What's In My Bag?

A couple of years ago I used to have a different handbag for almost every outfit and was always misplacing my keys, purse and everything else, but as I've got older I've narrowed it down to two, a black bag and a brown bag. Sorted.

Since blogging I have become a lot more organised and I know where pretty much everything is and now that I have just two bags it's a lot easier to sort out what I need to take with me. Now of course some of these products do change depending on the weather, where I'm going and what I'm doing but here is a look in to the general bits and bobs that you would find in my handbag if you were to sneak a peak.

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The Essentials

So first of all I won't be going anywhere without my keys. Now these are just my house keys and for the purpose of a nice photo I removed my three photo keyrings, my cuddly unicorn and turtle key ring and my work keys. I have so many keyrings as they are all special to me and also because it makes finding my keys much easier.

Second is my purse, of course this is another must as without it I won't be going very far. When it comes to my purses I like them to be bright and have lots of different pockets so I was extremely happy when I was able to buy this Ralph Lauren one for just £30.

Right! I cannot state just how important it is to drink plenty of water throughout the day, especially when you're on the go. When I don't drink enough I get headaches and feel yucky which is why I always carry a bottle with me.

Eating regularly is also important and for me I like it to be something healthy and enjoyable which is why I love these nakd bars. I always make sure that I have one to eat in my bag as I get rather peckish when I'm out and if I don't eat I get very grumpy and begin to feel nauseous. 

I've always loved taking photos but since becoming a blogger I find it essential to have some form of camera in my hand at all times and well lets face it, iPhone cameras aren't the best and their storage is a joke which is why I like to take my Samsung digital camera with me wherever I go. It takes lovely photos whilst being small and light enough to go in most my bags. 

Now I never used to keep a hairbrush in my bag but as my hairs got longer it needs brushing that little bit more often especially on windy days so I now make sure I have a one in my bag at all times. This no tangles is my favourite as it gets the knots out quick and easy without damaging your hair.

Garlic, onion, salami.. possibly three of my favourite foods that seem to be in most of the meals I eat which is why I would be lost without my chewing gum. Garlic breath? No thanks!

Finally, after probably far to many years, I decided it was time to keep a pen with me at all times and now I don't know how I ever managed without one. Perhaps I should have listened to my Mum sooner.

My Makeup Bag

Being a girl the contents of my make up bag changes regularly but for me there are some things that are just a must. First is lipstick, an item which I am never without. My current favourite is Mac Cosmo as it goes with everything and keeps my lips looking hydrated all day. However, on some days my lips need that extra bit of moisture which is why I have Vaseline in almost every bag and coat pocket. Cocoa butter is my favourite! 

Next is my Rimmel bronzer and Elizabeth Arden blusher brush. I have used Rimmels bronzer since I have worn makeup and I love it just as much now as I did then. It's the perfect colour for me and I love that it's not to sparkly so it always looks natural making it suitable to be worn on bare skin and on top of foundation.

Since blogging I have started taking much better care of my skin and now I cannot be without a hand lotion and nail file. This particular hand lotion is by Molton Brown, it's a fantastic product and the bottle is just the size for my makeup bag.

Now I don't know about you, but I cannot think of anything worse than smelling which is why I take a miniature perfume with me wherever I go. At the minute I have been using this bottle of Marc Jacobs Daisy as it has such a lovely spring/summer scent.

Last but not least are bobbles and hair grips just because you never know when you're going to need them. I always make sure I have two bobbles and then just a few grips for any unruly pieces of hair.

This makeup bag is the perfect size for my things and was just £8 from next.

If We're Lucky

Living in England sunshine is not guaranteed, not even in summer, but on those days we're lucky enough to have even a minute of sun I will be there with my sunglasses! These ones are by Ralph Lauren and are probably my favourite as I don't think you can beat a tortoise shell frame.

What things do you keep in your bag?

Striped Shirt & Sandals.

Stripes are such a big trend this summer as is the long line shirt, so you can imagine how excited I was to find this shirt in Tesco for just £18. The lightweight material is perfect for summer and I love the light grey stripes on the white, very minimal and chic. This shirt could be worn buttoned up and alone but for this particular outfit I chose to wear it undone layered over a basic black vest top.

Now these type of sandals are ones I had sworn never to wear but when I saw these off white snake skin ones for just £10 in Tesco, I couldn't resist trying them on.What I like about these particular sandals compared to some of the others in this style, is that they sole isn't to chunky, which would look just ridiculous on my size 3 feet. These are so comfy but did take about an hour of getting used to before I could walk fast without them falling off my feet.

I finished off my outfit by teaming the shirt and sandals with my ripped skinny jeans and my black handbag to go with the black vest. I then accessorised with my black Tiffany&Co sunglasses and my silver jewellery which I think goes lovely with the light grey stripes.

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Shirt - Same here, £18

Vest - Same here, £4

Jeans - Same here, £42

Shoes - Same here, £10
Bag - Similar here, £19.99

Sunglasses, Same here, £194

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This outfit was perfect for a sunny but slightly windy day as the shirt provided my with an extra layer keeping that chill off me when the wind blew.

Have you checked out Tesco's clothing recently?

My Silver Jewellery Collection.

Okay so I know my blog is about affordability and some of these pieces are slightly pricey but I wanted to share them with you anyway as to me, spending money on jewellery isn't a big deal and is something I rather enjoy doing. Jewellery doesn't go out of style, you don't outgrow it, it doesn't become worn down and it can immediately make a high street outfit look high end. Accessories are key to any outfit.

I own both silver and gold jewellery and some two tone but my silver collection is by far my favourite as I can wear so many of them together without ending up looking like Mr. T! 

First of all we have my rings, all of these a from Pandora except for the flower one which was from a lovely little store in Turkey. The one I wear the most is the silver band with the diamond set in gold, which was a present for my 21st. This delicate and elegant ring goes with so much which is why I probably where it the most. The other two I wear a lot, and always team together is the heart band and birthstone ring, luckily for me my birthstone is diamond so it goes with whatever colour I wear. My leaf and flower ring tend to get worn if I'm wearing something floral or I just fancy something prettier. Finally is the large stone ring which tends to only get worn if I am wearing a LBD.

Flower Band Similar // Heart Band // Diamond Ring // Leaves // Birth Stone // Large Stone Similar

Next we have my earrings. The leaf pair look so pretty when my hair is curly or with a nice up do, these were from a little store at Barton Marina called Brauz and I think they're going to be perfect for my holiday. The studs are from Pandora and are my birthstone just like my ring. I probably wear these the most as they can be worn with anything. My Vivienne Westwood earrings are quite a bit bigger than what I'm used to but look really nice with a fancy hair do and dress. Last are these little heart earrings by Helena Rudkin which I picked up from a store in Matlock, I really like these but can only wear them when my hair is up unfortunately as otherwise my hair gets a little bit tangled around them .

Leaf Earrings Similar // Pandora // Vivienne Westwood // Helena Rudkin

I'm not the biggest fan of necklaces unless it's a statement one to dress up an outfit but these three are so adorable and go great with just a basic vest or cami. My Vivienne Westwood necklace is quite large and tends to look better with darker colours due to the shade of silver that it is. The other two were a set from Etsy and are both extremely delicate meaning they are perfect in summer and wearing with lighter colours. The bar  is engraved with the date me and my partner started going out and the discs have our initials on. These can be worn individually or together which is sort of means you get three styles of necklace for the price of one.

Vivienne Westwood // Etsy

Last but not least is my arm candy! I cannot stand going out without a watch or bracelet on and these are definitely my favourite pieces of jewellery that I own along with the ring I got for my 21st. I love the white and silver together on this Marc Jacobs watch, it's so simple yet chic and due how flat the face it is, looks very delicate even with the large face. These three bracelets go together perfectly but I like how each one is different. The Pandora is a bangle, the Thomas Sabo is links (with my star sign aries on it) and the Tiffany one is a ball chain.

Watch // Pandora // Thomas Sabo // Tiffany&co

Accessories can make or break an outfit and I think they are crucial to adding a personal touch to your style. I hope you liked this post and would love to hear what you think.

What's your key accessory?