Travelling Light: How I Stuck to My Carry-On

I had never seen an apple tree before! I was so excited. Kalamazoo, Michigan 2013.

I think it's safe to say that flying has lost a lot of its magic. I'm not even referring to the days of Pan Am (I miss that show), I'm talking about flying pre-TSA takeover.

The 3-1-1 Rule has caused a lot of grief for travelers. Mothers with infants have had issues traveling with formula and those with illnesses , such as diabetes, that require a lot of care have also been held back in airport lines or had their items confiscated.

For those of us that like to travel with a makeup arsenal, though the inconvenience isn't as severe as those listed above, the 3-1-1 rule is our worst enemy. So many beauty products come in liquid form and often in sizes much larger than the allotted 3 oz.--especially fragrance.

As far as my packing style? I am notorious for over packing. People tell me every joke in the book: "Do you have a dead body in there?" "Are you moving away?" "It's only a few days!" I've had to pay for luggage that passes the weight limit and, at times, I've had to store some of my things in another person's luggage.

So, I promised myself that I would use only a carry-on on a recent trip to Michigan--and somehow I did! I used two makeup bags for this trip, one for liquids/creams and the other for powders/solids. The powder bag I tossed into my carry-on while I kept the liquids bag in my backpack for easy inspection.

"Powder/Solids" Bag

• Travel-size deodorant 
• Blush (VS Makeup Luminous Mineral Blush Duo...I LOVE these!)
• Pressed Powder (I did not bring loose powder. I used pressed  L'Oreal True Match powder to set and touch up.)
• Eyeshadow Quad ( Shu Uemura...an old favorite LE palette.)
• Toothbrush
• Makeup Brushes (Blush, Foundation, Shadow, Blending, Kabuki, Eyebrow/Angle Brush)
• Dry Shampoo (My favorite, Pronto Dry Shampoo by Oscar Blandi)
• Baby Wipes (These do not have to go in your "liquids" bag. I use them to remove makeup.)
• Lip Balm (Green Apple Chapstick) **There is some controversy as to whether lip balm and lipstick count as solids or not. I left my lipbalm in my backpack and I had no problems. However, I played it safe and put lipstick in the other bag.

"Creams/Liquids" Bag

I used the 3D Clear Organizer by Tom Bihn. It's very sturdy and easy to clean; plus, it won't burst open like a plastic baggie will and I will be able to reuse it for a very long time. While I decanted most of my skincare into smaller bottles, next time I will use empty contact lens cases for all. Each well holds enough product for a 3-4 day trip and it saves a LOT of space! Inside the bag went:

• YSL Manifesto Rollerball
• Toothpaste
• Face Wash/Body Wash (Olay Ultra Moisturizing Body Wash)
• Shampoo/Conditioner (Aveda Color Conserve)
• Moisturizer w/ SPF (The Body Shop Aloe Soothing Moisturizer)
• Primer (Givenchy Mister Mat Primer)
• Foundation (MAC Face & Body)
• Concealer (MAC Pro Longwear. I mixed this with Face & Body to create a long-wearing, fuller coverage foundation.)
• Liquid Eye Liner (Kat Von D Tattoo Liner)
• Mascara (Maybelline Full & Soft Waterproof)
• Lipstick ( Julie Hewett in "Lulu")
• Lipliner (MAC Cream O' Spice)

And yes, all of that fit!

I have to say I am very excited to pack for another trip. I really want to streamline my technique and be a packing pro.