Lifestyle: My 8 Must Haves for Every Girl’s Handbag

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Handbags. They mystify men, they make a fashion statement, and most of all they are lifesavers. I love being a woman for quite a few reasons, but the freedom to carry every single thing I could possibly need for any occasion in something that also makes you look cute is definitely one of them. However there are 8 things that will ALWAYS have a special place in my handbag and should have a place in yours too.

1. Make Up Bag

This is probably the most important one for me. I love my make-up. I’m not obsessed with it necessarily but a little lipstick and eyeliner never hurt anybody. Plus knowing that I never have to leave the car with an oily shiny face thanks to my trusty face powder is priceless. And the great thing about a make-up bag is you can put so many other essentials in it. For me a little hand lotion is a must because I hate walking around with dry hands after washing them. An extra pair of earrings is also important for those disastrous times an earring breaks or disappears in the middle of your day. And lastly, a trusty lipbalm to keep your lips healthy and moisturized all day long.

2. Pocket Tissue

This is a must-have for so many reasons. For example, if you need to blow your nose, pat your face, or wipe off that cocktail or water from an accident on a night out. However, the most important reason comes from the acceptance that not every facility you will visit here in Kenya has restroom facilities that are properly ‘equipped’, so lets just say, you should always come prepared.

3. Phone Charger

Lets be honest, this is a must-have for everyone. There is NOTHING worse than hearing that last beep from your phone and knowing that you have no charger to bring it back to life. All of a sudden you remember that you didn’t actually confirm the exact location for that meeting you were supposed to have at 2pm and of course you can’t call to ask because you obviously don’t have the person-in-question’s number memorized. So you have to drive ALL THE WAY back home, which means you are an hour late for your meeting, the person you are meeting is now mad at you, and your day is just ruined in general. All because you forgot to dump that freaking little cable in your bag on your way out of the house in the morning. Special shout out of sympathy to those with iphones (especially the iphone6s) because no one around you EVER seems to have that specific charger. Why???

4. Extra pair of shoes.

Most women know how essential a pair of flats is on a night out when you need your sky-high heels to make an entrance at the club, but your flats to get down to the afro-beats. But there is an even more vital reason to always have that extra pair of shoes on you at all times.

How many of you have witnessed or experienced that embarrassing moment when you are confidently strutting your stuff in public when your heel mercilessly breaks off or your sandal strap tears? Then you tumble to the ground, and bruise not only your knee but also your ego. Oh and to top it all off, now you have to get up and limp barefoot all the way back to your car INFRONT OF EVERYONE. It’s borderline traumatic right? I’ve been in a similar situation before (without the ego bruising fall) and let me tell you, I literally thanked every single lucky star in the sky that I had an extra pair of maasai sandals in my bag. I whipped out those shoes, and put them on so fast nobody even noticed anything had happened. An extra pair of shoes in your bag may not necessarily safe your life, but it sure as hell will safe your pride.

5. Cash

Now having cash in your wallet, really could safe your life. In the age of credit cards and mpesa, some people are finding it less and less important to carry cold hard cash. Surely if you can buy milk and bread at your local kiosk with mpesa, why do you need cash at all right? Wrong. I think this comes down to safety. You never want to be in the position where your phone dies (because you don’t have your charger), there is no atm in sight and you have an urgent need for money. That need could range from needing to pay someone to change your flat tire on the side of a road, to paying for a cab to take you home when you leave the work too late at night. You never know where your day will take you, so lets do what we women do best and prepare for all eventualities. Carry some cash ladies.

6. Feminine Products

I really don’t even need to elaborate on this. Unless you are past menopause, it’s honestly irresponsible not to have one of these on you at all times. Sometimes you get so busy with your life that you completely forget Aunty Flo is right around the corner. And there is nothing worse than having her arrive with you unprepared. So please do yourself a favor and ALWAYS be prepared. Aunty Flo brings enough for us to deal with; lets not allow her to surprise us with it too.

7. Notebook and Pen

These two are a must-have for any of us. You never know when you’ll need a pen to sign important documents or fill out a form, and a cute little notebook is perfect for noting down important points in a meeting, doing your weekly grocery list, jotting down your million dollar ideas, or writing down the name of that movie your bestie swears you have to go home and watch.

8. Emergency Contact Card

Now no one likes to think of grim possibilities. But if grim possibilities find you, you want to be able to help yourself as much as possible. Now it is all well and good when you are able to talk and call for help or at least tell people how to help you. But if you find yourself gravely injured or otherwise incapacitated to the point where you are unable to communicate, an emergency card could be the difference between life and death. One of the first things people do when someone is in trouble is go into their wallet to try and find out who they are. Therefore, put your emergency card in a very visible place in your wallet. On it, have your name, the hospital you should be taken too, your insurance information, and the contact information for your next of kin. This way you can be helped efficiently and your next of kin can be notified immediately and come to your aid.

If you think there is an absolute must-have that I haven’t included, or if you have a story on how any of these things have saved you day, share in the comment section below and let the rest of us learn from or reminisce with you.