When presenting en femme, your purse is more than just a fashionable accessory — it’s your ultimate companion, housing all the essential items you need to feel confident and prepared when stepping out in your feminine attire. Knowing what you should be keeping in your purse — and why — is a great way to help make sure that you’re prepared for going out. This comprehensive guide, which is broken in to multiple parts to make it easier for you, will walk you through the essentials, and must-haves that every savvy crossdresser, enby or trans woman should be keeping in their handbag.
Crossdressing Basics: Essential Items for Your Purse
As a crossdresser, your purse should be your ultimate companion, housing all the necessary items to help you achieve a flawless, feminine look. This section delves into the essential makeup, grooming, and feminine hygiene products that every crossdresser should have on hand. From foundation and concealer to hair styling tools and discreet hygiene items, we’ll ensure you’re equipped with the crossdressing purse essentials to feel your best.
Makeup Essentials
Your purse should be stocked with the basic makeup items to touch up and maintain your appearance throughout the day or night. This includes a foundation and concealer to create a smooth, even complexion; eye makeup like mascara and eyeliner to accentuate your features; and a variety of lip products to pull the whole look together. Here’s some of our favorite products you may not have thought about keeping in your purse, and why:
A makeup sponge, like our Expert Beauty Blender, is important to have to help soften any areas of foundation that are starting to look cakey. If your skin gets oily, add your favorite setting powder to one side of the beauty blender before you leave the house. Simply pat your face throughout the day to absorb the oil and keep your makeup looking pristine.
Even if you don’t like to wear press-on nails, nail glue is a very handy thing to keep in your purse. This very strong adhesive is perfect for fixing a broken nail, re-securing a press-on nail, and even fixing broken shoes or jewelry in a pinch!
If you aren’t “out of the closet” so to speak, having makeup remover wipes in your purse is an absolute must. You’ll be able to take off your makeup at a moment’s notice. Makeup wipes are also very handy to have on hand in case your makeup is smudged and needs to be redone!
Other makeup products you may wish to keep on hand in your purse include a small set of makeup brushes designed for travel, cotton swabs, lash glue (if you wear false lashes) and your favorite lipstick or lip gloss.
Grooming Accessories
Maintaining a polished, feminine appearance goes beyond just makeup. Your crossdressing grooming essentials should include portable hair styling tools, such as a small wig brush and hair clips, as well as nail care items like a file or a set of nail clippers to keep your hands looking well-manicured.
Other important things you may wish to keep in your bag will depend on your look. Bobby pins and hair elastics will help keep your hair out of your face. If you’re a wig wearer, having a hair clip in your purse will give you the opportunity of pulling some of your hair up and away from your face without looking unnatural!
Other things that are helpful to keep in your purse can include a back-up wig cap, a small travel size bottle of hair spray or your favorite perfume, or a small hand lotion for when your hands are feeling dry.
Feminine Hygiene Products
If you’re venturing in to the ladies’ room, it’s important to act as the ladies do. Washing your hands and touching up your makeup is important, but there may come a time when a woman asks you for help. It could be as simple as passing a roll of toilet paper, but sometimes this may be in the form of being asked for a feminine hygiene product! (Don’t believe us? Just ask Dylan.)
Many women, whether or not they menstruate, keep feminine hygiene products on hand in their purse to help other women and menstruating persons out when the time occurs. Consider keeping a few sanitary pads or tampons in your purse for such situations. Panty liners and cleansing wipes are also helpful and ensure you’re prepared for any unexpected needs that may arise.
I remember being in a stall in a ladies room and hearing a tap on the wall of the stall next to where I was peeing. A woman asked me if I had a tampon, that I could pass to her? I thankfully put two tampons in my purse before I left my hotel room and retrieved onto from my purse and handed it to her under the stall wall. She was grateful and thanked me for helping her out