7 Must Haves' in Every Naija's Chic Bag

Sunscreen Cream

This is something almost every girl I know skips from her daily regime. Not only is it important to apply sunscreen before you go out in the sun, it is also equally as important to re-apply it on every exposed part of your body when you have been out in the sun for a long time (this is also dependent on the strength of the sunscreen and your skin. To read more). Sun damage is responsible for up to 70 percent of the visible signs of ageing, skin cancer – caused by overexposure to the sun. A portable sunscreen in your handbag will do your skin justice. At your prime, you will look at your skin and know that you did the right thing when you were a chic.

Aubrey Organics Natural Sunscreen - Green Tea

Anthelios 50 Mineral Ultra Light Sunscreen Fluid

Sunglasses

Hate the attention it attracts from people, Love the protection it provides. The sunlight here gets really bright and your delicate eyes need the cover. I have noticed (myself included) that many Nigerian women suffer from hyper-pigmentation and sun burns around the eye area. To reduce or hinder this from happening,  sunglasses will go a long way.

L - R: Roxy Raf 1 Sunglasses and Spy Clarice Sunglasses

Hand fans

According to my convenient buddy, Wiki, ‘it is a hand-held device used to induce airflow for the purpose of cooling or refreshing oneself’. The very privileged chic have a fully functional air cooling system in her car, office and home but she cannot escape those times in the church, bank, some restaurants (and yes even posh ones sometimes get hot), shopping malls/market and the list could go on. What I am trying to highlight is that being in a country with a hot climate; one always requires this lightweight, easy and multipurpose device. I say multi-purpose because I use it sometimes to shade my face from the inevitable enduring sunshine.

Hand Sanitizer

Must I say why you need this? From the handling of dirty currencies to the general hygiene of our dusty environment, the hand sanitizer comes very handy in avoiding the spread of germs and bacteria.

Handkerchief / Mini Serviette Tissue / Wipes

For all the reasons above and so much more, any of these options you choose to have is a must for every chic’s handbag. Since Nigeria is also a very dusty environment, you will need to wipe loads of dirt off chairs, handle of doors/cars, your sleek shoes, etc.

Travel-size Perfumes or Body Mist/Spritz/Refresher

Oh my, oh my, who can actually miss this? They come in different sizes from 5ml to 50ml to fit perfectly into your bag. You need them because High sunshine = Very sweaty = Very Sticky = Very smelly (lol). No one likes the last stop on those very busy days.

Water

Hydration! Hydration!! Hydration!!! I don’t know how people survive without a bottle of water in their bags. This helps me keep hunger and over-snacking at bay. I also read somewhere that drinking water is also one of the cheapest beauty treatments around, it helps to promote a clearer, more radiant complexion. Whether true or not, one thing I am sure of is that water replenishes skin tissues, moisturizes the skin and increases its skin elasticity.