The Bare Necessities

The sun is out and I've decided it's no longer acceptable to lug around my big bottomless totes around London. For a change I've opted for a small cross-bodied bag (similar here), this means I've had to break down what's in my bag to the very bare necessities which I may add has been no easy feat. Now that I've done it and survived venturing outside my house without a fistful of old receipts stashed in bag, I feel rather accomplished and feel like I deserve a pat on the back. Before I get ahead of myself, let's get on with my spring/summer essentials for my bag...

Notebook & Pen  - When downsizing the number of items in my bag, a little notebook and pen had to be one of my definite essentials. I’ll be the first to admit that I am extremely forgetful with everything from birthdays to plans to meet up with friends. So a notebook and pen comes in handy when I want to remember everything from all my brilliant blog post ideas (I jest...) to my lipstick inventory, which is an actual thing. And I know you can do this on your phone and other gadgety things but let's face it technology can be unreliable and nothing beats good old pen and paper.

Sunglasses - The sun may not be out for very long, but just in case I like to be prepared and perhaps a little wishful as I have my sunglasses on me at all times. As I tend to either loose or sit on my sunglasses the only solution for my dilemma are these five pounds Dorothy Perkins sunglasses. I think they're the perfect size, stylish and well it’s five pounds so you can't argue with that logic.

Wallet  - The wallet I have in current rotation from French Connection in a lovely neon yellow shade. It has enough slots and hidden compartments to insert my countless loyalty cards, most of which I honestly never use (okay so I may have overstretched the very bare necessities pitch). 

Phone - My phone may as well be an extension of my arm so it’s no surprise that it’s on my list of my necessities in my bag. Most of the time I’m on one social media platform and missing out on actual human interaction, speaking of social media (really smooth) you can find me on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Pinterest. Yes, I am not above shameless self-advertising. 

Lipgloss - I'm not a fan of reapplying my makeup on the train or the restroom throughout the day. So I ditch the makeup bag at home and travel light with a single tube of lipgloss. I'm currently testing out the Elizabeth Arden Luminous Lipgloss in the shade Rosegold but most of the time I use the Nivea lip balm to keep my lips moisturised.

Keys - I would hope this one would be pretty self explanatory but keys are generally great for opening doors and motor vehicles.

Pouch- Lastly, I carry a little faux snakeskin pouch for the loose bits I don't want swimming around in my bag, this includes my railcard, oyster card and elaborately tangled earphones.

                                                             Which essentials can't you leave at home without?
                                                                                   Leave a comment below.