The 5 Things I Always Have Within Arms' Reach

I'm not a huge makeup person. I know, it's weird considering where I work and what I write about every day. But, while my naked face may not look the part of a beauty editor, I am a certifiable product junkie. (I have to consciously limit my visits to CVS to once a month and I have a closet -- not a medicine cabinet -- a closet full of moisturizers, bath soaps, shampoos and other flagrant evidence of my addiction.

Since I can't schlep all that stuff around with me, I'm always sure to have the bare minimum at hand in case I need a fix. In my car, at my desk, in my bag, on my nightstand. Here's what's always there for me in my case of need...

1. Hand cream: I'd say I apply hand cream 10 to 15 times a day. Is that excessive? I have Olay Quench Daily Lotion, $8, in my car and on my desk and a tube of L'Occitane Verbena Harvest Ice Hand Cream, $19, in my bag.

2. Lip balm: I'm not a lipstick girl (as I've said in several other blogs, but I'm obsessed with having moist lips. Enter Kiehl's Lip Balm #1, $9. I've used it since I was a teen and have tubes of it everywhere.

3. Cotton Swabs: How did Cleopatra or heck, even, Amelia Earhart function without cotton swabs? I just can't begin to fathom life without these wonderful sticks of happiness. They serve too many uses to list and I just love 'em.

4. Mascara: I may not be an expert eyeshadow or liner artist but I do dig my mascara. It helps make my impossibly small eyes look less so and I apply it often. (Yes, I'm one of those yahoos who sit in traffic with the wand in her hand. Sorry.) These days I'm loving COVERGIRL LashBlast Volume Blasting Mascara, $8. It works like a charm and is reasonably priced enough for me to have several tubes positioned in key places.

5. Perfume Samples: There's something about those little vials that takes me back to 8th grade when my friends and I would spend the morning cruising the beauty counters at Bloomingdale's for "samples." Having scent on hand is, well, handy. You never know when you'll need to spruce yourself up a bit and it works wonders at masking lingering telltale McDonald's odors. (My kids get mad at me when I cave and pay a visit to the Golden Arches.)

There you have 'em -- my five go-to beauty pick-me-ups. What're yours? Ooh, and if you want a line on the best multi-taskers, check this out.