In my experience, nobody knows more about expecting the unexpected than U of T’s own commuter collegiettes. Before we leave for class, there are a million things we’ve have to remember to bring, “just in case.” There are particular things that I’ve learned are essential when commuting an hour and a half to start my 8 hour day. Luckily, these essentials are stowed away in my light, compact, cosmetic bag – the best kept weapon for us commuters against fly aways, bad hair days, running mascara, and chipped nails.
Deciding what you want to put into your cosmetic bag can be a little difficult. The first step is to figure out what you don’t want to be caught without. To give you an idea of what I mean, I think it’s best that I reveal what’s in my own cosmetic bag!
It is so easy to find a great cosmetic bag. All major make-up retailers carry them. If you’re looking for something fun and affordable, Forever 21 and Victoria Secret have great prints on their cosmetic bags for awesome prices!
The Essentials:
1) Lady products (Tampons and pads)
- These are essential even if it’s not your time of the month. Nobody want’s to be the girl who has to ask people if they have a pad or a tampon in a low whispered voice. Spare yourself the trouble, and carry a couple with you. You can be the girl they thank in hushed tones of gratitude. Most of the name brand companies sell travel friendly versions of all their products. They can be tucked away easily and aren’t heavy at all.
2) Advil/Tylenol
- What sucks about being a commuter is that you don’t have the comforts of your own space when you’re feeling sick on campus. When your day is jampacked with classes and you can’t make it home, it is great to have aspirin on-hand. The last thing you want to do when you’re feeling down is to sit through a 3 hour lecture with a headache. A lot of drug stores carry to-go sizes of aspirin that are no bigger than a tube of lip gloss.
- DIY Idea: If you’ve got medication that you’re supposed to take, (for me it’s allergy medicine) and want to put it in a kind of to-go container instead of taking the whole tub of pills with you, instead of throwing away your old Eos lip balm, clear out the remaining balm and give it a wash. You can use the empty container to store any medication you might need to take with you!
3) Lip Balm/Lip Stick/Lip Stain
- Dry chapped lips do not make you feel good, and they definitely don’t look good either. Most balm’s are small and can easily fit into your cosmetic bag, or your pocket! If you’re rocking a colored lip and want to maintain it throughout the day, bring your lipstick with you or bring a lip liner that’s the same color. Every once in a while, just touch up a couple spots and you’ll be good to go!
4) Nail File(s)
- Nothing feels worse against your skin than a broken or torn nail. If you’ve got a nail file handy, you can file that sucker down as soon as you realize it’s there. A lot of companies sell travel-friendly sizes and they come in small boxes of about 10-15ish files per box. You can invest in one quality file, or just opt for the cardboard ones that are pretty cheap (like me!).
5) Band Aids
- Band Aids are the staple in every first aid kit, and you should definitely keep a couple of these with you all the time. Not only can you use these bad boys for those killer paper cuts but they can also be used on the back of your heels to shield them from your shoes if needed!
6) Tide To-Go
- I have to admit that when this product came out I was really skeptical, but Tide To-Go is about the size of my index figure, and has saved me from having to walk around with the shame of a coffee stain on my t-shirt. Like the Band-Aids, you won’t be using this too often (I hope!) so it will last you at least a year.
7) Q-tips
- The great thing about carrying a couple Q-tips around with you is that they can be used for so many things! Running mascara, smudging eyeliner, and bleeding lipstick are among other things can be taken care of with just one Q-tip.
8) Bobby Pins and Hair Ties
- Virtually weightless and tiny, these accessories come in handy once in a while to deal with fly aways, a bun that won’t stay in place, or those situations where having your hair up would make life a lot easier. Everybody comes into a three-hour lecture with hair down and nicely curled. By lecture’s end, there’re messy knots and ponytails as far as the eye can see. If you toss a couple of each in your cosmetic bag, you won’t even notice they’re there until you realize you need them of course!
9) Eye Liner
- There is nothing worse (to me) than looking in the mirror only to find that my perfectly winged eyeliner has faded and smudged during the school day. I always carry a backup with me just in case! If eyeliner isn’t a priority, bring something else along that is- mascara, brow pencil, concealer, etc.
Here are some additional items that, while not necessary, are very helpful:
10) Body Mist/Perfume/Spray
- Most body mists aren’t as compact as we’d like, but some perfume/body mist companies do sell travel friendly sizes- I lucked out and found one that’s the size of my thumb (it even fits in my cosmetic bag!). When it’s that time of the year (exam/essay month) and you’re feeling a bit grungy, a small spritz will definitely liven you up!
11) Hand Sanitizer
- Companies like Purell and Bath and Body make it so easy to have hand sanitizer with you at all times. Although they might not fit in your cosmetic bag, if you fasten it to the strap of your handbag or a loop on your backpack you’ll hardly notice it’s there. Hand Sanitizer is essential for me, especially considering the amount of subway poles I have to hold on to in the morning (yuck).
12) Hand Lotion
- Even though lotion might not be an essential, it does come in handy when you get that awkward dry feeling on your hands after you’ve used the generic soap UofT provides us with. Once the winter comes, I move this up to my list of essentials.
13) Facial Tissues
- Whether you’re using tissues to wipe away excess make-up or just to catch your sneeze, it’s always a good idea to carry some with you. Most drug stores carry travel sized packs of tissues for under 50 cents!
Miguel de Cervantes once said, “To be prepared is half the victory.” Although he might not have had a vintage polka dot cosmetic bag, we commuters will be ready to tackle anything that comes our way.