TIPS & TRICKS: HOW TO PACK A SMALL HANDBAG

Hello everyone! I used to be one of those people who always carried a larger handbag, which nine times out of ten just used to end up being full of unnecessary rubbish and would get on my nerves because it was just so heavy. Then last year i started to carry a much smaller handbag and i have not looked back since, just because the bag is smaller doesn't always mean you can't fit all of the essentials inside. With that in mind for today's post i thought i would share with you, my personal tips and tricks on how to pack a small handbag.

1. choose the right "smaller" handbag, this one from Topshop is perfect for packing items inside of it as it has different zip compartments, card slots and can either be worn as a clutch or chain bag.

2. only pack the lip products or lip combination you need for that day, i always used to end up carrying around about ten different lip products that i didn't need to.

3. invest in a small coin purse/pouch to hold all the little bits and bobs you might need, but don't want to have lying at the bottom of your bag to get lost such as hair pins, hair ties, coins and notes.

4. as i mentioned this bag has card slots which is super handy, but still only ever pack the cards you might need whilst out and about so if you're shopping only take the essential cards.

5. invest in a roller ball perfume or a refillable mini perfume, these save so much room in your bag and save your favourite perfume from getting lost/damaged.

6. save samples/buy sample sized products to keep in your bag such as hand creams/hand gels, as they save so much room (i have a samples tips & tricks post here).

7. keep essential items that won't fit inside a coin purse, such as tampons, headphones, gum/mints and keys in the zip compartment this way they are hidden away/less likely to loose them.

8. if you are going to want to touch up through-out the day/night, invest in a face powder that has the product, applicator and a mirror all in one, this way you don't need to carry them separate. 

9. an essential when buying a smaller bag, make sure you phone fits inside or it has a safe place for it to go, because let's face it we can't go without our phones right?

10. arrange items inside your bag in a certain way rather than just throwing everything in, this way the bag is more likely to close easier and look less bulky.

catch my previous handbag related posts here:

blogmas day ten: what's in my bag

my handbag essentials

xo.

NAIL PAMPER ROUTINE

 Hello everyone! It has been a hot minute since i last did any form of nail post, so i thought i was about time for an update/share with you my current nail pamper routine. Spending time on doing my nails is so relaxing and i usually do this about once a week or every ten days or so, all depending on how long they have held up from the time before. My favourite thing to do whilst i do my nails is either listen to music, watch youtube videos or sometimes i will stick a tv show on and i always remember to use the bathroom and grab a drink before hand, because it is no fun needing either one of those things when your nails are wet/tacky still.

step one: superdrug nail polish remover/lush coconut hand scrub

First up i always go in with some nail polish remover, to either remove the nail polish from the time before or to just makeup sure my nails have a clean base. Superdrug's own brand nail polish remover is a favourite of mine, it is super cheap and removes nail polish (including glitter) easily. Then i like to go in with some of my trust coconut hand scrub from Lush, using this just helps get rid of any dryness on your hands and also around the edges of your nails, before rinsing. Then i apply some hand cream of choice and massage into my hands. 

step two: essie apricot care cuticle oil, wah london cuticle nipper and nail file/buffer

Next up i like to go in with some cuticle oil by Essie, applying this helps to really soften/nourish the cuticles ready for tidying up/cutting away your cuticles or any excess skin around the nails with my cuticle nippers. Then i like to go in and file/buff/shine my nails into the shape/length i am wanting, i love these file and buff blocks from Primark. They are so good and i believe they were only a £1 or so for a two pack such a bargain!

step three: barry m nail polishes and essie nail polishes

Once all the nail prep is done, it is time to go in and paint them with my polish of choice. My go-to brands of choice are always Barry M or Essie, as they are the two brands that really work well for me and more often than none i will either rock a simple nude nail or glitter all over. I always apply two/three coats of polish (all depending on the polishes opacity), before going in the with Wet Set Quick Dry top coat by Barry M. A few months back i dedicated a full blog post, talking about all of my most worn nude nail polishes which you can catch up on here.

step four: ps fashion nails

If you read my beauty favourite: july edition post, then you will probably already know that i had recently been loving these stick on nails from time to time. They are just super fun maybe for a night out or a special event, or maybe you are just feeling lazy and want a quick mani look. I was so shocked at how great the quality of these nails were and whenever i wear them, i get so many compliments. On my nails these last for as long as a normal polish would, so around the seven to ten day period. These nails come in so many different shapes from square, to stiletto and even almond shaped.

♥

MY HANDBAG ESSENTIALS

Hello everyone! One of my favourite types of videos to watch and posts to read, hands down has to be the "what's in my bag" type i just can't get enough and i have done my fair share of them on my blog through-out the years also. Seeing as it has been a while since my last what's in my... post, i thought why not do an updated version but with a little twist. That twist being just focusing on the essentials, those i can't cope without them being in my bag items (excluding the obvious phone, money and keys ha).

apple earPods aka headphones

One thing i can't cope without is headphones, in fact i am wearing them right now as i type this post out ha ha. So if i am on the go (not whilst i am driving) but on the tram or the train, i have to have my headphones so i can listen to music and of course watch the odd Instagram and Snapchat story.

merci handy flower power hand cleansing gel

I spotted this a while back on Birchbox i believe and thought how much it looked like the old school Bath & Body Works hand gel, but then whilst i was browsing in Topshop one day i discovered they sold it when at the tills paying and i picked one up. This has got to be one of the best ones i have every tried, as it not only kills the germs but it also moisturises your hands unlike some sanitizers that dry out your hands. So far i have tried the lollypop one and the flower powder one, but i have to say flower power is my favourite out of the two.

caudalie hand and nail cream

Sticking with the hand theme, the next item i can't deal without having in my bag is a hand cream because my hands do get dry quite quickly and i know that is down to me being an over hand washer. This mini Caudalie hand cream is perfect to keep in your bag, as it doesn't take up any room at all and a little goes a long way. I picked these mini ones up a couple of times, as part of my Feel Unique Pick 'n' Mix Beauty sample service.

wrigley's extra ice spearmint sugar free gum

Not the most exciting item but still an essential that is probably in most peoples bags, as much as your keys or wallet would be and that is chewing gum. Carrying gum comes in handy for so many reasons, especially if you have eaten something garlic-y at a restaurant ha! I usually carry around the pots of gum around but last time i went to get one, they didn't have any one the Extra Ice ones in pot version so i just picked up a single packet.

primark rose explosion perfume rollerball

This particular scent was in my previous what's in my handbag post and i had mentioned how handy these are to just throw in your bag, they don't take any room up and you don't have to worry about the bottle smashing. So i always just pick up one of these from primark once i am running low, as they are so in-expensive but it also smells insane for a cheaper scent and that is hard to come by.

mac cosmetics pro longwear lip pencil in the shade oh honey!

Finally moving on-to the good stuff and i try so hard to keep my handbag lip products to a minimum these days, unlike before when more than half of my bag would be lipsticks. Seeing as this lip liner is one of my favourites of all time, i had to go and do a repeat performance like i used to do with Créme D' Nude lipstick and have one in my collection and one in my handbag. This lip liner is super creamy, easy to apply, long-wearing and literally the most perfect nude that goes with every nude. 

mac cosmetics lipstick in the shade peachstock 

For my birthday i got a MAC voucher so i picked up a few new nude lipsticks that i had my eye on and wanted to add to the collection, this shade called Peachstock being one of them. I didn't expect to fall in love with this colour as much as i have, i now love it more than Honeylove and Créme D' Nude. Peachstock is just the most perfect peachy, light beige toned lipstick that you can just pop on quick and easy.

anastasia beverly hills liquid lipstick in the shade naked

Finally the last lip product that i always have to take out with me in my handbag and currently along side Peachstock, is one of my favourite go-to nude lip colours. The shade Naked by ABH is honestly my perfect nude in a tube, which i mentioned when i did a finally trying ABH liquid lipsticks post last month and i haven't been able to put it down since.

♥