What's in my handbag?

This is my bag. I bought it last year from Primark. It was retailed somewhere between £8-£10. I absolutely love this bag. It is really spacious which is great at that is something I always look for when purchasing a bag. It is extremely soft and durable material. It is also a very neutral coloured bag which goes with pretty much every single outfit.

Something I find really essential to keep within my handbag is deodorant. Particularly in summer when the hotter weather is coming in it is always great when you are out and about to be able to give yourself a little freshen up when and if need be. This deodorant I find is particularly great with my asthma and causes no issues.

I make sure I never leave the house without my purse as this contains all my essentials for daily life (my money, bank cards, medic alert card etc.) I know I would not be able to survive a trip out of the house without my purse!

I always like to carry my medication around with me so if I stay over at a friend's house or am unexpectedly taken into hospital I do not have to worry about not having medication with me. I was getting bored of keeping my medication in a food bag so decided to make some use out of an old purse. I placed tablet strips within the purse so it not only makes it less conspicuous but makes having to carry around medication less scary.

I carry around a toothbrush and small toothpaste not only in case I am to stay over at a friend's house or be taken into hospital while I am out and about, but also in case when I am in a public toilet I want to brush my teeth. It also saves on buying mints/chewing gum.

I have only recently started carrying about a make-up bag with me but I absolutely love mine so how could I resist? It was £3 from Tiger (a shop in one of my local shopping centres) and if you're interested in what I keep in it you can check out my "What's in my make-up bag? blog further down).

I make sure I always carry around my spacer for my inhalers. I cannot properly take evohalers without it (this includes my blue ventolin inhaler) so it is a must for me to carry about with me).

I keep my two epi-pens, ventolin evohaler, piriton tablets and seretide evohaler in a small, clear, plastic wallet I got with a bigger one too from Poundland for £1. It is really handy to keep everything in as not only does it keep everything together but it keeps my inhalers clean and also helps keep all my medication together for easy access if I were to require it.

I carry about both my sunglasses and distance glasses within my sunglasses case I got from Primark from £2 last year. Although the case is bulky it is great only having to carry around one case with me and means that if I am out and about while it gets sunny I have my sunglasses with me.

I always used to need a pen when I didn't have one on me so now I don't have that problem anymore. I carry about this old make-up bag in which I have put: highlighters, pens, pencils, a ruler and my USB stick. It is really compact and light weight for carrying around and great for taking to University with me.

Due to being anaphylactic (severely allergic) to a lot of soaps I always ensure I have an anti-bacterial hand gel with me to use in public toilets or to clean my hands. This particular one was bought from the Body Shop and is in the scent 'satsuma'. It is also part of their 3 for £5 deal.

I personally never really use tissues as I am not the biggest fan of how they feel against my face but people tend to ask me if I have a tissue. Before I never used to but now I tend to always have some with me.

I carry around my feminine products (sanitary towels, tampons, panty liners etc.) with me in a cute little zip purse. A great tip is to get one of these little purses/bags and place a selection of products within it as sometimes you end up caught out while you are out. It is really great for if you end up with a heavier or lighter period so you have a choice for which one you can use.

A big must have within my handbag! I always carry around my Easi-Breathe inhaler. I find this a lot easier to use (as long as I am not having breathing difficulties) than my ventolin evohaler which I need to use a spacer with.

Always great to carry around a spare hair brush within your handbag. You can get them really cheaply out of places like Primark and some Poundlands. Particularly if you live in a really windy or wet climate your hair can get really out of control. Or even if you just want to put your hair up into a ponytail or bring it down if it was originally up.

 I absolutely HATE with a passion hangnails or chipping a nail so this is a great thing to carry around with me. Sometimes when I get bored on the bus somewhere I will bring out my nail file and casually sit filling me nails.

Scottish summer only tends to last a day so one of these is a must have in my handbag (it's been a definite over the past few days). They are really light, compact and fit easily into handbags. You can also get them pretty cheaply out of shops so it is not at much expense to you and protects you from the rain. Definitely worth it in my opinion.

I like having a set of tweezers with me because sometimes I see a stray hair that I really want to pluck. They are also great for if you drop small things, picking them up. Also great if you happen to get any splinters when you are out and about.

The final item in my handbag is my British Heart Foundation volunteer badge. I keep it in my handbag so I know where it is at all times and I never forget it at home.

30 things about my chronic illnesses

(30 chronic illness tag questions taken from imallergictolife.blogspot.co.uk)

1. The illnesses I live with are: 

• Benign Essential Tremor
• Brittle Asthma
• Multiple allergies
• Anaphylaxis
• PCOS (Polycystic ovarian syndrome)
• Depression
• Reflex Anoxic Seizures

2. I was diagnosed with them in the year:

• Benign Essential Tremor (April 2008)
• Brittle Asthma (Diagnosed as asthmatic April 2009, re-diagnosed as brittle asthmatic November 2011)
• Multiple allergies (Diagnosed at 4 years old with allergies, re-diagnosed August 2011 with multiple allergies)
• Anaphylaxis (August 2011)
• PCOS (Polycystic ovarian syndrome) (December 2013)
• Depression (February 2014)
• Reflex Anoxic Seizures (April 2014)

3. But I have had symptoms since:

• Benign Essential Tremor (I was 10 years old, 2004)
• Brittle Asthma (I was 4/5 years old, 1998/1999)
• Multiple allergies (I was 4 years old, 1998)
• Anaphylaxis (I was 16 years old, 2010)
• PCOS (Polycystic ovarian syndrome) (I was 15 years old, 2009)
• Depression (I was 16 years old, 2010)
• Reflex Anoxic Seizures (I was 19 years old, 2013)

4. The biggest adjustment I’ve had to make is:

Reading the ingredients on everything and being aware of my asthma triggers

5. Most people assume:

All asthma is, is taking a blue inhaler and then you'll be okay. However, for me and so many others it is so much more than that. People assume that anaphylaxis is just a food allergy and taking a tablet will make things better. The reality is anaphylaxis can kill if not treated properly. It is never just avoiding foods as it is not just foods that may contain your allergen. Many cosmetic products can also contain it. People assume depression is like having a bad day, things always get better in the morning. Sometimes it can be that way but other times you feel so low that you feel like there is no point anymore. 

6. The hardest part about mornings are:

Waking up early. If I have been taking steroids to counteract inflammation then sometimes it causes steroid related insomnia which causes me to be awake for hours on end at night without being able to sleep even if I am tired. Some of my normal daily medications carry the side effect of drowsiness and it can be difficult to wake up if you are extremely drowsy.

7. My favorite medical TV show is:

Casualty! I cannot go without my weekly fix of Casualty. February 2013 I was granted a wish from the charity Dreams Come True. I chose to visit the set of Casualty (ironic that is haha).

8. A gadget I couldn’t live without is:

My mobile phone! Need I say anymore?

9. The hardest part about nights are:

Trying hard not to over think and get myself really stressed and worked up about nothing. 

10. Each day I take __ pills & vitamins. 

On a normal day I take: 7 tablets and one inhaler in the morning; 5 tablets and one inhaler at night.
On a bad day I take: 17 tablets, one inhaler and one breathing treatment in the morning; two breathing treatments throughout the day; 5 tablets, one inhaler and one breathing treatment at night. 
11. Regarding alternative treatments I:

Believe some work while others are just either people trying to make money out of people. I have personally tried something called The Salt Caves. I find it really helps to open up my airways, keep me out of hospital and stop any bacteria from causing me problems. 

12. If I had to choose between an invisible illness or visible I would choose:

On my bad days I would chose to have a visible illness because even on bad days people still have something judgemental to say. I've been accused of over-exaggerating, been told to "get over it", been told I'm a drama queen...I think if people can see an illness they treat you differently to if they cannot see one. 

13. Regarding working and career:

Education and work have been really difficult for me with chronic illnesses. I had to take a lot of time out of education due to being ill. However, it has not affected me dreams. It makes me a lot more determined to achieve the things I desire. The biggest example of this is when I strived to get to University and through a lot of hard-work and determination, I got there. 

14. People would be surprised to know:

I do not constantly put everything about my illness over social media. I don't always let people know when I have been admitted to hospital.

15. The hardest thing to accept about my new reality has been:

Giving up some of the things I used to love, taking medications daily to keep me alive, the horrible side-effects of steroid medication and having to stop eating foods I once enjoyed. 

16. Something I never thought I could do with my illness that I did was:

Get to University. Despite struggling, I got there in the end.

17. The commercials about my illness:

Keep me staying positive. 

18. Something I really miss doing since I was diagnosed is:

Going on holiday

19. It was really hard to have to give up:

Nuts

20. A new hobby I have taken up since my diagnosis is:

Writing

21. If I could have one day of feeling normal again I would:

Eat all the nuts in the world :3

22. My illness has taught me:

Who truly matters in life. The people who never judge you no matter what and have been there the whole way through without walking away or treating you differently are the ones who deserve to be in your life. 

23. Want to know a secret? One thing people say that gets under my skin is:

"It's just a cold"...to someone with a normal immune system a cold is a slight sniffle, maybe at worse you need to take a day or two off work to stay in bed...however to someone with severe asthma a cold is not just that. A cold is like the flu 100 times over. It's a potential chest infection, a large chance of ending up staying in hospital and maybe even a stay in intensive care or high dependency. 

24. But I love it when people:

Treat me the same as any other person my age. 

25. My favorite motto, scripture, quote that gets me through tough times is:

"You were given this life because you are strong enough to live it"

26. When someone is diagnosed I’d like to tell them:

Even though it is going to be hard things do get easier.

27. Something that has surprised me about living with an illness is:

You value the little things (such as: getting dressed, going to University, managing a week healthy) so much. Even though to others they are not big things, for you and others with chronic health issues...they are everything. 

28. The nicest thing someone did for me when I wasn't feeling well was: 

Held my hand, hugged me, told me everything would be okay in the end. 

29. I’m involved with Invisible Illness Week because:

96% of chronic illnesses are invisible...more awareness needs to be raised. 

30. The fact that you read this list makes me feel:

Maybe you finally understand somewhat of what I go through

Dear Dr/Nurse (Good and bad healthcare experiences)

Over my 5 years of chronic illness I have had both negative and positive experiences regarding health care. Here I write letters to some of the healthcare professionals whom I have been treated by. I have left no identifying factors as I am never going to name and shame as I am keeping it confidential. I am extremely grateful to the NHS and could not ask for more than they mostly give me. At times though I feel I have been mistreated...

Dear Dr,
You've been treating me for over 2 years now and it's certainly been a bumpy 2 years. At first you were my favourite doctor, I'd been waiting for somebody who understood my condition and made me feel better about it. However as time has gone by I've felt more and more like you just don't want to know. I know you felt it was in my best interests but you have no clue how it felt for me when you said to me I needed to be seen by psych. It made me feel like you didn't believe me...like you thought all my symptoms were simply in my head. I felt at that particular moment like no one understood. I tried to tell you but it just seemed like you didn't want to listen. I've cried so many times over the referrals to psych because it makes me feel crazy...it genuinely feels like I'm going insane. If my condition wasn't real then why would other doctors treat me like it was? If my symptoms were all in my head or "panic attacks" then why would other medical staff treat me for a real condition? I don't really know what to think anymore. I'm scared because I hate landing in hospital in fear of seeing you again and nobody should have to feel that way about their doctor. No one should have to feel like they have got to avoid their doctor. I wish some how the shoe could be on the other foot...even for an hour then maybe just maybe you would see it from my point of view. You would see my symptoms are not all in my head, you would see how some of the things you have said make me feel.

Dear Dr,
I never have actually properly seen you. I was meant to have an appointment with you but unfortunately due to me being admitted to hospital at the time and a massive mix up I arrived half an hour late for my appointment. At first you seemed nice and friendly and in a way I was glad to have you as a doctor. Then you sent me for a test and when it was normal...you did not even contact me to tell me. I was supposed to see you back in clinic but you discharged me without even telling me and wrote in my notes which my doctor's surgery received that my symptoms were all in my head. Do you have idea how that made me feel? I cried for hours on end because I was just so god damn fed up! I am not making it up! My parents, nurses at the hospital, doctors at the hospital, my friends and my boyfriend have all seen me go through what I go through and yet still you seem to think there is nothing wrong with me.

Dear Dr,
You've been my doctor since I was a little girl and you truly are an amazing person. You have always treated me accordingly depending on my age. Now I'm 20 years old when I see you, you talk to me like I'm an adult, you don't dismiss me or patronise me. You say that I know my body and my conditions better than any doctor does. You make me feel welcome. I feel like you truly understand me and that I have a bond with you. Out of all my doctors I would say that you are definitely my favourite. You never seem to judge me or think I am complaining about things. You treat me like a patient should be treated.

Dear Dr,
You looked at me and said I was fine to go home...why is it that 4 hours later I ended up back in hospital fighting for my life and ended up in high dependency for 3 nights? I trusted you and you broke that trust.

Dear Nurse,
You suffer from the condition you treat me from and therefore I feel I can truly understand you. Talking with you doesn't feel like talking to a health professional but like talking to a friend, someone who will listen. You listen to what I have to say even if it isn't medical related. You make time for me and never rush me along. You always treat me as a person and not as a patient. You make me feel at complete ease talking to you and I truly couldn't wish for a lovelier person.

Dear Nurse,
I've known you since I was a little girl and you're so lovely and caring. You always express a genuine interest in my well being and smile at me whenever you see me. You talk to me like a young adult and never patronise me. You make me feel at ease whenever I see you as well as relaxed. You give me options on different things and make everything seem even that little bit easier.

What's in my make-up bag?

I've only recently started to carry around a make-up bag within my hand bag. The current make-up bag I have I purchased yesterday. It was £3 from a shop called Tiger. The moment I saw it I fell in love with it! It's a great bag, really compact in size but still manages to fit all of my make-up inside of it. It's really nice material with a cute pattern on the outside of the bag.

The first item in my make-up bag is my foundation. It's by the company NYC (New York Color) and is a Natural Matte Foundation, Anti shine effect for up to 8 hours in the shade 003 Cameo. The product retails for between £2.49-£2.99. I absolutely love this foundation! I have been using it for a good while now and I would personally recommend it to anyone. The shade really matches my skin tone unlike other foundations I have tried. It doesn't cause streaks like other foundations and also does not carry a smell like others do.

Product number two is blush by the company Natural Collection in the colour Peach Melba. The colour is a pinky brown colour that looks really nice on your cheeks. It matches really well with my foundation. The product was £1.99 from Boots and is available in a range of colours to suit your needs. The only bad thing I would say about this blush is it does not tend to last the full day while on your cheeks. I would recommend this product as it is not going to break the bank and there are some lovely shades.

My next product is also my Natural Collection and is one of their single eyeshadows in the colour Candy Floss. The colour is a really light pink colour that is slightly shimmery. It retails at £1.79 from Boots. It is a really lovely colour that when put onto my eyelids makes me look more awake and my eyes shine out more. I would 100% repurchase this product and similar colours to it as well as looking into their range of other colours.

Next is an eyeshadow pallet that was part of an Evie Mai gift set I received for Christmas. The pallet contains a lot of neutral brown and nude colours while also having some darker browns and black. I find it is a really nice pallet to use during summer as the light browns give your eyes a really light and vibrant look.

Recently I have been getting really into Rimmel London make up. A few weeks ago I bought several of their nail polishes so was really happy to find one of their products in my May glossybox. I have used it several times since getting it and it's something I would definitely consider re-purchasing. It is retailed at £6.99 for one size. The applicator is really soft and easy to use. It makes your lashes look longer and fuller and does not carry a smell unlike some mascaras I have previously used. It is something which I would really recommend to anyone looking for a really good mascara to try.

Nivea do a lot of great products for lips but my favourite thus far has definitely got to be their Soft Rose lip care. It is retailed anywhere between £1.49-£2 but I purchased it in Poundland for £1. It has a really lovely smell, perfect for summer. It's really light on your lips, non-sticky, does not have much of a colour and softens and moistens your lips. It's a really good lip product which I would defintiely 100% re-purchase.

I've watched a lot of Youtube make-up guru videos and they all seem to have purchased Maybelline New York's Babylips. I decided after a long time coming it was time to try it for myself. I found it in the Maybelline section at one of my local Boots. They are retailed for £2.99. There were a few different types to try out but the best sounding, to me, by far was Cherry Me. On trying it out the product smells AMAZING (like cherries strangely enough!). It moistens and softens your lips. It feels really smooth on and also does not have a disgusting taste. It has a slight colour to it (a dark pink/light red). I love it and cannot wait to try out the other ones.



Next is another product from Natural Collection. It is one of their CoverUp Creams in the shade Fair. It goes really well with my skin and blends in nicely with my foundation. It provides sufficient cover-up and is retailed at £1.99 from Boots. It does not carry any smell and glides on nicely to my skin. It is something I would consider repurchasing.

My next product is an extremely well known brand. It is Vaseline. I have a few of their pocket size lip therapy tins (cocoa butter, original, aloe vera) but my favourite by far is Aloe Vera. It is really smooth on your lips and carries a really fresh and lovely smell. It's a really handy size to have to carry about with you and is also useful if you have any dry skin. It feels really lovely and is not gloopy. It is retailed anywhere between £1.24-£1.99.

Another lip product. It is by the brand Seventeen and is a lip gloss. It is a really lovely shimmery pink that sits well on your lips and last a while. It smells really nice and is not sticky or gloopy to apply (which is good for those windy days when your hair is down). I have one of the small lipglosses that came within a set which I received for Christmas. It was £4.99 to purchase the set of lipglosses which contained six lipglosses and I personally feel it was really worth the price as I have tried out every one of them and love them.

Next is an eyeshadow single colour. It is from the brand Rimmel London and is in the shade 172 Audacious Amethyst. I absolutely adore anything purple so this eyeshadow colour is perfect for me! It is retailed at £4.49 in Boots however on looking in Poundland I managed to pick up this product for just £1! I love the product, it suits my skin tone really well and is not too dark to the extent where it makes your eyes look really dark.






Yet another lip product (I didn't realise I had so many!) by the brand Natural Collection again. It is in the shade Turkish Delight and is a really lovely light pink colour with an amazing smell. It sits really well on your lips and does not smudge easily. It is also not sticky so is great for windy weather. The product retails for £1.99 in Boots stores.





Next is an eyeliner from the company Estee Lauder in the shade 01 Softsmudge Black. The product is retailed at £16. The product is really easy to apply and I find it does not smudge throughout the day like other eyeliners I own. It looks really great with my mascara and is something I would consider repurchasing after it is finished.





Next is yet another lip product! This time it is by Marks and Spencers and is their Raspberry Lip Butter. It is retailed in a pack of 3 (coconut, raspberry and cherry) for £5. It smells lovely. It is really nice feeling when placed on your lips and has a slight tint of pink colour. The only con to this product in my opinion is it is slightly stickier than other lip products I own making it difficult to use when it is windy weather.

The last lip product! This is a lipstick by the brand Evie Mai which I received in a gift set I got for Christmas along with the eyeshadow pallet featured above. The lipstick is a Browny/Red colour which looks great on my lips and I feel it really suits my skin colour. The gift set I received this in is retailed, from Freemans.com, at £39.




The make-up products are over with however I have another 2 items I keep in my make-up bag:


The first is my powder brush. Powder brushes can vary in price depending on how good the make is and also where you purchase it. Every body brush I have come across has been extremely expensive. I came across this powder brush in one of the least likely places of all...Poundland. I was sceptical at first due to it only being a pound however on feeling the brush it was extremely smooth and soft, great for using on your face. I decided I would give it a shot considering I wouldn't have much to lose with it only being £1. I personally absolutely love this brush. It is great to use on your face due to it being so soft, it applies the make-up where you need it etc. I would 100% repurchase this product if needed.





The final product in my make-up bag is my travel size perfume. This perfume is in a small 10ml roll-on bottle which is perfect for carrying about with you and suitable to take on planes. The name of the perfume is "Midnight Kiss". I came across it while shopping in Primark last year and after smelling a sample of it I fell in love. The 10ml bottle is £2 and the 50ml bigger bottle is £5. I personally think it smells better than a lot of the higher brand perfumes that are worth £40/£50.