What: Learning to pack TSA-approved sizes for air travel is a beauty must.

What the experts say: Frequent and not-even-very frequent fliers are painfully aware by now that all liquids, gels and aerosols taken aboard a plane must be in three-ounce containers or smaller, and must all fit inside a single quart-size Ziploc bag. Globetrotter and Vogue Beauty Director Sarah Brown writes,

“My time-tested, TSA-compliant strategy: I put everything that’s not technically a gel/liquid/aerosol into an entirely different makeup bag so as not to take up precious plastic-bag space.�

What we say: Oh, how we wish we could beam our beauty products to our final destination so as to avoid security headaches! Errant lip gloss always finds its way out of our little Ziploc pouch, forcing us to endure an unfriendly frisking! And now that airlines are charging fees upwards of $15 per one bag of checked baggage, becoming creative about how to pack our carry-on is even more important for budget fashionistas than ever.
Since every ounce counts, the Lisa Hoffman Skincare Single Packette chucks the heavy bottle in favor of single-use, airtight ampoules of creams, cleansers and serums in a re-sealable, disposable pouch. Much like that other single-use fave, Cargo DailyGloss, these light-as-air packettes get us through security in a jiff, without too much added weight, though they do add up in cost ($20 per packette).
Most hotels provide us with the essentials—soap, shampoo and conditioner—so some beauty items we don’t need to pack. But others—perfume, cleanser and makeup remover—are flying the friendly skies with us. Sephora’s jumped onboard the airplane-friendly wagon with several mini-products, and we’re loving the Face Purifying Makeup Remover To Go, which removes our gunked-on makeup while also gently cleansing our face for a mere $5. We once watched in horror as a fellow fashionista was forced by security to dump her whole Chanel Mademoiselle perfume into a trash can—the horror! Perfumes carry much weight and aren’t cheap, so we recommend lightweight rollerballs as a budget-friendly alternative. We’ll be carrying on Clean Shower Fresh Rollerball, which has a fresh scent that smells like we just stepped out of the shower—perfect for an after-flight pick-me-up. At $22, it’s cheaper than tossing an $80 perfume in the garbage.
Sometimes we don’t want to part with our go-to shampoo, conditioner and lotion, and Travel Mate 15-Piece Carry-On Bottle Kit has our backs with enough jars and spray bottles to house two week’s worth of our beauty staples. Even cooler? Thirty-six pre-labeled stickers make it easy for us to id the jars’ contents. All of this for $9.99? Now, if only flying were this simple…and wallet-friendly.

Photo: Starpulse.com