In My Bag: Fashion Week Essentials

Today’s the day. It’s finally here! … And I am utterly unprepared, per usual, which will make for some high-quality content around here the next few days.

Oh, and you know what that means: FASHION WEEK RECAPS ARE COMING!

Like many of my peers, I’ve spent the past few days getting ready to set out for another week of bat-shit crazy Fashion Week antics. Running up, down and across town from show-to-show is a lot of fun, but it also means long days and heavy handbags.

As a girl-on-the-go, one of the most important pre-NYFW tasks you can do is plan to pack your bag ahead-of-time. So, naturally, I tend to wait until the morning-of to do this.

Either way, since the task at-hand is an essential one, I thought I’d give you a little peek inside the purse I’m carrying for most of this week.

**

Meet my reversible black tote from Nordstrom. I saw it on the site last week, bought it immediately and have been carrying it ever since. It’s big — not baggy — and it fits all of my Fashion Week essentials. Plus, it looks a lot more expensive than it actually is. (See for yourself!)

Here are a few of my must-haves for surviving New York Fashion Week:

// STYLE REQUISITES

• Street Level reversible tote bag: The latest affordable addition to my fall wardrobe.
• Michael Kors jetset slim wallet: To organize cab receipts, business cards and show tickets.
• Tieks: At some point, your feet will hurt, so these foldable flats are a must.
• Sunglasses: Whether they’re aviators, Prada’s infamous Baroque shades, or a classic tortoise hue, sunnies are essential for hiding a multitude of snooze-related sins committed during NYFW.
• Spare earrings: This pair from Loren Hope touches on every shade in the color spectrum, so they go with everything (plus, they’re on sale).

*Click the items below to shop my style requisites:

// DIGITAL ESSENTIALS

Because, duh.

• My iPhone, obs — and a chic-and-sturdy phone case. Last Fashion Week, I dropped and shattered my phone at the Kate Spade presentation. (Disturbin’ tha PEACE! No wonder I have to sneak in every year.)
• Two Mophie phone chargers and a shitload of charging cords. In-between shows, it’s fun to find WiFi, kick back, people-watch, and write my recaps.
• An iPad, which is what I write my NYFW content on during the day (in cabs, waiting for shows, etc).
• This Fujifilm instax camera is fun to bring to parties and blogger get-togethers. Instant Polaroid-style pics!
• Some days I’ll carry my Canon T3i camera, too.

*Click the items below to shop my digital essentials:

// BEAUTY MUSTS

• Super-glam stuff, like Visine, hand sanitizer and portable Q-tips.
• Stila convertible lip & cheek cream. This one’s a double-whammy — and it doesn’t budge.
• My mascara of the moment — Make Up For Ever’s smoky extravagant mascara.
• Tarte‘s oil blotting papers, which are naturally derived and ideal for on-the-go touch-ups.
• Oscar Blandi texture and volume spray for a much-needed mid-day pick-me-up.
• NARS matte lip pencils are my favorite — as you can see from the photo above (on the left), I’m due to pick up another in “Never Say Never.”
• I always carry the color nail polish I’m wearing, just in case (/if and when) I chip my nails.

*Click the items below to shop my beauty musts:

// STRAIGHT SUSTENANCE

I saved the best for last, you guys: Foooood. I’m the type of person who is constantly thinking about where her next meal is coming from (#fatjoke), which is why you’ll find snacks on snacks on SNACKS in my handbag.

• Nourish Snacks: A friend of mine (Julia) introduced me to Nourish Snacks awhile back, and I’ve been hooked ever since. They’re portion-control snack packs — each 200 calories or less — made with natural, non-GMO ingredients. These make you feel less guilty if you, say, dove head-first into a large pizza after a jam-packed day of shows and a few (too many) martinis the night prior. You know? Hypothetical situation. Anyway, you can shop Nourish a la cart (get “Mr. Popular!”) or sign up for a monthly delivery, which is what I have.
• Coffee, of course. I am never not drinking coffee during Fashion Week. In fact, I’m usually double-fisting champagne and Starbucks. Talk about efficiency, huh? Breakfast, lunch and dinner of champions.
• … And aspirin/various medicinal cures, as a result.

*Click to browse and shop Nourish snacks.

***

*Click here to follow along on Twitter & Instagram, where I’ll be sharing updates (and shenanigans) in real-time.
… Ready? New York Fashion Week 2014, guys… Here goes nothing!

@coralsncognacs on Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

//