What to Pack in Your Purse for Unexpected Sleepovers

Always pack these items in your purse before you go out.

Summer is the time for mischief and getting crazy. Make certain you’re prepared for whatever (and whoever’s bed you may fall into) by carrying these must haves in your purse.

1. Condoms, dental dams

If you forget everything we list to pack in your purse here, make sure you include these guys. Never leave it up to your new partner to grab protection and always make sure the ones you carry aren’t expired. I’m seriously trying to not sound like your health teacher here, but it can’t be said enough: Condoms protect you from infections (as do dental dams), and prevent unwanted pregnancies.

2. Face wipes

While, yes, washing your face before you go to sleep is totally preferable, the second best thing is using face wipes. You can use these to freshen your mug (and other places if you’re in a pinch) in the morning.

3. Minimal makeup

We’re betting you didn’t get a ton of sleep last night. And that’s OK! You don’t need a lot of makeup to look awake, so just keep the essentials on hand: a BB cream with SPF, mascara, and a bright lip color, or lip gloss. All of this stuff will help you look more awake (even if you start to nod off at your desk around 3 p.m.).

4. Something minty

While I’m a fan of keeping a travel-sized toothbrush and toothpaste in my purse, I realize that I’m kind of a dental health freak. So, if your main goal is to keep your breath fresh smelling OK rather than keeping your mouth clean, keep some organic mints handy.

5. A contact case with solution

If you wear contacts, this is a must. Simply keep a contact case in your purse that already has solution in it so you can pop those babies out whenever you need to. To keep your lenses really clean, it may be wise to keep a travel-sized lens solution in your bag at all times, too.

Now, we realize not every sleepover is unexpected. So, for the ones that are more planned, we suggest packing the following items, as well:

1. A clean shirt, pair of underwear (and a plastic bag to put the funky stuff in).

2. A reusable water bottle (for if you have one too many).

3. Body oil (if you’ve been up all night, you may want to dab a little something behind your ears).

What do you pack in your purse before you head out? Do you have any favorite essentials we forgot to list here?

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Woman lying in bed image from Shutterstock

Abbie Stutzer

Writer, editor, and owner of Ginchy!, a freelance writing and editing company, and home funeral hub. Adores smart sex ed, sustainable ag, spooky history, women's health, feminism, horror, wine, and sci-fi.