What’s In My Bag: A Peek Into Miranda’s Bag

If the eyes are the window to the soul, your bag is definitely a peek into your more earthly priorities. After all, if we're willing to lug around an extra five to 10 pounds of stuff every day, the contents of our bag must say something about us, right? Here, W2Beauty social media intern Miranda Rico lets us in on her totable treasures.

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I often say my purse is my best friend. It has gone with me to multiple countries, job interviews, concerts, you name it.

At the moment, my purse is a bit empty in comparison to the usual receipt-filled, lipstick-hoarded mess that I lug around on a daily basis. In a perfect world, though, this is what you’d find in my bag.

My Bag: Louis Vuitton Speedy 30

I grew up being absolutely obsessed with fashion, the history of designers, and everything in between. I have always loved the classic shape of the Speedy design and was desperately saving miniscule parts of my student budget up to purchase one. One glorious Christmas morning, however, I opened a big brown box from my parents with the bag beautifully placed inside. It’s one of the most thoughtful gifts I’ve ever received. Officially dubbed the “Mary Poppins bag” by my friends, I can fit nearly everything in here — groceries, multiple pairs of shoes, water bottles, you name it.

Keys

I often get called a “janitor” because of the size of my keys. My keys are like a scrapbook of everyone I care about. Each keychain has meaning — the white cat is from one of my best friends from her trip to Disney World; the wooden cat is from another best friend from her trip to Italy. My personal favorite is the Cadillac keychain, which is from my abuela’s first car (and major purchase) when she immigrated to America. It’s a constant reminder of the sacrifices she made for my family, and I was honored to receive it as a gift when I got my license.

Lip Balm: Tony Moly Banana Lip Balm

As a caffeine addict, I have perpetually dry lips. I prefer cute designs because not only do I feel more inclined to apply it, they typically come in super yummy scents. Tony Moly’s Banana Lip Balm smells amazing and has an applicator that perfectly hugs my lips.

Lip Gloss: Eternal Basic Lip Gloss

I got this at a little Japanese cosmetic store next to my house. I originally purchased it because of the adorable bunny design, but have come to realize that it’s one of the best glosses I’ve ever used. It has really beautiful blue microglitter, and provides a glossy, shiny effect with minimal product. I bring this instead of my lipstick because it protects my lippies from fading off.

Sunscreen: Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence

I think everyone knows why I carry this. It’s truly the best sunscreen of all time — clear, moisturizing, smells great, and has amazing protection. I keep it on hand for reapplication and when I’m wearing shoulder-revealing clothing. I can’t stand any body sunscreens, so I use this for body parts that are exposed to the sun, as well as my tattoos.

Hand Cream: HipHop Monster Secret Baby Hand Cream in Rap Monster

I hate hand creams for the most part — I just can’t stand the greasy feeling they leave, plus I get headaches from fragrance really easily. One of my dearest friends bought this for me because she knows how much I love RapMon of BTS. I ended up really liking the baby powder scent and found it works nicely on my elbows, so in the bag it stays.

Hand Mirror

I got this precious little guy at the Line Friends store in Myeongdong and am so happy I did! It’s so cute, easy to clean, and allows me to look at myself 24/7 (hello, conceited!). It’s funny seeing the difference in people’s reactions when I’m in the U.S. vs. Seoul; in Seoul, it was no big deal — what 22-year-old girl in Korea doesn’t own a cute hand mirror? In the U.S., however, I get constant gasps and aww’s and questions on where I purchased it.

Nail Clippers

I am constantly, constantly biting my nails! My hands are always finding their way to my mouth, and I am fully aware of the nastiness and dangers associated with it. I got this at the Innisfree shop in the airport when I had to endure a 24-hour layover (anxiety = extreme nail biting). I also find this super useful for cutting off loose threads on my clothes or snipping off split ends.

Sunglasses: Double Lovers in Deodorant Red

Of all the sunglasses I’ve owned, these are my favorite pair to date. I purchased these in Hongdae the first time I visited. While they’re not a terribly special design, they flatter my round face, don’t give me a headache (am I the only one who suffers from sunglasses-induced migraines?!), and match nearly everything I wear. I still need to find out how to prevent nose marks in my foundation, so if anybody out there has a solution, please let me know!

Pen

Anyone: “Does anyone have a pen?”

Me: “I do, but it’s purple. Is that okay?”

The answer is usually no, but I love colored pens, even for official documents.

Eye Drops: Similasan Complete Eye Relief

My eyes water like crazy. I’m not positive as to why, but all I know is that eye drops help a lot. I try to apply before makeup, but for days I forget, I reach for these. They’re a homeopathic blend and don’t sting.

Yellow Calcite

I keep this stone in my bag because it is known to help with disorders affecting the endocrine system — more specifically, PCOS. I don’t really think it does much, but it’s kept a permanent place in my bag for years now.

Elegua Keychain

Elegua is a saint from the Santeria religion that was assigned to me by my family’s priest. Although I don’t dabble much in my family religion any longer, I find a lot of myself in him — youthful, playful, and loves candies. He also is the saint of new roads and pathways, which gives me hope when I’m feeling uninspired in my career as a writer. Santeria is such a misunderstood, unknown religion to those outside of it, but those within the religion view it as a representation of hope, happiness, and stability. This is a nice reminder of not only where I come from but where I’m going.

What’s in your bag? (And how big a bag does it have to be for all your stuff?)  ?