Fashion and Beauty Emergency Essentials

I awoke, this past Monday morning to news that a tropical depression had formed in the Gulf of Mexico and was poised to hit the Tampa Bay Area mid morning, just about the time we planned to head out, a perfect time for a potential emergency, wouldn’t you say?  Tropical storms usually just bring wind and rain, though occassionally, they also include flooding, wind damage and power outages.  Knock on wood, such things don’t happen often, in spite of what we hear on the news.  Most of the time the reports sound much worse than they are, thank God.

None the less, it is hurricane season, here in Florida (June 1 to November 30. Most of us have a few things on hand for emergencies-the standard canned goods, flashlights and betteries, just in case.  Which lead me to think of what I have on hand for beauty and fashion emergencies.  Over the years, I have had my share of fashion fails and beauty disasters, so I figured I’d share a few things that have saved me or that I wished I had when things went awry.

1. 1. Baby Wipes, baby wipes, baby wipes!  From removing stains, makeup, and cleaning your shoes, to discretely freshening up, I always have a stash of baby wipes on hand.  In a loss of water situation or travel,  baby wipes can get you out of a messy jam.
   2. Battery operated makeup mirror–preferably magnifying–you are probably thinking you wouldn’t do your makeup in a storm, but electrical power is often out for several days–days in which you may have to run errands or go to work–so you see, you would actually use a lighted makeup mirror!
   3. Bottled water may seem like a “no brainer” but we were out of power and water one winter in Michigan, and thank God my dad set aside a pitcher of water in the bathroom, because we needed it.  These days we get lots more notice of storms, but, yeah, water–extra water for everyone!
   4. Flip flops.  I keep a pair of cheap flip flops in my car in case I get caught in the rain and don’t want my shoes to get wet.  They even came in handy when the sole of my shoe delaminated–what a crazy thing!  The flip flops I kept in the car saved the day.    I also slip them in my suit case for travel and wear them in any kind of public shower, pool side or bathroom when I am bare footed.  Just so you know, I’m not an everyday flip flop wearer.  There are cute sandles for that.  Now for real emergencies, when a good pair of rain boots are called for,  I probably don’t own a pair.
   5. Fashion tape.  I have stapled hems and safety pinned tops, but fashion tape can solve those problems and  so many more, it has a permanent home in my handbag as well as on my dressing table.
   6. One of those little Swiss Army knife thingys:  Roger just got me a pretty flowered one that looks really cute in my makeup bag, and boy has that little guy come in handy.  It has a knife, screw driver, tweezers, scissors and a tooth pick–I’ve never used the tooth pick for my teeth, but anyway, its been very useful.  You should have one too.
   7. A mini sewing kit, super glue, lint brush, a mini hand lotion, and hand sanitizer are standard fare for the well stocked fashion/beauty emergency kit, so don’t get caught in a bind!

I hope this got you thinking of what you might need in a bind–feel free to share what you have set aside for life’s little emergencies.