From being a trending topic on Twitter to surprising Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at a town hall meeting in the Philippines on Nov. 16, the question 'What's in your purse?' gets women talking. 'In addition to makeup and all that go with that, usually my Blackberry and papers of all kinds,' Ms. Clinton responded. Topping our list of purse contents is the all-important wallet. Wilfredo Lee/AP/File
Keys to the car, the domicile, and the workplace are purse essentials. Some women might have a public transit pass instead of a car key and a badge instead of a work key. Somewhere along the way she will probably have picked up a cute keyring of some kind. Toby Melville/Reuters/File
For high maintenance women, a full makeup kit warrants its own little bag. Minimalists can get by with just a lipstick or gloss. Becky Olstad/Staff/File
Not to be confused with lipstick, lip balm is an absolute necessity to keep the lips moisturized and comfortable. It's easier to use than lipstick, because you don't need a mirror. Heck, you don't even need a purse. Ai Miyazato of Japan takes care of lip business before teeing off on the first hole during the third round of the Sunrise LPGA Taiwan Championship in Taoyuan county, northern Taiwan, on Oct. 22. No purse in sight; she must have been keeping it in a pocket. Pichi Chuang/Reuters/File
Pocket tissues: for sad movies, stray crumbs, and those inopportune moments when the public bathroom has run out of toilet paper. Jeff Chiu/AP/File
Some women are fastidious about dental care and require a toothbrush during the day. Business Wire/File
Today's oversized sunglasses take up a lot of room; maybe that's one of the reasons purses have gotten so big. PRNewsFoto/Marchon3D
When you're gone from home for hours and hours, it makes sense to bring perfume so you can freshen up for an after-work networking event. Business Wire/File
Despite the fact that you can take notes with your smart phone, pens are still popular purse items. PRNewsFoto/BIC
A great way to pull rank on the commuter rail is to whip out an e-reader of some kind. The woman next to you lugging around a hardcover tome in her ungainly backpack will be jealous of how neatly the slim little device fits in your sleek purse. Jim Sulley/Barnes & Noble/AP
If you're going to carry all that makeup, you'll need a mirror to check yourself in. Jason Lee/Reuters/File
Some women manage to fit a mini-umbrella in their totes. Russell Boyce/Reuters/File
For geeky gals, a thumb drive is an important item for transporting computer files. Business Wire/File
You never know when you're going to feel the urge to wash your hands. When that moment comes, you may be miles from the nearest washroom. Better bring the hand sanitizer. Business Wire/File
For the truly high-maintenance woman, hairspray is an essential part of her arsenal of beauty products. Sebastian Professional/PRNewsFoto/File
Be it gum or mints, something to freshen the breath has its place in a purse. PRNewsFoto/Wrigley/File
Earbuds and headphones make train and bus rides tolerable, but their cords can be a tangled-up challenge and may require a separate pouch within the purse. Business Wire/File
Whether you choose to carry a comb or a brush (or both) is a matter of personal taste. Johannes Eisele/Reuters/File
Cellphone, smart phone, whatever, but can you live without it if you leave it at home? Oliver Lang/AP/File
Riot police advanced on protesters in Istanbul's Taksim Square shortly after Prime Minister Erdogan warned the peaceful demonstrators to clear out or be forcibly removed.
Riot police fired water cannons and tear gas on protesters in Istanbul's Taksim Square and neighboring Gezi Park on Saturday, an intervention that came shortly after the prime minister warned that security forces "know how to clear" the area.
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