Everything A Beauty Editor Keeps In Her 'Purse Bowl'
Francesca is the Beauty Editor at Adore Beauty. With a background in glossy mags and bylines in publications like Marie Claire, ELLE and BODY+SOUL, Francesca has turned her love of beauty into a career. Whether she's decoding buzzy ingredients or road testing lip glosses (so. many. glosses.), her approach to beauty is equal parts glamour and highly-considered.
If you haven’t stumbled across the ‘purse bowl’ trend on TikTok yet, prepare to have your mind pleasantly blown.
Well...kind of. Like all good things, the trend derived from #beautyTok with the term coined by creator @cocotakes.
The premise is simple; designating a chic bowl (think: something stylish enough to grace your coffee table or hallway console) as the go-to spot for dropping your handbag (and all its contents) the moment you walk in the door.
As someone who likes to switch out bags on the daily - I'm obsessed. It feels like the perfect antidote to my eternal handbag chaos. Lost keys, rogue lipsticks, 17 different hand creams and missing hair elastics are instantly contained and easy to find.
The trend elevates tedious everyday organisation (blah!) into something stylish and Instagram-worthy (très chic!).
So, in the spirit of 'purse-bowl'-ing, I thought it would be fun to share all the beauty and wellness contents of my purse (and now purse-bowl).
L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream - 150ml: The crème de la crème of hand creams. She's rich, buttery, and doesn't leave that greasy or wet feeling. Enriched with 20% Shea Butter for long-lasting nourishment, there are lingering notes of Jasmine and Ylang-Ylang for the ultimate self-care moment.
OPI ProSpa Nail & Cuticle Oil To Go: As someone who nervous picks at their hands (I know, I'm working on it) , this lightweight oil has been a gamechanger. It's dosed with a myriad of oils - Grape Seed, Sesame, Kukui, Sunflower and Cupuaçut to soften and condition my poor cuticles. They also just make nails look cleaner and more polished?! A win!
Benefit Cosmetics Hoola Wave Bronzing Balm: Testing this product for a recent Beauty IQ article, I outed myself as bronzer-obsessed. I keep one on hand at all times and this formula has earned a spot in my regular line up. It's a true warm taupe (not orange-y), that's ideal for sculpting without any muddy cast. It's deliciously creamy, and buffs out a dream for natural, blurred dimension.
Yves Saint Laurent Lash Clash Mascara Black: The sleek brush. The sky-high lift. The fluttery volume. I'm a ride-or-die for this formula. It's the perfect balance of wet pigment, for a dark, laquered finish and wax for strong hold and lasting volume. I usually oscillate between two of these bad boys to ensure I always have on hand. It's THAT good.
La Roche-Posay Anthelios Invisible Fluid Facial Sunscreen SPF 50+: SPF always! Yes, I'm that friend that will take out my SPF to make sure everybody reapplies. No apologies. This formula is top-tier and deserves prime real estate in handbags everywhere.
Dr. Bronner's Hand Sanitizer - Lavender: If Covid taught me one thing, it was to keep bougee sanitisers on hand - always. Free from alcohol, this gentle formula is dosed with an organic glycerin to hydrate palms while effectively cleansing. Also worth noting: Dr. Bronner Lavender is the scentway Bella Hadid uses for her shower routine so... I'm sold!
Prada Paradoxe EDP 10ml: A Mini Prada Paradoxe - are you kidding me?! With sparkling notes of Calabrian Bergamot and a juicy Pear Accord, each spritz transports me to balmy Summer evenings spent sipping overpriced cocktails with the girls. Heaven! It's sophisticated, yet playful. Anchored with Neroli and Jasmine Sambac lend an alluring sense of romance (without being too powdery or cliche).
ELEVEN Australia Styling Brush in Box - Small: A staple for frizzy-haired girls like me. Small but mighty, the combination of boar and nylon bristles detangle and smooth strands with ease. Bonus points for the glossy sheen it leaves behind.
La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5+ 40ml: You can't convince me otherwise - a generous slather of this miracle cream can fix even those most dire of skin sitches. The updated formula is enriched with Tribioma, an innovative prebiotic complex, to hydrate, soothe and reinforce the skin’s moisture barrier.
IKOU De-Stress Aromatherapy Roll-On: The only kind of woo-woo wellness I'm prescribing to. I'm a big believer in the power of fragrance (and it's ability to boost mood), so a pulse point roller somehow makes sense to me. IKOU's De-Stress boasts a blend of Geranium, Mandarin, Lemon, Lavender and Patchouli oils to instantly calm and relax the senses.
Now when it comes to lips, my bag holds a plethora. I'm talking upwards of 5 (minimum) and averaging a healthy 9. It's part of who I am. I don't feel complete without my emotional support lippies in tow.
Here are three standout formulas:
Huda Beauty Faux Filler Gloss: The glossiest of glosses there ever was. The finish is equal parts slick (I'm talking mirror-ball shine) and pigmented (one swipe is full-coverage). There's a slight tackiness (which I personally enjoy), deep hydration and level of plump that give the filler-like finish. I'll take one in every shade please!
MAKE UP FOR EVER Artist Color Pencil: Beloved by MUA's (and me), Make Up For Ever's pigmented pencils are the ultimate multi-taskers. Whether you’re lining (or in my case, overlining) lips or adding a pop of colour to cheeks, eyes, wherever you'd like, their creamy texture glides across skin delivering intense colour that lasts without smudging.
Gucci Beauty Gloss A Levres Plumping Lip Gloss - 117 - Joslyn Clair: The tingle is subtle, the plumping effect is not. This is one of my favourite formulas (no easy feat given my deep love of lip plumpers). It's brimming with Menthol, Ginger Roots and Cayenne Pepper extracts for the heightened plumping & cooling effect. Gucci reports an impressive +22%* lip volume increase after use - a statistic I personally believe in. Added Hyaluronic Acid improve hydration and leave lips feel pillowy and plush.
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