Hello loves,

I thought it may be fun to write a post about 'What is in my handbag?'.  I really enjoy being nosey and finding out what other ladies may be hiding in their bags.

Often girls can be so resourceful on what they manage to fit into their bags, but my resourcefulness may not reach these levels. I'll leave it for you to judge.

So without further ado....

My handbag is just a small black faux-suede mini satchel bag from River Island. If you wanted to get your mitts on this little bag, just click here. These are also available in other colours, but I'm particularly liking the oxblood one and the leopard print hybrid. There is plenty of room for everything you need to carry, and the magnetic latches are very sturdy. The price is also not too bad!

And this is literally all the goodies that I tend to carry in my little bag. I've really been into carrying smaller bags, compared to my usual larger totes. I just think that my poor shoulders needed a good break! The time to downsize had come along and now I'm just embracing it.

  

I have my wallet in my bag from River Island also. I know that there is a bit of a trend here for River Island, however I just found it a really convenient size. It has a white flap and gold/grey clasp with the main body being a lime green. It is a really nice colour combination and was perfect to celebrate the start of summer. I've always used the River Island large purses, and they have enough space for cash, cards and coins. They are literally all I have been using. However, please watch this space on the blog for some 'lust-have' accessories, which should be coming up soon! 

Another essential is my gold iPhone (not pictured here) and my iPhone headphones. The headphones aren't very comfortable but I just suck it up as they fit so nicely in the little case. I also carry a small diary and a pen to keep up-to-date with appointments. I know I could use my phone in this wonderful digital age, but I'm a bit old school and still like to keep a diary on hand.

 

My sister-in-law also kindly bought me a Gucci hand-mirror which is beautiful. It is quite heavy but such a nice piece to carry with you and whip out to fix make-up. I also keep Kleenex blotting sheets with me, in case my T-zone gets oily. Previously I've also used the DHC ones (which I really like). 

I keep minimal make-up on me during the day, however lippy is a MUST. My latest lip muse is MAC's Snob, which is just the prettiest pink that is a hint off your own lip colour. It is not too garish or too bold and hits the right notes for a pretty look.

The other pieces that I have to carry with me is without a doubt my Soap and Glory Hand Maid anti-bacterial gel. This is scented quite heavily so if that is not your thing, steer clear! The scent is definitely not unpleasant and it really keeps those nasties at bay. I also carry Soap and Glory's Endless Glove hand cream, which is super nourishing on my mitts. I've had dry hands on quite a few occassions lately, and this whips my skin back into shape.

I have to always have a lipbalm on hand and my current favourite is the Burt's Bees Mango lipbalm. The butters in this baby is awesome and keeps my lips amazingly soft and kissable. I also keep a lipgloss on hand just in case I need some sheen on my lips and at the moment that is in the form of Urban Decay's Naked gloss in Sesso. This is a rose colour with pink shimmer in. It looks great if you want to give your look a boost or polish. And the final items I always keep on hand is the Yes to... cucumber wipes in travel size and some polo mints. They are fairly self explanatory. Wipes if something spills or my face needs a wipe and polo mints for minty fresh breathe. Not the biggest fan of gum anymore, so mints are great.

What do you keep in your bag?

Beauty Buys

Good morning beauties,

Happy hump day! I'm excited to be half way through the week and can't wait to share some exciting beauty related posts with you all later this week.

Recently, I managed to buy lots of the beauty goodies that I didn't manage to buy the past while. Urban Decay is just one of those notorious beauty brands that I fell in love with the first time I ever tried it, and as soon as the Naked 3 pallette and the Naked on the Run pallette was released, I wanted - nay - needed both!

Please excuse the wine in the background, however occassionally needs must. So during the shopping process I bought the Naked on the Run pallette, Naked 3 pallette, Naked Lipgloss in Lovechild and a mini Roller Lash Mascara by Benefit.

I haven't regretted buying any of these beauties and they've fast formed an integral part of my daily beauty routine. If you want me to review any one of these products, just let me know.

What is your beauty lust-haves?

Special GIVEAWAY [CLOSED]

I'm finally doing my much talked about GIVEAWAY!  Part of the giveaway will be shared with you my amazing followers. However, some parts will be kept secret to allow for this to a little bit exciting!  I'm very excited to offer you the chance of winning this lovely prize, and hope that you will enjoy the process of entering the competition! 

The main prize will be the Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette!

 

Other prizes include:  Naked Starflower Crush Body Wash, Foam Bath and Body Butter.  Then there is a fun little photo album with the funky gerbil on, a handbag hook, Hello Kitty keyring, handbag tissues, metallic red nail wraps, Montagne Jeunesse Chocolate Face Mask, Kiss Lashes, Soap and Glory's new 'A Great Kisser' Lip Moisture Balm in Juicy Peach and a little hamster pen. 

What does the secret giveaway mean?

It basically means that a part of the giveaway will be shown here, and another part will be kept secret.  I've listed the brands below to allow you to see whether any of the competition is worth entering. 

So, what brands are going to be in the giveaway?

Urban Decay, Benefit, Soap & Glory, Naked, Kiss, Nail Wrap, OPI, LUSH and Montagne Jeunesse. 

How do I enter?

The rules are pretty simple and straightforward:

1. Be a member/follower of the blog via Google Friend Connect (the box in the left hand column)

2. If you can't follow the blog via GFC then I will accept email entries at the normal address (buttonsfriend85@gmail.com)

3. Leave a comment on this post telling me what you would like to see more of on the blog and/or what you find the most useful (i.e. add video tutorials/do more nail posts/fashion is important)

4. Leave a valid email address or Twitter handle for me to contact you on in case you are the winner

5. Spread the word via Twitter or Facebook to all your friends and family - This isn't really an entry requirement and you won't get any extra brownie points but if someone you know wins, then maybe you can divvy up the prize.

That's it!

Like I said, the rules and regulations are straightforward and all entries must fulfill the requirements or else it won't be counted. If you don't leave a comment, name, contact info or be a follower then you are automatically taken out of the loop and lose the chance of winning. It's only one entry per person so if you've left a comment then you don't need to email me your entry because it won't count, and vice versa.

The giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY and is now live so you can start leaving your comments from here on. I will close the giveaway on Wednesday 29th February at 9pm so there is enough time to get your entries in. Remember, you snooze you lose!

I look forward to reading through all your entries and remember, keep an eye out on Twitter for information about more brands being added to the giveaway.

Ready... Set.... GO!

Lots of