#WOOSHAPPROVED: HANDBAG ESSENTIALS GUARANTEED TO MAKE YOUR LIFE BETTER

The inside of your purse can say a lot about you. Is yours the size of a small country yet is always bursting at the seams with pacifiers, soggy tissues and the odd baby bib or two? Busy mom, right there. Maybe yours is relatively conservative in size, but contains a massive wallet, huge sunglasses case and, frankly, precious little else – there’s simply not enough space. Probably not a parent, then.

No matter the size or state of your favorite handbag, some things were put on this world to make its contents organized, way more useful and even rather nice to look at. And all that without causing you chronic back pain by the end of the day.

So what are you waiting for? Read on for our curated selection of purse essentials and take action now. An easier life is just around the corner. Truly.

Everything, Everywhere, All At Once!

If you were a Brownie Guide and never moved away from the need to have safety pins and hair elastics about your person at all times, you will love this Pinch Provisions Minimergency Kit. It’s the smallest but mightiest emergency kit you’ll ever encounter and contains no less that 17 beauty and personal care items. We’re talking dental floss, hairspray, an emery board, even a couple of spare earring backs! What’s more it’s only just over 20 bucks. 

The Complexion Perfector

Carrying around your entire makeup bag isn’t always an option. But thankfully it doesn’t need to be when you’re the proud owner of our Fold Out® Complexion Kit. Neat and compact, it’s about the size of a small wallet yet houses all you need for complete complexion coverage whenever you’re out of the house. The generous addition of our 4-in-1 Secret Brush (you’re welcome, btw) also helps you apply everything – shimmer, highlighter, concealer AND foundation – without getting your fingers covered in makeup.

Making A Case For AirPods

You’ve probably got a pair of Airpods already which is why we're not going to bore you with how fabulous and convenient they are. However, how could we resist this too-cute Rifle Paper Co. Airpods Case which has a handy gold ring for hooking it onto your purse? You could also use it as a keyring if that floats your boat. 

Totes Amazing

Every purse should contain a foldaway tote. Because you always need something from the grocery store, right? And you don’t want to be that person who has to resort to a single-use plastic bag. The shame.

Our latest obsession comes in the shape of women-owned California brand, Rockflowerpaper’s reusable shopping totes which are available in a whole myriad of colors and designs including this fabulous Zuri Blu Bag. If you buy five, you’ll get one free (c’mon, the holidays are coming up!). What’s more, for every bag sold, the company donates 5 cents to Ocean Conservancy.

The Handy One

We don’t know about you but we’re as infatuated with hand cream as we are with our new Spin-On® Lip Gloss which is like the love child of your favorite lip balm and cutest gloss. But we digress, if you’re yet to find your hand cream BFF you’ve clearly never got your hands on L’Occitane’s skin-smoothing, uber-moisturizing balms. Honestly, not much beats their Shea Butter Intensive Hand Balm if your mitts are really, like really dry. When you’re on-the-go, however, and need to counteract the drying effects of public bathroom hand soap, we prefer Almond Delicious Hands. The smell is just divine.

A Whole Blot Of Love

Sweaty skin season may be almost over (depending on where you live, of course), but if you’re of the oily complexion persuasion, unwanted shine can be an all-year-round headache. If you understand how that feels, try keeping these biodegradable Tatcha Aburatorigami Japanese Blotting Papers in your purse. Unlike face powder (which, correct us if we’re wrong, sucks!) these babies contain no powder, but instead harness the power of abaca leaf which effectively absorbs oil without screwing up your makeup or drying out your skin.

And Charge...

It’s annoying that we rely on our smartphones SO much, but running out of juice can feel like the end of the world. Why do that to yourself? Instead, invest in a Clutch charger (the world’s smallest, apparently!) which has a built-in cable, magnetizes to the back of your phone, AND is so light you’ll barely know it’s there.

Your Favorite Mascara – In Miniature Form!

Mascara is arguably everybody’s makeup bestie because it has the power to instantly glam up your look, making you look more awake, alert and youthful. And sometimes, you need that when you’ve been at work all day and need a hassle-free glow up. Well, Like Magic Mini Mascara was made for these moments. A handbag must for the entire Woosh team, it never flakes, smudges or clumps up your lashes. But it will make you look ready to take on the entire world.

Case On Point

One of our biggest bugbears is a hard, oversized sunglasses case that literally takes up your entire handbag. Sure, it looks fancy and feels expensive, but when you want to take your sunnies with you everywhere, it's so cumbersome. This is why we recently invest in an Al Mare Sunglasses Case from Wanderers Travel Co. Not so flimsy that it doesn’t protect your shades, but just the right size to fold up in your purse, we’re all over this burgundy shade which is very fall 2024, don’t you know?

Perfect Scents

We’ve recently become fragrance-obsessed (the reasons will become clear before too long!) and have started collecting as many mini versions of our favorites as we can. They’re great for taking on trips or popping in your purse when you want to smell good while you’re out and about.

If you fancy trying a new juice but hate overly strong fragrances that feel like they’ve smacked you in the face with a shovel, we recommend DedCool Xtra Milk Travel Spray. It's like a warm, soft hug in a bottle.

The Humble Pen

Yeah, we know smartphones are great for taking notes and making lists but hey, call us traditionalists. And anyway, who even are you if your purse doesn’t contain at least one pen? So, why settle for something boring, or worse yet, ugly when these gorgeous Maeve by Anthropologie Pens exist? What’s more, they’re not even that expensive – $16 for three – meaning you get to enjoy one in your work bag, one for weekends and one at your desk. Sweet.

What, This Old Thing ;)

Bulging wallets are kind of pointless these days when most charges are made either by credit card or your phone. And maybe cards will eventually disappear completely, but for now we can’t leave the house without them, so this quilted, leather Saint Laurent Cassandre Matelasse Card Case is going firmly on our holiday wish list. Full disclosure: it's pricey so you better start being extra nice to your loved ones quick smart.