Handbag Must Haves

The busy girls guide to on the go product necessities...

Preparation is key to always looking flawless, you never know where the day might take you and you have to be prepared for all eventualities, by that I mean rain or last minute drinks with the girls after work, I'm not talking survival kit here - just the beauty basics.

No product delivers a hair refresh quite like the Living Proof Instant Texture Mist, if your hair is anything like mine then after an eight hour stint at work it certainly is not looking quite its best, I say embrace the boho vibe - spritz in a little of this magic spray and work it in with your fingers, I promise this will bring your hair back to life, think volume, texture, that little something something that makes the boys heads turn. This feels super lightweight on the hair and delivers a perfect balance of bounce, definition and separation. It is also worth noting that this formula is free from silicones, parabens and sulphates. Next time you pop into your local Space NK treat your hair to a spritz of this.

Another product I cannot stop spritzing is The Body Shop's Fuji Green Tea Eau de Cologne, this fresh sexy summer scent is a recent launch so as you can imagine I have been dowsing myself in this daily for work, It is a classic sophisticated citrus fresh fragrance that is wearable for both day and night with notes of green tea, bergamot, lemon, mandarin and jasmine. The rest of the range is equally as exciting with body sorbets, scrubs and even bath tea - definitely worth checking out.

If I had to choose one product to carry with me at all times I would have to opt for a pressed translucent powder - it is hardly an exciting product choice but believe me it is an essential, my skin type is oily so in a bid to control excess oil I purchased the Rimmel stay matte powder, the formula is fine and very natural looking on the skin, I just stipple this onto my T zone to banish shine, I like to keep my cheeks powder free to keep that glowy radiant healthy looking sheen.

If you emptied the contents of my handbag out I can assure you that you would discover about ten different lip products, from balms, to scrubs to liners my bag is full of them, for the purposes of this post however I will only discuss my very bare essentials so I have whittled it down to three lip laquers and two lip liners. Without a doubt the best lip liners on the high street are the Rimmel Exaggerate Liners, these retractable creamy liners are perfect for creating a full dramatic look. My two favourite shades are East End Snob - a cool toned matte light pink and Addiction - a more neutral tones nude. Both shades are very wearable and compliment my skin tone nicely. If I want more of a colour pop I normally opt for a Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Lip- these are very pigmented and have the finish of a satin liquid lipstick with incredible staying power. My all time favourite shade is Frambourjois - a rich deep raspberry hue with warm undertones, this is so flattering and works well with classic cat eye liner and lashings of mascara. Another Velvet Lip hue I have recently been loving is Peach Club - a warm apricot shade, this looks great with a dramatic smoky eye. For more of a day time look I like to use the Bourjois Aqua Laque in the shade Appechissant - a glossy neutral pink with an intense high shine. All three have a lovely easy to use applicator that is always loaded with product.

So there you have it - my beauty basics for busy girls on the go. Have you tired any of these must haves yet?

Disclaimer - Although I work for The Body Shop this in no way effects my opinion.