This bag is my end all be all. Seriously, I may never buy another purse again.
I received my treasured Pop & Suki bag as an early 19th birthday gift (thanks Mom!) and I've been in love with it ever since. It's the perfect bag for any occasion; shopping, running errands, girl's night out, etc. It can be dressed up or down and it's highly accessorizable. The best part about it though is it's personalized.
If you know me, you know that I love a good monogram. I cannot count the number of items with my name or initials. What's special about this personalization is the location. Having my name on the bottom of the bag is cheeky and sly. It's not obvious when I have the bag on my shoulder, but any time I take it off or lay it down there's a bit of a surprise.
A bit about the brand. Pop & Suki was created by best friends, Poppy Jamie and Suki Waterhouse, who wanted to create their "what-if" products. Both gals come from the fashion industry and you can tell that they know what they're doing. I'll always support a best friend brand, but another reason I shop Pop & Suki is that they offer some of their products in vegan leather. Right now, you can buy a select number of their bags & accessories (including the Camera Bag) in vegan noir and vegan cotton candy (the two best colors)! So, shop eco-friendly and opt for vegan leather. I dare you.
My only concern when ordering this bag was the size. As you'll see, I like to keep all of the essentials in my bag in case of emergency. For this reason, I need to have a bag that's big enough. On the other hand, I'm tired of carrying around my Le Pliage tote; it's too big and unnecessary. The bag is definitely on the smaller side, but I love that it's sturdy enough to fit everything I need without bulging on the side.
Now, on to what all I keep in it. Obviously, I always have my iPhone and my wallet. I also keep my earbuds, which I actually don't use that often and could probably take out. Last year, I broke my phone and could only take calls through my earbuds, but since then I've gotten a new phone and I keep them in there out of habit (shameless plug - did you read my post on habits?).
I despise chapped lips, like my soul hates chapped lips. So I always have a chapstick on my and it's either the Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus lip balm or the Burt's Bees original lip balm, which is my true ride or die. The one I have in there now is actually my customized "Lauren's Bees" (are you seeing a pattern here? I love my name ok) that I got for Christmas.
In the summer, I always have my sunglasses because there's nothing worse than the sun blaring into your eyes while you drive. I'm clumsy and I break things, so my current sunnies are a $20 pair from J.Crew that have somehow lasted the whole summer.
In theme with my clumsiness, I keep a Tide to go stick. I find stains so embarrassing, and yet somehow I always seem to spill a drink on myself or sit in something gross. My Tide stick has saved my outfit countless times.
Another lifesaver is my travel Lysol. Make fun of me all you want, but I've recently embraced being a bit of a germaphobe. I Lysol anything foreign that touches my skin; the life jacket on the boat in Los Cabos, a fork I dropped on the floor, and my reusable straws before and after I use them. Better safe than sorry.
I know for a fact that every one of you reading has heard that plastic straws are terrible for the environment. To reduce my carbon footprint, I purchased Softy Straws! They're dishwasher safe, reusable silicone straws and they happen to sell an all pink pack. I prefer the look and feel of a metal straw, but I need ones that fit in my bag and these you can fold. Highly recommend.
Last but not least, a keep a tampon because you never know when Mother Nature might strike. What's interesting here is not that I keep an emergency tampon, but the brand of tampon that I use. Forget Playtex, Kotex, and Tampax—Cora is the best. Their cotton is free of pesticides, insecticides, forced labor, child labor, and unfair wages. Plus, every month that you buy Cora products, they provide a month's supply of period products to girls in developing countries. What's better than that?
What purse do you use and what's in it? Also, do you call it a purse or a handbag? I'd love to know. xx, Lauren
