The idea was simple: what do we actually carry to work, not what we'd pretend to carry. So we stood in a circle on the office floor, held everything out, and filmed it. Office essentials, no staging, crumbs and keychains included.

Six bags, very different people. Here's what was inside each one.

Everyone, pouches out

The Baerry team holding out their makeup pouches and bags in a circle on the office floor — The team's office pouches

This is the opening shot from above. A bubble-wrap zip pouch, a plush keychain the size of a fist, a leather bag that is clearly doing too much. What surprised us was how little overlap there was. Nobody carried the same cushion, and sunscreen showed up in only one pouch, which is a little embarrassing for a beauty team.

The lips and SPF pouch

Pouch with Torriden Cellmazing Lip Essence and Round Lab Birch Moisturizing Sun Stick — Torriden CELLMAZING Lip Essence

The first bag was the most practical. Torriden CELLMAZING Lip Essence is a lightweight, non-sticky lip essence meant for dry lips, and it's the kind of thing you reapply without thinking about it.

Next to it, the Round Lab Birch Moisturizing Sun Stick, SPF 50+ PA++++ with birch sap and niacinamide. It's a stick, so you can swipe it over makeup before a lunch walk without getting your fingers greasy. After filming, I put one in my own bag.

The red cushion pouch

Pink zip pouch with a lip tint, a concealer and the TIRTIR Mask Fit Red Cushion — TIRTIR Mask Fit Red Mini Cushion

A see-through pink bubble pouch with three things in it: a velvet lip tint, a concealer, and the red TIRTIR cushion. The TIRTIR Mask Fit Red Mini Cushion is high coverage with a semi-matte finish and SPF40 PA++, and it's smudge-proof and transfer-proof, which matters when you're touching your face through a long afternoon of meetings.

The mini is the one we'd tell you to carry. It fits a pouch this flat.

The one by the keyboard

Pink pouch with a white cushion compact, an eyeliner and a pink Clio cushion next to a keyboard — Clio Kill Cover Mesh Glow Cushion

This bag was filmed right at a desk, keyboard and tangled earphones in the background. Two cushions (yes, two), one of them the pink Clio Kill Cover Mesh Glow Cushion, plus a slim eyeliner. The Clio has a mesh layer over the formula for a thin, natural glow with solid coverage.

Why two? We didn't ask. I'm choosing to assume one is for the desk and one is for the commute.

The glossy pink one

Canvas pouch with a dasique Juicy Dewy Tint, a powder pot and a pink mist bottle — dasique Juicy Dewy Tint

A canvas pouch, a powder pot for shine, a pink mist, and the dasique Juicy Dewy Tint. It's an oil-infused tint with a glossy finish and a light, non-sticky feel, and the pink gradient tube is honestly half the appeal.

If you drink coffee all morning like I do, this is the kind of tint you top up without a mirror.

The bag that holds everything

Black leather bag with Innisfree Orchid Hand Cream, a lip tint and an eyeshadow palette inside — Innisfree Orchid Hand Cream SPF 15 PA+ EX

Last bag, the big black leather one with a strawberry plush hanging off it. Inside: an eyeshadow palette, a pink lip, a jar, and the purple tube that got a lot of questions, Innisfree Orchid Hand Cream SPF 15 PA+ EX.

It's a nourishing hand cream with orchid that also has SPF 15, which makes sense for anyone whose desk is next to a window. With the office heating already on, I get the appeal.

If this made you want to clean out your own pouch, same. Start with one lip product, one thing for shine or coverage and one SPF you can reapply. The rest is personality. More makeup lives in our makeup collection.

MAKEUP

What's in Our Bags: The Baerry Team's Office Makeup Essentials

FAQ

What should I keep in an office makeup pouch?

Start with what you actually touch up during the day. For most of us that's a lip product, something for shine or coverage, and sunscreen you can reapply over makeup, like a sun stick.

Is a sun stick good for reapplying over makeup?

That's why a lot of people like them. A stick lets you swipe on SPF without your hands getting messy, and the Round Lab Birch Moisturizing Sun Stick is made for easy reapplication without a sticky feel.

Mini cushion or full-size for a work bag?

A mini is lighter and fits small pouches, which is why the TIRTIR Mask Fit Red Mini Cushion is handy for touch-ups. Keep the full-size one at home if you have it.

Do I need a separate hand cream for the office?

Not need, but dry office air and constant hand washing make one nice to have. Ours has SPF 15, which helps if your desk is by a window.

Written by Esther Kim

Esther has been working inside Korean beauty brands for five years—since before K-beauty became the global phenomenon it is today. She’s watched it go from a niche discovery overseas to something everyone wants a piece of, with plenty of launches, viral moments, and overhyped products along the way. She brings that insider perspective to Baerry, along with very ESTP energy, a love for all things cute, and a desk that’s always overflowing with snacks.