You know those free cosmetic pouches or handbags you get in promotions by various department store brands? What do you do with them?
I ask because in my many years of splurging on cosmetics, I’ve amassed quite a few bags and pouches. However, when I travel, I always end up bringing just one travel pouch – the same serviceable one I carry on all my travels because its ready packed. Rarely do I break out a new pouch.The only bags I do usually end up using are travel bags or weekender bags.
Carry them to work you say? Well, the only thing you’d find in my daily makeup pouch is lipsticks or lipgloss so I carry just a little pouch for that. Yes I’m horrible aren’t I? 😀
Anyway, I was clearing up my stuff (decluttering is good for the soul) and I set aside some of the nicer GWP (gift with purchase) handbags to be given away to some friends who I have asked and I know will appreciate it. I also set aside a couple to be given away to the ladies who help clean for my parents. I gave them some previously and they were thrilled. Clearly, all women love pretty bags 😀
As for cosmetic pouches, I like using them to hold gifts. This way, friends get 2 gifts in one – a gift plus a cosmetics pouch they can likely use. After all, not everyone is like me, I’m guessing 😛
Over to you: What do you do with the GWP cosmetic pouches and handbags? Use them? Give them away? Sell them? 😉 Yes I know some people do!
Paris B
I don’t buy that many things that give out GWP bags in the first place! But I’ve acquired quite a number over the years. The more functional one I use either for travel or to store my things. Not so functional ones, I keep in storage. And some I use to hold gifts, like you do
Let’s just say that a few years ago I was less rational than I am now hence having MANY pouches and bags 😛
I’ve just put a heap of bags in a shelf in the cupboard specially for that purpose! I like having a few to choose from when I need them. I also ask others if they want them (gave one to my mum today) and if nobody wants them, I give them to charity.
Giving to charity is a great idea. What we might find superfluous may come in useful for someone else. I’ll do that too from now.
I used to keep them, but after a while, I just give them away if I can. My mum used to hoard these makeup pouches and shopping bags; she’s got a cupboardful of them! 😛
Lol! I had loads then I gave them away but these things have a way of multiplying 😛
I have 1 Clinique bag that I used to use as a handbag ^.^ Now when my family travels, we’ll have one of those pouches each to carry our toiletries and stuff. (Naturally, I have two!) ^.^
Hehe… I usually carry 2 too. One for skincare, bath and body and one for cosmetics 🙂
though i’ve got so many of them laying around, I find that there are only a key few one that are truly practical and I keep using these despite the fact that are old and ugly now lol.
i store socks (new ones) in the ones i dont use LOL
Gosh! Do you have a lot of socks?! 😉 I agree with you. I tend to stick to my existing pouch because its useful and practical and big enough so I don’t have to carry lots of different pouches 🙂
I give them away with gifts especially for my nieces in their tweens. I put basic things in them, face powder, lipbalm and gloss, a blusher, comb and mirror. There are some I use as pencil case or to hold gadget cables and chargers when I don’t need to bring around a big case.
Ahh! I do the same too! Use one of these pouches to carry wires and chargers. Giving them to your nieces with gifts in them is so sweet!
The big ones I use to organize my makeup. I use one or two to travel with if they’re small, and the rest I store underneath the bathroom sink
What happens when they take over the space under the sink? 😉
I don’t buy enough to get those bags, and I also don’t have space for the clutter, so I don’t buy just to also get the bag.
I bring back so many of those free non-woven shopping bags over the last few years that I just give them to my mum for her use when she travels and what not. Whatever she doesn’t get from me I use to stuff stuff into for storage.
Some of those non woven bags are handy and surprisingly strong. Great idea to carry when travelling.
i guess i don’t have that many pouches from GWP but those few that i have, i would make full use of them all when i travel… like there’s one where i only have my facial cotton, one for only bath toiletries, one for only facial products, one for only make up items, one for my disposable panties (easy to travel!) and now i have made another few to full use as i have my baby’s swimming float for her arms and one for her toiletries. hehe… i am a pack rat.
Lol! That’s a lot of pouches to carry around! But its very organized. I travel with one biggish one and a small one tucked in it. I wonder if I now should break everything up (might take up less space than one big case) 😉
Simple: I give em to my mom or sister (and vice versa).
Problem is after they have one or two they don’t need more lol!
i use all of them accordingly~
dont wanna waste them
therefore, i dont buy branded handbags/pouches
haha
if u see a gal carrying those GWP bags anywwhr, that could b me~
^^
That’s very practical! I used to use them too but found they fell apart quite easily. Some are really sturdy but some are awful. I prefer pouches for GWP instead of bags but it could be because I’m picky 😛
I use the small pouches to store all my skincare and cosmetics when travelling… when I’m not travelling, they’re just sitting in my cupboard~~ Haha… I have this HUGE silver bling bling tote bag from Clinique… don’t know what to do with it… It’s just collecting dust… It’s not those pretty bags that u can carry out… If I give it to ppl, they’ll prolly do the same thing as me… Leave it in the corner… hahah.. I’d prefer they gave cosmetic pouches for the GWP thing~~
I prefer pouches too. For the bag you don’t use how about considering charity as another reader suggested? Someone in need of a tote may like it 🙂
I use at least 3 pouches when travel — one for make up, one for skincare, one for cleansing stuffs like shampoo, liquid soap, face wash. I also have another pouch for medicine…ok that’s 4 already. Sometime I separate hair styling products & hair band into another pouch too. I just love to be really well organized.
That’s very organized indeed! Only thing is once I have a specific pouch I’d hardly ever change it – which doesn’t solve the problem of the new ones I get (less so these days)
Reduce, reuse, recycle. No use, dont take…that’s me. E.g. skincare samples or big, gaudy bags which i know i won’t ever use them. Maybe if more of us do this, these companies will come up with better GWP which are more functional and stylish. Sometimes, the SA will give me foundation samples in return for not taking the GWP which i appreciate.
That’s some good advice although I don’t think many people will give up a GWP 😉 its quite common overseas in the international brands too. I don’t buy that much these days and I haven’t gotten these gifts for a while but I must say I’d still take the pouch (less so a bag) because I know it’ll come in handy when I pack gifts especially with birthdays and the gift giving season coming up.