Good morning and Happy Easter!
I hope you had a good time over the Easter Holiday to relax and meet family or friends.
Today I’d like to know which bag you carry at the moment and what’s in it!
Let’s indulge our inner nosiness and share a peek into our daily lives via the bags we schlep around everywhere we go.
So, spill the beans – what is in your bag?
My Answer:
Right now I am preferring bigger bags rather than smaller, structured ones. I just love the feeling of chucking in whatever I need in the morning and might pick up along the way during the day without worrying about where to put what. (Please excuse the not ideal photos, it was impossible to get good light this week, rain storms and gales all the time.)
My bag of the season is the Madewell Transport Tote in a gorgeous colour called English Saddle which is a deep, rich cognac colour. It is big and unstructured and I love it.
Peeking inside you can see a small inner pocket on one side where I keep my phone and a lip balm, The main compartment holds all the rest.
Since the bag is open-topped I use a big black fabric pouch to keep all my things together and frustrate pick pockets. It can be zipped closed which gives me not only organisatorial advantages but also peace of mind.
Inside the big pouch there are – more pouches! This is the Fort Knox of bags, people!
I like to find things quickly and to avoid such a large bag to turn into a black hole, pouches are fabulous. I know where everything is at all times and yes, I am a bit obesssive about that. 😉
From top left in the upper row there is my cosmetics pouch, sunglass case, Smythson diary, small dark green leather pencil case holding my fountain pen and a pencil and a reusable, foldable shopping tote.
The second row starts with my cardholder (from Robert Horn), my wallet next (also Robert Horn) and finally my Kindle and iPhone.
My cosmetic pouch from Robert Horn holds essentials like powder (Dolce&Gabbana), concealer (Bobbi Brown) and lip gloss (YSL, Clinique and Fresh) and a tinted lip balm (Fresh Sugar Plum). There is also a travel bottle of perfume (Hermès Paprika Brasil), a small Nivea cream pot and my handcream (L’Occitane Lavande).
Please share with us which bag you carry and what is in it, in the comments!
Olfactoria's Travels 
Very nice understatement bag.
Thank you, Vanessa!
This is a fun question!
Large unstructured zippered hobos have always been my favorites. I can pack all kinds of little organizer bags into these big ones, including a cosmetic bag carrying a lipstick, concealer, eye pencil and some solid fragrances, a camera, phone, wallet, umbrella, gloves (in season), a bag for necessary medications, glasses, pen and paper, a book, an old electronic yahtze game and a folded shopping tote similar to yours. Even with all of this I still have plenty of room in these large hobos to stuff them full of clothing and use as flight carry-ons. The only problem I have is that I often end up carrying my husband’s gear as well as my own.
The husband letting you carry his stuff is a bit of a draw-back. 😉
Big bags are back, or is it just my perception?!
Good morning Birgit!Such fun to peek into your handbag,and satisfy my nosy self’s curiosity!Lol!I bought a darkbrown leather Fossil messenger bag,about 4 years ago.It’s got beautiful detail on the outside with copper buckles and intricate stitching.And yes,being a guy,it IS a man-bag!lol.Inside is another hidden pouch that can be zipped closed,and there is an Icon wallet inside.It’s printed with some awesome classic album covers from Nirvana to Franz Ferdinand.It holds access cards to the local train,my freeway e-toll recharge card and my insurance and medical details.My ID- document and my spare key for the car is also in there:you never know when you need that spare key!lol!Oh!And some extra tyre-valves for my wheels(lol):they somehow disappear sometimes after a stop at the garage to inflate my tyres.lol.In the main compartment is my actual wallet with some cash and cards,I don’t like travelling with cards much!I usually only take the amount I might spend in cash,it keeps the budget intact!a Small tub of handcream,and my Vichy lipbalm is also inside here.Under the bags’ flap is another pouch where my phone,diary and car keys usually is.On the very outside of the bag is another pouch containing Orbit gum(always!lol),a stick of Wilson’s Musk pastilles,and a perfume sample of sorts.I just now discovered there’s some forgotten tester strips in there at the moment as well!lol!That’s a sneek peek into my man-bag!Happy Monday!xo
Thanks for sharing your man bag plus inventory. I love this! 🙂
Good morning! Nice question as it gives us opportunity to stop and revise our bags. I am now obsessed with Hexagona bags (owning 3 of them), especially nylon ones (2 already). They are all the same model and so comfortable that made me forget all other bags at once. My winter option is black nylon tote with brown leather handles (spring/summer totes are beige and petrol colour). There are one small zipped pocket in front for holding first aid necessities like nail file, lip balm, pill box and entry card for the office and garage, one zipped pocket at the back for keys, two inside small open pockets for my mobile phone and foldable shopping tote, one zipped inside pocket for other small things. So it’s pretty big to hold all things I may or may not need during the day and so well organized to not waste time for searching. I always keep there my vanity case with a couple of perfume samples or decants (today it’s Nicolai – Sacrebleu and Number One), wallet and hair brush. I like to have all necessary stuff with me but at the same time can’t carry heavy things, so my bag is perfect. Hexagona makes these models in different sizes so I know what will be my next catch as soon as I get near their selling point:)
I’ve not yet heard of these bags, on my google list they go. 🙂
Thanks for sharing, Polinia.
🙂 I love this challenge, but oh, my – where do I start?
During the week I mostly use a long handled Longchamp bag. Inside you will find:
– attached to the handle a small sized LV Pochette Accessoires for ID, CC’s etc.,
– a pouch for all kinds of small stuff – band aids, wet wipes, vouchers and so on,
– a colorful, separatly wrapped shopping bag,
– office key on a red lanyard, so I will always find it,
– chewing gum in an orange tin,
– a flowered zip-log bag (!) with lip balm, gloss, liner and a lipstick and one or two perfume samples (i.e. Jour d’Hermès Absolu)
– small wallet,
– sun glasses,
– gloves,
– foldable umbrella,
– and very important: a tiny flash light that I attached with an LV long chain to the handle of my bag. Can you imagine getting stuck in a subway tunnel without light? I dread the thought!
HAPPY EASTER to you and yours! xo 🙂
Thank you, happyface, I loved the peek into your bag.
I still have this orange chewing gum box from you and I love it so much! 🙂
I LOVE your bag highlights Birgit.
I have an over the shoulder post bag. It was on 50% special and being pleather it started out cheap as chips already, I think I paid about $22. Funnily, it gets compliments regularly.
Inside you’ll find 2 spare pairs of glasses, Niche for Men deodorising wipes, 3 biros, a travel size Poo Pouri spray and a Costume National 10ml So Nude Rollerball. There were also a couple of art gallery invitations long gone that are now in the bin.
Your bag is infinitely more interesting.
Portia x
Poo Pouri??? Your bag sounds interesting enough! 😉
Thanks for sharing, P!
Birgit,
You need to watch this video. It’s changed my life.
Poo Pouri: Our business is to make your business smell like it never even happened
Portia xx
OMG…hahahahahahahaha!!!That’s one seriously funny ad!!Love it!Needed a good hearty laugh today!!
You’re welcome,
Portia xx
Portia, the things I learn from you!!!! Thank you for the great video and the education! 🙂
Oh, you do have a rascally nature in your writing, in your questions, especially today’s question. In the 1990’s, Dame Edna Everage hosted a TV program entitled, Dame Edna’s Neighbourhood Watch, in which Dame Edna would explore a guest’s home discovering embarrassing odds and ends, of a very private nature, tucked away in the back of drawers, found in obscure corners of the guest’s home. Good fun, like your question today!
I have never before been compared to Dame Edna and I’ll take it as a compliment. 😉
I knew I was on the edge–thank you for your understanding–it was a compliment of writing skill and content creation.
I know, thank you very much! 🙂
I’m switching to a new spring bag today. It’s a large zippered hobo, made up of multiple leather flowers in all different colors, made by a local artist and far outside my comfort zone! It has a fun 70s vibe that appealed to me immediately. It’s also very slouchy and bigger than what I usually carry so I will be using a series of pouches to organize all the little things that I seem unable to function without. Your British tan bag is gorgeous, Birgit!
Thank you, ringthing!
Pouches are great, they also make it so easy to change bags.
Enjoy your new spring time bag, it sounds fun!
What a fun question! I recently purchased a second-hand LV Alma Bandoliere (my first LV bag ever!), so I am carrying that. Inside is my agenda, checkbook, cosmetic pouch, wallet, key pouch, iPhone, travel brush, CVS Soothing Hand cream (the best!), and at the bottom a broken bracelet needing to be fixed. Inside one of the bag’s open slots are some random perfume samples: currently Terracotta Voile d’Ete (wearing today), Tam Dao EDP, Atelier Figuier Ardent, and Rosabotanica. The other holds my phone.
A shout-out to my older daughter who gave me the wallet last Mother’s Day. It is a Coach in black saffiano (sp?) leather that wears like iron. With a top zip, it has 6 credit card slots with plenty of additional full-length slots for cash, etc. and a outside zip for coins. Since there’s also room inside for my iPhone 5, a lipgloss, and a tissue, I often grab it by its attached wriststrap for errands on-the-go…easily my most practical accessory. (No, I don’t work for Coach 🙂 )
Wow, a wallet that also fits your phone really seems practical!
Love your perfume samples too.
Thanks for taking is in a tour through your new Alma!
Like you I prefer a big bag for practicality even though over the years an osteopath would probably tell me it’s turned me into a mini John Merrick.
In there: emergency cigarettes (lighter in jacket pocket along with travelcard and keys), bottle of water, least 3 lippies as I don’t clear it out beyond weekly, full makeup kit to put on travelling be it the bus, tube.. and phone chargers.
Scent of the day and like lippies scents of the previous 3. Baby wipes as they work out more cost effective than titchy packs of handwipes and trusty umbrella
Hi Dorothy,
big bags are indeed bad for the back, but sooo practical. 😦
Thanks for sharing yours with us!
I love all the pouches, it makes everything inside look so neat! Ok I have a few pouches but you do it better 🙂 I am currently rotating between a few Longchamp bags, I always carry way to many things: wallet, tissues (in a tissue pouch 🙂 ), glasses, sunglasses, small hairbrush, keys, mobile, sweets, pouch full of powders / lipglosses / handcream / travel perfume … Sometimes also an ereader and camera, rainhat and gloves. And if defintely raining, also umbrella. Sometimes a bottle of water… Gosh I don;t know about you but when people pick up my bag they always say: how heavy!
I often get asked if I carry bricks as well. 😉
Thanks for reading and sharing, Sofia!
Hi BIrgit, I love how you ask the questions we all want to know but were brought up not to ask! ‘What’s in your bag?’ was one I used to get told off for asking! Thank you for indulging me.
Your cognac bag is lovely and looks very soft, with loads of space. I am impressed how organized you are and I’m afraid my answer is not very exciting! Money, keys, receipts, sunglasses etc. However my plan is to start with a nice new leather bag and a new wallet and I will be super-organized and more importantly, chic!
That sounds like a great plan!
The internet makes me bold, hehe.
I would never dare to put that question to anyone in person. 😉
My go-to bag is an ombre leather Prada. The way the leather transitions from light grey to dark really makes it suitable for just about any outfit. I keep my regular cosmetics pouch, which is made of pink leather and vintage kimono pieces, from my very best friend in the world who runs a small fashion design brand called Pinky’s Daily Planner. In it I always keep hand lotion (right now I am using Bee Lovely from Neal’s Yard), a MAC Studio Fix compact, Lanolips 101 ointment, Ellis Faas L207 Milky Lips, and a small vial of 4160 Tuesdays Sexiest Scent on the Plant for.. emergencies. I’m usually carrying a bottle of water – half water / half coconut water / squeeze of half a lemon or a small shot of my green smoothie recipe. Plus whatever book I am currently reading, notebooks and a gorgeous pen my mom sent me from the States. The bottom of my bag is like a nest of perfume sampling strips though!
Your water bottle alone sounds fabulous! The rest of your bag is no less intriguing, thanks for sharing, bgirlrhapsody!
I love how organized everything is in your bag. When I grow up… Ok, kidding. I just need to find one day and take pictures of the content of my purse. It’s organized differently from yours but it has its strange reasoning.
Strange reasoning – yes, that’s my bag too, Undina! I also subscribe to the pouch system but with specific exceptions. And two of the pouches have such a broad collection of tiny things no one would ever believe it.
Thank goodness for my current forest-green canvas Dooney & Burke tote. I’ve spilled water in it like three times this semester. It betrays nothing of all this.
Sounds like a great bag, indestructible. 🙂
Strange reasoning is good! You should find your stuff, no one else.
You’re so damn organised! I’m completely in awe 🙂
In my clutch-sized ba there are just the neccessities. A large, mauve-coloured Bulgari portemonnaie. Keys. Tissues. Dr Bronner hand disinfectant (organic, lavender scented). A thin bag with basic toiletries. Rarely: an rms lip-cheek tint or gloss or concealer. Rarely: fragrance. A minuscule Swiss army knife – a key chain size one, but complete with scissors, nail file, toothpick 😀
Oh and these days a functional, sleek black Arcteryx beanie; the weather in Berlin is “April macht was er will” style – unpredictable 😀
I am probably too lazy to be vain. (Not that your bag looks vain, not at all! – just thinking out loud and comparing to girlfriends’ who carry around a whole beauty case)
Oh, I am vain and quite aware of it, so no offence taken. 🙂
The weather here is similar to yours, so I carry a small umbrella too.
I wish I was as organized with larger spaces than bags as well… 😉
Thanks for sharing your bag, Nath. I admire your ability to fit all you need into a clutch!
Hehe, vanity oh vanity 😉
I am now not wearing any umbrella, have become an ardent fan of functional outerwear (stylish, that is), and must say it’s a bliss. With the severe winds over here, umbrellas hardly live up to the expectations.
P.S. The clutch-fitting zen has been honed for Y.E.A.R.S. and has involved some back pain and other issues in the past 😀