10 Essentials To Get You Through Any Holiday Party

Loading up a clutch for a night out also means packing for possibilities. We have to prepare for everything: running into an old flame, candid snaps, and ensuring our makeup stays on point through it all. However, there’s a fine line between the nice-to-have items (say, our favorite perfume) and the must-haves (like a phone charger) that could end up adding 10 pounds of stuff to our already-taxed shoulders. The decision-making shouldn't be that hard, but our consistently late appearances at holiday parties might seem to indicate otherwise.

So, to help you figure out what should make the cut, we culled the 10 most essential items to have on hand for a night of what-ifs. Think convenient makeup remover swabs for migrating mascara and powerful mints for mistletoe kisses. Not only will these picks solve any holiday party-mergency, they're also small enough to fit in your bag and still leave enough room for your phone. So that perfume will have to stay relegated to the top of your dresser, but with an XL size of Viva La Juicy — Grande Edition, a few spritzes before every event will last you through the night — and well into next year.

Now the only thing left to figure out is which shoes to pair with that clutch.