Life

These Tampon Tins Tell It Like It Is

by Emma Cueto

If you're like me, you theoretically have a supply of loose tampons rolling around the bottom of your purse that are always there when you don't need them, and yet have somehow vanished when you do. But there now might be a better way to keep track of them: Little Things For Good's 'Tampon Tins That Tell It Like It Is' aim to revolutionize both the way you store your period supplies and the way you think about them. Because haven't we all had enough of the stigma around pads and tampons?

Periods are one of those things that people with uteruses have to deal with, but are supposed to pretend we don't. There's nothing wrong with menstruation — just so long as you don't talk about it and no one ever sees your tampon stash. Periods are only acceptable as theoretical abstracts, or as a way for jerks to explain away any negative emotions you might ever feel. All evidence of their actual reality is not to see the light of day. But you know what? All that is stupid. Periods are a thing. Millions upon millions of people deal with them on any given day. So why do we feel like we have to hide our tampons in the bottom of our purses, or deep in our pockets, or up our sleeves, or wherever?

The London-based independent online retailer Little Things for Good decided to try a different approach with their new tampon storage tins. "Unlike other time-of-the-month products designed to hide away the facts of life and blend into the background," they write in a press release, "these eye-catching tins bring the stark realities of the monthly cycle to life, mixing beautiful artwork, typography, and design with cold hard facts from real women about periods."

Lizzie Earl of Little Things for Good, explains in the release:

The most organized women I know all still use the same disorganised method for storing tampons — loose in their bag. The only other options were old fashioned containers that mask their real usage with horrible out-dated styles no woman I know would ever carry around .... One day I was feeling a bit girl-power and thought, "Why should the only solution be to hide the fact we carry tampons around? We should tell it like it is," and so this project was born.

The tins, which come in four varieties, are available online at Little Things for Good, and part of the proceeds from each tin will go towards charities that provide menstrual products to homeless or refugee women.

So instead of hiding your period supplies away, how about instead you put them in the brightest, most eye-catching container you can find? Because even though periods are annoying as all get out, that doesn't mean you can't have attitude about it.

Images: Courtesy of Little Things for Good (3)