Functional: expandable, closes securely, easy to spot, waterproof, have some type of organization of its class whether its an extra patch pocket inside or outside or a divider inside
Practical: washable, inexpensive, durable, light weight, compact, ease of access
Personal: made of material to your personal preference whether its silk, cotton or leather, be colorful or artsy if that’s your type or be contemporary to reflect your personality or fashion sense, or a piece of altered art, hand made or made of recycled material or other clothes or bags, unique, trendy, cute

The most obvious place to look for a cosmetic bag are: the freebies from departments stores, pvc vinyl pouches from drug stores and thrift stores. These are easy to come by and cheap to buy. Just don’t forget to make sure they are durable and light so it does not add extra weight to your day bag or malfunctions and causes product to spill all over your expensive bag. Destroying your day bag or spilling expensive product is heartbreaking and not worth it.

Kipling, Le Sport look like they have a variety of sizes and styles, textures and fabrics that are known to be durable, washable, and light weight. You can go to department stores, Ross, eBay, eBags and I’m sure there will be more than enough selections of those brands or something to match your needs and budget.

And since you’re window shopping, check out etsy.com or other hand made selling websites for a more personal shopping experience. Just type in hand made cosmetic bags in the Google search box and be sure to check the search results from shopping and images. Because sometimes you just have to look deeper.

Last Friday my husband took me shopping, a just because kind of thing. We went to Meadows Mall with the kids. I have been searching for a new cross body bag. This is actually my first cross body bag. Why didn’t I think of getting one sooner? It’s soo soo convenient!
I did not want just any cross body, over the shoulder or messenger bag, I was very particular in certain characteristics the bag had to have fr me.
1. It has to be leather, not polyurethane, not PU leather, I want the real deal! Soft supple leather with a hint of that new leather smell, feminine but rugged.
2. It had to have a timeless vintage look that would bend in with most of my casual clothes and not look out of place in the ever changing fashion trends.
3. It had to be soft and slouchy, not stiff. If I’m going to live with this bag for my daily routines, I want to be holding something soft and fluid, not stiff and rigid.
4. It had to have a sense of organization. I hate purses with build in planners and I.D. slots, but I also can’t deal with bags that are just a bottomless pit. So a few zippered pockets would be preferred for security and ease of access.
5. I’ve seen big bulky, heavy, oversized bags. Though some can deal with a heavy bag off the get go, even when it’s empty, as long as the bag looks pretty or is pretty damn expensive and is a statement piece, I can’t. I have my share of hard to carry bags, i.e. Louis Vuitton Alma, Louis Vuitton Speedy 35, Fendi Spy bags, to be exact. My biggest pet peeve about bags like this is that yes they are beautiful bags, I can never get used to carrying a bag by hand or on my wrist, it’s just so uncomfortable. The bag I’m looking for today has to be big enough to hold a couple of books, my wallet, phone, keys, cosmetic case, glasses, ipod, in other words, since it’s going to be my day bag it has to fit my life.

I am officially hooked! The first Lucky Brand purchase I ever made was a scarf before Thanks Giving last November. It was super soft, comfortable and just the right size. It doesn’t scream pink and girly nor does it scream plane and boring. The different colors of the scarf makes it unique but versatile. It has a vintage boho feel with the beaded fringe detailing. Lucky brand dungarees got the vintage, boho styles to a tee!

“This handbag has a special finish. Its supposed to look and feel like its your favorite old piece. Each handbag may look a little different some things about it may not look perfect, but trust us it is. Its characters and even its flaws are what make this handbag so special. We Thought you’d appreciate it.” —that read on the tag of my new bag.

the best leather crossbody bag

Lucky Brand Abbey Cross body bag

When we say chap stick we think the cherry, strawberry or black flavor. The old school familiar pocket size tube that says ‘Chapstick.’

Since then, there have been many varieties of different kinds of chap stick or the p.c. term is lip balm.

In my world chap stick is definitely a purse staple to have at all times. And my favorites in no particular order are:

Original Cherry Chapstick, Vitamin Water Revive Fruit Punch, and Carmex.

I just recently discovered the vitamin water lip balm, and all i can say is, it’s tasty and the tube looks like a miniature bottle of vitamin water. It makes you think of a refreshing bottle of vitamin water and all of a sudden you’re thirsty, in a good way.

These days there are so many ways to have fun with flavored lip balm, just go to Claire’s, Anchor Blue or internet stores and type in flavored lip balm, lip gloss, or chap stick. They come in all forms, in a tube, in a stick or a little jar or tin can. They come in a variety of flavors from pumpkin pie, chocolate mocha, root beer, vanilla, to lucky charm cereal, Cheetos and bacon flavor.

Chap stick in any form is definitely a must have in your purse, it’s fun, good for you and affordable enough to carry multiple flavors around.

Made of coated cotton (reminds me of the luxurious Chanel beach tote used by Samantha on Sex in the City movie) which means it’s lightweight, build in insulated pockets, a separate changing pad. At a generous 15x12x6 its enough room to fit diapers, spare clothes, a laptop, lunch, flip flops, documents…I just went from diaper bag to business or day tote. See for yourself…Saks Fifth Avenue Gigi Coated Cotton Canvas Tote.