It’s become a bit of a joke at work that if someone needs something then I will most likely have it. And it’s true, I like to be prepared for most situations and also any wardrobe malfunctions. And nothing annoys me more than when I really need something but don’t have it on hand. Because of this, my work drawer is continually changing as things come to mind that I either wish I had or just sound like something I may need in the future.
In my work drawer are duplicates of products I have at home. These are products or tools that I find I need at work occasionally and often urgently, but I don’t want to be carrying them around in my handbag throughout the week on the off chance that I may happen to need them. Buying duplicates also resolves the conundrum of ‘but what if I need it at home?’.
I also found that some products are needed more at work than at home. Work is where I most notice that my shoes need polishing and it takes a bit more than a minute to use my Kiwi Wax Rich Shine and Protect Instant Polish and viola! polished shoes! Or on my way into work I realise that my dress is unbearably static, so upon arriving I grab my Allendale Staique Anti Static Spray and head into the bathrooms, take my dress off and hang it on a hanger inside out, and apply the static spray. I am then comfortable and feel confident for the rest of the day.
Besides the shoe polish and anti-static spray, my other ‘just in case’ items are:
· Shoe support (especially useful if wearing in new shoes): super glue; heel grips; Dubbin; Band-Aids; Rub Relief stick
· Emergency flats (some black flats that I don’t use anymore but don’t look too scruffy in case of an emergency)
· Spare tights (nude and black)
· Panadol
· A few cotton wool balls
· A black shawl (in case I get cold I can use it either as a wrap for my arms or a nana rug for my knees)
· Lint remover brush (for when you just happen to notice some unsightly lint)
· Tampons
· Safety pins
· Umbrella
· A few canvas shopping bags of different sizes
· Birthday banner (has come in mighty handy for marking colleague’s birthdays)
· Desk spray cleaner
And then I have a number of products that give me that much needed lift throughout the day and allow for touch ups before heading to a social event after work:
· Hairbrush
· Hairspray (travel size)
· Dry shampoo (great for those ‘flat days’)
· A little bit of foundation in a reused sample pot from Mecca Cosmetica (never throw these out! They are so useful!)
· A pocket mirror
· Deodorant
· A small sample of perfume
· Lip gloss (I swap between a good one and a not so good one, or if I need to use one up I’ll use it at work as it’s where I can most regularly reach for it)
· A nail file
· Fabric freshener
· Eye drops (single dose ones for hygiene reasons)
· Refreshing face spray (for when I feel sleepy or sweaty from a walk at lunch)
· Floss (in case those meaty lunches of mine make my teeth feel uncomfortable)
