'I bought the viral £30 Lulu Guinness shopping bag and it's brilliant for everything'

Lulu Guinness has relaunched its popular shopping tote and shoppers were advised to run, not walk if they want to get their hands on the 'brilliant' Multi Striped Lip Beach Tote.

The bag was launched last year as part of a collaboration with Waitrose and shoppers loved the iconic lip motif and stripe design so much that it was sold out within weeks. This year, the British designer has brought back the exact tote and kept the retail price as before, at £30.

Our travel writer Laura McKenna got her hands on the viral bag and she has transformed the shopping bag into her everyday accessory whether it's beach trips, visits to the local swimming pool or for holidays.

According to Bristol Live, she said: "Being a huge fan of a minimalist colour palette, I couldn't resist indulging myself with the striking red lips and monochrome allure of the Lulu Guinness tote bag when I spotted it last year. The black-and-white stripes are a classic Lulu Guinness pattern, and the bag is completed with the brand's signature red lip motif and logo straps, along with a matching lip charm for a fun finishing touch.

This enchanting oversized tote is crafted from recycled plastic bottles and boasts a convenient internal pocket perfect for stashing keys, phones, and other trinkets. To my delight, the bag is equipped with extra-long shoulder straps and grab handles, ensuring it's a breeze to tote around even when brimming.

"An absolute gem for holidaymakers, day-trippers and beyond, this capacious bag can hold everything from your beach towel to a 16-inch laptop. With dimensions of 37 x 57 x 16cm, it may be slightly too big for hand luggage on most UK flights, yet its pliable nature allows it to be squashed into backpacks, suitcases, and even handbags."

The 'quintessentially British' designer behind this accessory has previously commented on the tote, remarking: "It's not your usual tote bag, the design is in the detail. It's designed to be super versatile and used as your grocery bag for life, but it's also your everything bag."

Eco-friendly consumers will be thrilled to know that the bag is produced by a firm dedicated to diverting troublesome plastics away from landfill and repurposing them into practical items. Each tote is fashioned from as many as 15 plastic bottles, all reclaimed from post-consumer waste.

Tote bags have experienced a massive boom in popularity over the past year, primarily due to Lulu Guinness's supermarket collaborations and American shops like Trader Joe's going viral with their carrier bags. If you fancy swapping your usual handbag for a tote, we're equally smitten with theStripe Canvas Tote Bag from Damson Madder, priced at £38.

Oliver Bonas also stocks a lovely selection of tote bags that are ideal for summer, including the Striped Logo Fabric Tote Shopper. Retailing for £26, it's available in various colours, whilst Next offers a trendy Natural Jute Shoulder Bag for £42 and it's spacious for beach days.

Additionally, Next's Pink Printed 100% Cotton Lightweight Shopper Bag at £10 serves as the perfect holiday accessory with its vibrant shade and tropical motif.

It's not only Laura's opinion that this bag is absolutely fantastic - the glowing testimonials say it all. One thrilled customer commented: "This bag is beautiful. It has replaced my work bag for the summer. Worth every penny - was looking at the Waitrose one but this is much better. Thank you Lulu for bringing this back at much a great price - I bought two."

Another customer remarked: "Beautiful bag - was available before at Waitrose but sold out - so glad Lulu brought this back."

A third buyer noted: "These are brilliant. I ordered five for gifts for friends. Super quality and eye catching I think a steal at £30."

One shopper expressed disappointment with the cost, posting a one-star review stating: "It's a great bag but it's much better because I bought the original from Waitrose for half the price."

The majority of customers appear delighted with their acquisition. A five-star reviewer dubbed it their 'Barbados must have bag', enthusing: "My absolute favourite easily fit all my travel essentials used as my hand luggage and beach bag. So stylish too. Me, my mum and sisters all have one, we were once asked if we were in a band with our matching bags."

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