what's in my bag {evening edition}

Packing an evening bag (or clutch rather) can be tricky. You have limited space to pretty much hold your essentials for the night, so editing is key. Since I've gotten older, I've adopted more of a mom approach to my evening bag (yes, I really do bring a granola bar with me) but I think I've finally fine tuned it. Here's a peek inside...

The necessities: ID, cash, credit cards...because you clearly won't get far without them.

COVERGIRL Outlast Illumina lip color: I have a confession to make. I'm pretty awful at checking my lipstick for touchups, especially for evenings out. It somehow always slips my mind and before I know it, I'm taking my makeup off at the end of the night, wondering how long my lips were left looking like that. I know, I know. Blasphemy. But! I think I've met my match. This duo by COVERGIRL is the perfect night out pair in that the color lasts up to 24 hours, thanks to the topcoat gloss that locks in extra moisture. Just a few little swipes of the topcoat (in between cocktails) and I'm good to go. 

Spare earrings: Just in case you need to add a little sparkle to your look.

Kind granola bar: I started bringing snacks with me for evenings out just in case I don't have time to grab something to eat before heading out. Granted, it definitely doesn't substitute a full meal before drinking, but it does help tide me over until I sit down and eat a proper meal (or get late night french fries, whatever comes first).

Crest 3D Whitening Strips: Lately, I've been packing these in my clutch to throw on before heading out (generally an hour before).

Altoids: Because you never know who you might strike up a conversation with at the bar. :)

And in case you're just joining now, you can see my other bag edits here and here.

This post was in collaboration with Lucky Magazine, COVERGIRL and Crest. As always, all opinions and styling are my own. Thank you for supporting posts that keep This Tim. Tomorrow's doors open!