Victoria Magrath is a Who What Wear UK Editor in Residence and founder of byfrow Beauty, a premium brand rooted in multi-use products designed to “enhance your everyday”. One of the UK’s most established luxury creators, she is known for her expertise across beauty, fashion, travel and refined living, with over 12 years of experience working with leading global brands.
I don’t remember the last time I finished a whole bottle of perfume before this weekend. I swap between scents constantly, like some sort of fragrance floozy. Wherever my mood takes me, my scent will follow, and so I never usually stay true to one perfume or another. That was until a few days ago, when I finished a bottle of Guerlain’s Vanille Planifolia (£495), and cried a little inside at the fact that I needed to buy another bottle. Alas, even though I’m flippant with my fragrances and can’t commit to a monogamous relationship, there is one aspect of my beauty wardrobe where I’m well and truly wedded: my handbag non-negotiables.
It’s Monday morning, and you’re running out the door with a coffee in hand and your collar bent inwards, finding yourself ticking off that mental list of items you always have with you. Keys, glasses, purse—check. The door closes behind you, and you’re off. That used to be me, but over the years, my list has become longer and more specific, and now I’m a woman very set in her ways. I don’t even need one of my “lists” to remind me, because my everyday essentials don’t ever leave my handbag. And if the bag were to change, everything would get decanted into the next, and then the next. So, let’s talk about what’s in there.
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Victoria Magrath’s 7 Handbag Beauty Essentials
1. byfrow Pigment Pencil
Of course they would be in there, I hear you cry. And yes, as the founder of byfrow, I see your eye rolls, but the truth is, I don’t leave the house without at least four of these pigment pencils, which will usually include two of the same shade. Because if I happen to lose one of them during the day, I might implode, and I don’t want to test that theory.
I always pack Pink Sorbet to warm up my lips if they lose some colour after eating, Dark Roast for topping up my eyeliner and filling in more faux freckles and Milk Chocolate because it is the G.O.A.T. Creamy, non-drying and multi-tasking, they’re a handbag essential that you can use on your cheeks, eyes and lips. They never leave my side.
2. Clé de Peau Beauté Concealer Stick
Clé De Peau Beauté
Concealer Stick
I’m one of those people who speaks with her hands. I’m also one of those people who likes to touch her face and chin whenever she’s deep in an expressive conversation. Therefore, my chin takes the brunt of my overzealous nature, and my makeup ends up rubbing off by mid-afternoon. Concealer is a must—above foundation or any other base—in my opinion, so I always have one on me.
And what better than Clé De Peau Beauté Concealer Stick? A makeup artist’s best-kept secret and one of the most famous concealers on the market, this little stick gained its fame for good reason. It offers medium coverage and is easy to apply thanks to the handy stick format. It conceals and re-awakens the skin without looking too heavy, and I know I can always depend on it. Even if you don’t carry a brush, you can easily swipe and blend with your fingertip.
3. Laneige Cream Skin Cerapeptide Mist
Laneige
Cream Skin Cerapeptide Mist
This face mist works like a dream with the concealer, but is also a lifesaver during the day. A few hours walking around London will dry out even the oiliest of skins, so, when it hits midday and I’m two flat whites down, smiled more times than I can count and my under-eyes are looking like crepe paper, on goes the Cream Skin Cerapeptide Mist.
This is a light, milky formula that smells subtle and clean, and rehydrates your skin whilst you’re out and about. It is also a saviour on plane journeys, and even better when you’re bare-faced, but I find my skin loves it on top of makeup, too. The tiny 30ml size makes this a no-brainer for my everyday handbag.
4. Phlur Missing Person
Phlur
Missing Person Eau de Parfum
Going back to my perfume polyamory, this is another scent I do actually stick with for longer than a few weeks. This fragrance bowled me over when I first tried it in 2022, and it remains the true hero of the Phlur empire, with notes of musk and bergamot nectar. It reminds me of someone and no one at the same time, evoking this feeling of closeness and a warm, familiar hug. It’s a really fantastic fragrance, so much so that I bought the body wash, the body oil and the body lotion so I could smell like this all day long. As you can imagine, the little 9.5ml bottle is always buried at the bottom of my bag.
5. byfrow The Lip Companion
Without meaning to throw in another of my own products here, I wouldn’t be honest if I pretended this wasn’t in my handbag every day. Or my car, jeans pocket or every drawer in my house. We named it The Lip Companion because it’s so compact and moreish that you always need it by your side. After testing this theory, I’ve realised we were absolutely right. I physically cannot leave the house without one, especially the clear shade. My lips would never forgive me.
6. Armani Luminous Silk Bronzer
Armani
Luminous Silk Bronzer
The reason I’ve gravitated so heavily towards this bronzer recently is the enormous mirror inside the large compact. And whilst the size could present a problem for a tiny handbag, my need for a makeup mirror on a train or in the back of a cab, plus the fact that the bronzing powder blends so beautifully, has made this a handbag favourite.
7. Victoria Beckham Sculpt & Blend Brush
Victoria Beckham Beauty
Sculpt & Blend Brush
All these products, plus a Victoria Beckham Sculpt & Blend brush, fit perfectly alongside a hand sanitiser inside a Dior makeup bag, which nestles neatly into my new brown-suede Strathberry Kite Tote. And off I go, with me essentials by my side whenever I need them.