trashy novels. 

12. Headphones
These are good for hearing things. Obviously, I had to get white ones to go with my mp3 player. 

13. Nivea moisturiser
This is hands-down the best facial moisturiser I've found for my skin- and it's cheap as chips; hurrah! I tend to buy the biggest bargain bucket-load of it that I can find, then decant a bit into this tiny travel tub to carry round with me during the day. 

14. Hairbands
Now my hair is long again, I need to carry round the paraphernalia to keep it under control. Having my only hair-band snap on a hot day is my idea of a grouch-inducing nightmare, so I always make sure my bag is well stocked. It's also nice to be able to offer them to other girls if they're in need- bonds us like sisters, innit. 

15. Hair clips
My hair is too heavy for regular hair grips to ever have a chance, so I've got to use these industrial strength crocodile-clip ones instead. 

16. A pen
Whilst I don't usually carry anything to write on, you never know when you might need an Emergency Pen. Spontaneous pub quiz? You're sorted. Want to give someone your number and they don't have a phone? You can scrawl it on their arm/hand/face. Thanks to all of the events I organise for work, I get my pens free from. This one has a handy twist-top. Well done, Sofitel. 

17. MP3 player
I'm beginning to think I may be a technology racist... everything I own is white. I love this little thing- it's teeny tiny but stores loads of songs, and the simplicity pleases me- the buttons are hidden under the frame around the edge of the screen.

18. Vaseline
Not something I use a lot, but when my lips are dry nothing else will do. I'm just not a colourful-lip-gloss/strawberry-lip-balm kind of girl. 

19. Mirror
This was originally the top of a powder compact from the Body Shop; I think it's probably time I invested in a new one that hasn't got broken bits of plastic on it. Very handy to have though, and a quick-and-easy way to reassure myself my teeth are spinach-free. Also good for sending signals from lighthouses whenever I'm following a band of Smugglers in an Enid Blyton story...

20. Suncream
If I haven't mentioned before how pasty I am, I will do so now. I am pasty. My skin goes from milky-white to strawberry-red in a matter of nanoseconds, so I try to slap on the Factor 50 pretty much any time I leave the house. 

So, there you have it, a good old snoop at my stuff. Have you done a post like this? Please do send me a link if you have! What essentials do you keep in your handbag?

P.s. I had far too much fun laying everything out like this; thankfully managed to not get too OCD about it and bring out a ruler or anything. But if you love neatly organised things too, I cannot recommend this blog enough