I love a good handbag, be it trendy, flashy, sophisticated, timeless or anything in between. But moreover, I’m intrigued by what women carry in their bags; it’s like a little glimpse into the secret lives of ladies. And in honor of our annual Women’s issue, I thought I’d share one of my favorite bags, and what lies inside.
Belted bags are on-trend for 2024, and I adore this Tory Burch Lee Radziwill Double Bag (Nordstrom.com). It’s reminiscent of Fendi’s famed Peekaboo ISeeU bag, but at a more accessible price tag. I’m a firm believer that leopard is a neutral, and the bag is large enough to hold all my necessities and then some, like my son’s favorite chocolate lollipops from See’s Candy.
First things first: my can’t-live-without-it essential is, of course, my iPhone. I find this wavy dark green case from Caseative (Amazon.com) to be delightful and functional. I enjoy the smell of Touchland hand sanitizer (Target.com), and this luxurious little hand lotion from Found which smells like orange blossoms (FoundDesign.co). I like this Tatcha The Serum Stick (Sephora.com) for a quit hit of hydration under my eyes or on my neck (especially good for air travel). I always carry a pair or two of sunglasses to fit my mood, and lately, I have been gravitating to these oversized Fendi Romasunglasses (Fendi.com). I have no fewer than four of tubes of IMAGE Skincare Ormedic lip complex across my most-used handbags, it’s that good. The sheer pink balm is shiny, hydrating and, most importantly, not sticky (Amazon.com).
If I’m on the go and out for the day, I toss makeup for touch-ups. My favorite foundation is No. 1 de Chanel (Ulta.com) because of its feel, coverage and perfect color-match to my skin. The Chanel Joues Contraste powder blush in the shade “In Love” (Chanel.com) is also at the ready, along with Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer (Nordstrom.com). In case I need a little spritz, I toss in my bottle of Angeli di Firenze perfume from Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella in Florence, Italy, the world’s oldest pharmacy that dates back to 1221 (SMNovella.com).
Finally, as I prefer pen and paper to a digital notes app, I always carry a notebook and pen to jot down story ideas, as inspiration can hit at the most random of times.
I’m intrigued by what women carry in their bags; It’s like a little glimpse into the secret lives of ladies.