Share: what’s the must-have item in your bag?

I remember someone asking this question at a workshop I attended eons ago – what is the one item you must have with you when you’re out? So let me modify the question here a little for the VivaBellas reading this – what is the one beauty item you must have in your bag when you’re out?

Is it a lip balm? A lipstick? A foundation powder? A sunscreen? A handcream? A mirror? A hand sanitizer? A pack of tissue? Or something else?

Well, mine is a comb. Heh. Many people don’t know but I belong to that category that will potentially ask anyone I’ve just met: “is my hair messy”? Okay, okay, I don’t ask. Very often, I’ll just whip out my comb and brush my hair. Friends who know me well are not surprised that this is the first thing I do when I meet them. My hair must look neat at all times! So yes, I detest fan and strong wind that mess up my hair! I do try to comb my hair in private, like in the restrooms, but some times I really can’t and I’ll be whipping out my comb when I am:
– taking a crowded lift.
– traveling up or down an escalator.
– traveling in a crowded train.
– peering into the side mirror of a car.
– looking into my reflection at a retail store.

Ha. I think you get the idea. I can be walking and combing my hair too and if I am able, I’ll be glad to bring my comb when I’m in the middle of a swimming pool too.

So tell me, if you can only have one beauty item in your bag, what must it be?

Comments

  1. Nadia says:

    It’s handcream for me. My hands get so dry after every wash that I’ve got to keep it moisturized 24/7.

  2. Audris says:

    Either a pack of tissue paper, or lipbalm ?

  3. Juana says:

    Hand sanitizer for me! Can’t leave home without it. ?

  4. TheUndercoverGypsy says:

    That’s interesting – I stopped using combs/brushes a long time ago, upon the recommendation of a several people in the curly hair forums…but hmmm, let’s see, I think it would have to be lipstick. Gotta have the lippie ?

  5. pf1123 says:

    Do you think your combing habit will over stimulate the oil glands on the scalp and cause it to generate oil?

    I don’t need any beauty items in my bag. I have lip balm, lipstick and lip gloss, mirror in my bag. But I seldom use them. Too lazy.

  6. BT says:

    Lipbalm. Especially in air-conditioned environment.

  7. stella says:

    blotter and any sort of lip moisturizer for the occasion – balm/gloss/lipstick…if i really have to choose *just one*… well, i’ll go with lips!

  8. Fi says:

    That one item is concealer ? I don’t use it everyday, but it’s there if I need it. Since I don’t wear makeup on daily basis, I sort of need a quick solution to impromptu client meetings, and I’ve found concealer being very useful for those situations, to provide light spot cover for blemishes and dark under eye circles.

  9. EcoBeauty says:

    lip tint and lipbalm. power combo ?

  10. Flor says:

    Lip balm. I am addicted to it. I have 1 in my bag, 1 in my office, 1 behind the sofa and 1 next to my bed.

  11. Swathy says:

    I am newly addicted to face mists…..I think I would make it an essential must have along with a pack of simple tissues so that I can wipe off the dirt while traveling…..

  12. sesame says:

    These days I hardly spritz during the day. I spritz before applying my skin care products and then during the night.

  13. sesame says:

    That’s one of my staple. But it probably takes 3rd place for me.

  14. sesame says:

    Oh…that’s interesting. I can’t do with concealer alone….wish I can.

  15. sesame says:

    Ah…blotter is probably quite important for many. I use tissue paper these days.

  16. sesame says:

    Yup…true. I don’t need lipbalms when I outside…only in air-con room.

  17. sesame says:

    If I brush hard, it will. But I only brush the sides, and avoid the scalp so should be okay. I guess my daily washing and blowing dry are stimulating the glands. I can’t stop though. ?

  18. sesame says:

    I need lippie too but I don’t apply it so often now…not daily now.

  19. sesame says:

    I have a hand sanitizer in my bag all the time but guess what? I use it only when my son is with me. Haha…I don’t sanitize my hands enough.

  20. sesame says:

    Okay, comb would be no. 1 for me. Tissue no. 2. Lip balm no. 3.

  21. sesame says:

    I think hand cream is no. 4 for me.

  22. sesame says:

    I rarely use lip tint so this, I keep at home. ?

  23. Tara says:

    A tie between oil blotters and (tinted) lip balm!!

  24. Shimin says:

    The most important thing is concealer! I need to cover the capillaries and red bumps on my face.

  25. Michelle says:

    Omg, me too! I need to carry it every time cause I’m constantly washing my hands and if I don’t moisturize they dry up and get and ashy appearance that I hate. Well, hand sanitizer also, cause I dislike feeling my hands dirty and a nail file ?

  26. Dee says:

    I’m stuck between hand sanitizer or Kleenex, lol.

  27. sesame says:

    Haha…I’ll go for Kleenex! ?

  28. sesame says:

    I need to use a hand cream whenever I’m in an aircon room. Someone just made the remark yesterday that she always see me using my hand cream.

  29. Rebecca says:

    its good you don’t use it all the time, it will kill good bacteria too, and as gross as that may sound, you need those for good health. Washing hands is sufficient enough…using sanitizer all the time will only weaken your immune and create super “bugs” that are hard to kill bc they have mutated…

  30. N. says:

    Hand sanitizer. But I really find the necessity of bringing scissors with me at all times.

  31. AtelierGal says:

    Ehh… 1)You have never asked me about your hair 2)I have not seen you whip out the comb when we meet up. 3)I have not seen your comb until this post.

    I’m the type who find touching up a hassle so most of the time I don’t bring any makeup with me. If so, it’s just lipstick and concealer.

    One thing I cannot leave the house with is a pack of tissues! My nose waters very easily, it can be a hot day but 15mins in the MRT and I will start to sniff!

  32. sesame says:

    I combed my hair various times before you arrived. Didn’t want you to see me in action! Hahaha…

  33. sesame says:

    Scissors? ?

  34. fwy says:

    My Mentholatum Lip Pure Lip Balm, a packet of wet tissue and a small handheld mirror. I bought one the other day at ArtBox. They have really cute looking ones. A comb? I don’t even use a comb when I am drying my hair with the hairdryer. In fact, I had stop using a comb for 2 years maybe? I was told the more you comb the more hair you will lose.

  35. angel says:

    Tissue or lip balm. =)

  36. The Honeyroom says:

    I must always have my lipgloss, I feel lost without it!

  37. Cass says:

    Erm, for me, it’s more of a case of must-haves rather than 1 item only =X In order of preference, i must have these items in my bag all the time:

    – lip balm
    – tissue paper
    – eye drops
    – aloe vera gel
    – hand cream (mini tube)
    – plasters (for blisters)
    – mirror
    – lipgloss

    I’m the opposite of you, i never comb my hair except right after my shower @ home ;p

  38. sesame says:

    Haha…you don’t comb your hair often? Wow…I can’t imagine for mine.

  39. sesame says:

    So beautiful lips is your no. 1 beauty priority. ?

  40. sesame says:

    Tissue is a necessary…but still next to comb for me. Think cos it’s easy to buy. Cannot buy comb all the time. Heh.

  41. sesame says:

    Stop using comb since 2 years ago??? I wish I can stop combing my hair. I can’t leh. My hairstyle just needs combing!

    Oh the stuff at Artbox are lovely….all so cute!

  42. sesame says:

    Ah…my concealer is always at home.

  43. sesame says:

    Oh…that’s logical and good to know! I try to use only when necessary. Prefer to wash my hands.

  44. sesame says:

    Haha…you’ll need a product that combines the two if you can only carry one around. ?

  45. rinaz says:

    For me lipstick I suppose, since I have at least one in my bag all the time ?

  46. Nellz says:

    A mirror.. hehe coz I’m vain.
    I need to know my hair is ok, my foundation does not streak, my lips do not crack, and no spinach stuck between my teetc hehehe.

  47. Silva says:

    Lip balm. It’s a must for me, or I’ll have cracky lips all day.

  48. caramilk says:

    Lip Balm for the No 1 item in my bag..

  49. Fi says:

    I couldn’t when I first tried it, but I don’t like wearing makeup everyday, and sometimes there are just those days when I have to face walk-in clients. Took me awhile to master the art of blending it in without having foundation to blend it with, but now it works well for me ?

    Lightly damp face with clean damp facial tissues and dab dry (sometimes depending on the day, I’d skip the damp tissue, and straight to lightly dab face to remove excess oil), smooth the eyebrows, apply thin layer of concealer to cover areas needed (for me it’ll be the under eye and blemishes), and after I’m happy with it, I’d very lightly pinch/tap my cheeks to give a little bit of pink colour onto it. Sometimes if needed I’d dab a little bit of honey onto my lips to keep the lips moist (if I have no lipbalm with me, but I know there’s always honey at the office). And I’m ready to face clients ?

  50. sesame says:

    That’s really great. My skin tone isn’t so even…need some powder or tinted moisturizer for coverage.

  51. sesame says:

    Lip balm is quite a necessity for most. I carry mine all the time with me too.

  52. sesame says:

    Ah…lip balms are many girls’ must-have!

  53. sesame says:

    Funny thing for me is, I carry a mirror around in my bag but I hardly have use for it. Hardly ever whip it out.

  54. sesame says:

    At one point, I had a couple of lippies in my bag but I end up not using them but turning to my lip balm instead. So now I only carry one around.

  55. Swathy says:

    being winters even I am using the mists if my skin gets dried before moisturizing and then apply the oil but it would be very useful in summers here for me coz the summers make you sweat like a pig in India ?

  56. sesame says:

    Oh you apply oil even after moisturizing? That’s interesting. I usually use one or the other, very rarely both together. My skin is combination, so can get a tad oilier although the cheeks are a bit dry sometimes.

  57. LatestGirls says:

    Tissues and talc for me.

    Can’t live without them.

  58. sesame says:

    Talc? I hardly use this now.

  59. Suzy says:

    1. sunscreen
    3. moisturizer
    2.lip balm/and or lipstick..which I rarely wear but always lip balm
    3. tinted moisturizer to apply if
    I go work out during lunch..at work
    4. last….tissue…to blot my oily faceeeeee…:D

  60. Di says:

    come to think of it…not one product in my bag stands out a a “must have” for me…but somehow i still carry everything! hehe time to unload some of it, i think! ?

    but i definitely have tissue, lip balm, eyedrops, hand sanitizer and hand cream in my bag…:)

  61. sesame says:

    Wow, first item is sunscreen? That’s really good! I tried carrying a small tube of sunscreen around one point of my life but found it almost impossible to reapply over my makeup. So I just gave up.

  62. sesame says:

    Heheh. You’re not alone. I carry way too much useless stuff in my bag too. ?

  63. Soos says:

    TOO MANY THINGS! But most important:

    – hand cream
    – blotting papers
    – lip balm, lipstick AND gloss
    – tissues
    – compact foundation

  64. sesame says:

    Hand cream is actually quite a necessity for me but my comb still win hands down. Haha…

  65. Aileen says:

    A packet of wet tissues is #1 for me. followed by lip balm!

  66. sesame says:

    I’ve always gone with dry tissues…never tried wet ones.

  67. Denden says:

    hmmm I always need stuff in my bag.

    -a mirror (always get paranoid and think I have something on my face.)
    -tissues (I have really bad allergies)
    -lip balm (always need this)
    -hand lotion/or sunscreen (I hate having dry skin)
    -and pads (you never know #k8SjZc9Dxk-#k8SjZc9Dxk)

  68. sesame says:

    Mirror is one item I carry all the time but I hardly use. I prefer to check using the mirrors in the toilet. But it’s a good thing to carry as we may need it to check our teeth or lips occasionally.

  69. anne says:

    liptint.

  70. Lisa says:

    Can tissue paper really be used in place of oil blotting paper?

    Hehe, also, fun post! My number one item is lip balm. I need to keep my lips moisturised.

  71. Sesame says:

    Yes, I don’t see why not as I don’t see any difference to the effects on my skin. I really think it’s an issue of personal preference. ?

    As for lip balm, it’s also a necessity for me!

  72. Lisa says:

    Thanks for replying! I love reading your blog <3

  73. Malinda Synnamon says:

    Mine is definitely a combo of my facisl mister filled with rose water and my lip tint balm. But if i could only have one….it would definitely be my facial mister….it revives my makeup, gives me a dewy look, and is an instant pick me up mentally and mood wise

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