13 Items You Should Always Have in Your Handbag This Festive Season

With the festive season comes the hustle and bustle of celebration. From shopping, attending events, concerts, and visitations, organizing, cooking, wrapping up work for the year, unwinding, traveling, to getting all the spa treatment you need to shed off the year’s stress and recoup for the coming year.

 

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As you make plans to attend these events and activities, one thing you don't want to be worried about is getting to your destination and realizing you forgot something important. Neither do you want to board a flight and halfway through the trip, realize something you need urgently is not in your hand luggage?

Many times, we get impromptu calls and may have to hurriedly pack a bag as we mentally and actively scramble through the room for what we may need to add to it.  

To make this process easier, we’ve provided a checklist you can work with when you're quickly packing a handbag. Whether it's for shopping, a trip, a fun day at the beach, a concert, or an intimate dinner

1. Moisturizer /sunscreen

Constantly being out there means constant exposure to people, the sun, dust, sweat, and surfaces that may require you to wash your hands, and face in some cases, more often.

While being in the sun can cause sunburn, washing your hands without moisturizing afterward also causes dry skin. Moreover, the weather has been quite hot and dry lately. A small-sized moisturizer and sunscreen are essential items to include when packing your handbag.

The ORÍKÌ WHIPPED SHEA BUTTER SOUFFLÉ if a perfect moisturizer for both your skin and hair and you should totally own one.

2. Check List/Schedule

It's easy to feel like you know exactly what you want to buy when you go shopping or all the activities you have planned out for the day, without writing them down. The problem with this is that it increases your chances of impulse buying and more unfinished tasks, as you may get carried away with other things.

The idea of a checklist is to help guide your choices and priorities. With a checklist, you know exactly what you want to buy, so you can do your calculation and come up with a budget. Having a budget makes you aware that there isn't money plan for impulse buying and keeps you focused on what is important.

In the same way, writing down your plans for the day and allocating time to them helps keep you on track and committed to your plans and activities for the day. Whether it's on your phone or a little note, you should definitely have a checklist in your bag.

 

3. Wipes /tissues/bandanna/handkerchief

You may quickly need to use the restroom, wipe your hand after touching public surfaces, clean a stain, spilled liquid, or a messy chair you need to sit on, pat your sweaty face dry, or in some cases, wipe off your makeup for whatever reasons.

Looking for tissues or face wipes can be draining sometimes, especially when you're tired and uncomfortable. Nobody packs a bag anymore without a small park of tissue or wipes, neither should you.

 4. Cards/Cash

If you’ve ever been stranded because you realized you didn’t have your debit card on you just when you needed to make a payment, been refused entry into an event, or been unable to complete a registration process because you don't have an identification card, you’ll know it can get really frustrating.

A good way to ensure you’re not always scrambling in search of your necessary cards (debit/credit, identification) is to keep them all in a pocket-size wallet. This way, you can easily throw all of them into your bag at once.

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While cashless policy reduces the chances of impulse buying, you also want to have some cash on you in case of emergencies.

5. Mouth spray/Gum
You’ll be talking to different people when you’re out there... this may be after a brief while of having your mouth closed or after you’ve just eaten. If you’re attending concerts, you’ll be singing in people’s faces... it goes without saying, you want your breath to stay fresh throughout this period.

Throw a mouth spray or a pack of minty gum in your bag so you can easily refresh your breath when you feel uncomfortable.

6. Power bank/Charger
You’ll be using your phone more often this period - for photos, videos, phone calls, booking taxi rides, staying current on social media, being aware of your surrounding, and many other reasons. You may spend more time than you planned at an event or completing an activity.

It’s important that you have a portable power bank and charger in your bag to avoid being unreachable or unable to make a transfer, an emergency call, or get/give an urgent update due to a low battery.

7. Face mask/sanitizers
As you celebrate, keep in mind that COVID-19 is still very much in town and the new Omicron variant is spreading quickly. Always have facemasks and a small sanitizer in your bag to reduce the chances of getting infected.

Moreover, every credible event and shop requires you to have a mask on before entry, you don’t want to be turned away because you don’t have one on you, and you don’t have the cash to get one if there’s the option.

8. Sunglasses  
Considering how hot the weather is and how scotching the sun has been lately, the need to have sunglasses in your bag, to protect your eyes from all that sun-ray, cannot be over-emphasized.

Also, sunglasses can be the right accessory you need to give your look the perfect finishing touch. So, whether you’re using it to shield your eyes from the sun or as a fashion piece, it’s worth having in your handbag.

 

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9. Scrunchies

When you’re all glammed up for your event or activity, you're only concerned about your hair being perfectly laid, to look and feel as good as possible. But a couple of hours after you’ve rocked your look, taken all the beautiful pictures, and done some walking about, you may get weary or feel too hot to have your hair resting on your neck and worsening the discomfort you feel.

You don’t want to spend the rest of your event, journey, or shopping experience itching your neck and wishing you had something to hold your hair up. So, throw one of those scrunchies or hair clips into your bag when you’re packing.

 10. Lip gloss/balm

To reiterate, the weather has been a bit dry recently, the last thing you want is cracked lips. It will not only create lines when you apply your lipstick but also make savouring all the spicy meals this season uncomfortable.

So, in addition to exfoliating with the Sugarcane Lip Scrub with Coconut Oil often to get rid of flaked, dead and dry skin from the lips, moisturizing regularly with lipgloss or lip balm will also save you the trouble.

 11. Snack/Energy bars

Shopping, partying, traveling, planning, cooking, and almost every activity you’ll be involved in this season are time and energy-consuming and will require you to eat healthy, wholesome energy-giving meals. However, you may not always get around to eating until later in the day, as a result of the many activities (sometimes unplanned) you could be occupied with.

 

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There are various healthy snacks and energy bars you can pack to munch on when you feel hungry or need that energy boost in the middle of your event.

12. Pepper Spray

It is common knowledge that attacks and dangers like kidnap, robbery are more likely to happen during the festive seasons, as people take advantage of the many events taking place, especially at night, to carry out their evil deeds.

Always leave information of your whereabouts or share your live location with someone you trust, be conscious of your surroundings, do not visit places you don’t know alone or without proper research. Always have something to defend yourself, like a taser, pepper spray, or a carefully packed razor blade in your bag.

13. Your phone  

You may be wondering why this is on the list. Well, as impossible as it seems, it is possible to forget your phone, especially when you have more than one, or when you use it just before you leave the house. With this list, you’ll remember to check that you didn’t leave your phone on the table after that quick phone call.

Make sure your phone is fully charged and has the necessary applications to ensure a smooth and safe outing. From your map, social media apps, enough airtime and data subscription, set speed dial, and any other important software you may need to carry out your shopping, booking, and payment processes.

Remember to drink enough water, exercise, stay healthy, apply your skincare products, stay radiant and beautiful, and practice self-care as you enjoy the celebratory season.

Finally, don't forget to take gifts along with you as you catch up with loved ones, the ORIKI Gift Voucher is a good place to start. Visit the ORIKI website to book a spa appointment, purchase a moisturizer and other skincare products, and for more self-care tips.