How to pass your carry on of toiletries with flying colors!

Great advice from Spa Diva.

After 3 weeks of brutal illness and work travel, I am back! I am now writing from my parents home in Longview, WA, capital of bad chinese food, meth addicts and paper mill polluted skies. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

If anyone is about to brave travelling during the holidays and stand in those long, noisy security lines, this topic is just for you!

Today, I would like to discuss how to make your life easier when travelling with beauty/toiletries. I wasn't sure how to pack after they banned liquid items and especially after friends were telling me that their expensive makeup, cleansers and moisturizers had been confiscated. Honestly, I think some of the TSA employees used this to their advantage and I wasn't about to let them take my favorite expensive tube of lipstick.

If you are like me and refuse to stand in long lines to check your small bag knowing you'll just have to wait again upon arrival to pick through all the other bags that look just like yours, then these tips will be useful and save you from crying over your favorite moisturizer that was taken away from "Dry skin Deanna," who works for TSA just so she can steal your beauty bag. Not this time!

1. Check TSA's guidelines. Then print them out with the TSA logo showing. That way, if they do question your favorite shampoo under 3 oz., you can remind them of THEIR rules and regulations, that you did follow them and then throw out the word, THIEF!

2. Head to your nearest beauty counter, esthetician and hair stylist for samples of the products that you use. They'll be much easier to fit into that quart sized ziplock bag, than trying to cram all your 1 to 3 oz. sizes of shampoos, moisturizers, cleansers and lipgloss....it's just not going to happen!

3. If you can't get any samples, then I recommend heading to the Container Store. Find small containers, to put your beauty products in, and label them. Not only for the sake of getting it through security, but so you don't end up applying your hair gel to your face, mistaking it for your makeup remover.

4. Don't think that just because the tube or bottle is half empty that it qualifies for sample size. Oh no, it will get thrown away. That expensive tube of whitening toothpaste will end up in the toiletry graveyard for sure!

5. Check your drugstore or places such like Target for travel sizes of toiletries. I was at Sally's Beauty Supply and they had a wonderful display of tiny lipsticks, glosses and nail polish next to the register.

6. Personal creams and lubricants should be 3 oz. or smaller and if they are not, they will get confiscated. A well suited man behind me was quite angry for losing his KY jelly. That's no joke! Again, place it in a smaller container or make sure the tube is travel size.

Make sure you drink up your coffee, juice, water or self medicating shots of liquor before you enter the security line because it will get thrown away. I saw a woman used as an example yesterday for holding up the line because she forgot to remove her juice bottle from her bag. And be prepared to spend no less than $2.00 on a small bottle of water. I spent $3.25 yesterday for my small bottle of Fuji.

Also, wear comfortable clothes, clean socks and stink free shoes! I think the man, who was in front of me, had been wearing his socks for about a week.

My bag passed with no problems and it was loaded with 2 bags of samples. (Yes, I'm gutsy.) Make sure to print out those guidelines and highlight any that apply to your bag.

Happy flying and safe travels!!