EVELYSS / Guides / Travel & Everyday

How to Pack Makeup in a Carry-On (TSA Rules, Leaks and Broken Compacts)

“Nothing makes a trip feel less glamorous than foundation across your good sweater. Sort your makeup by what security cares about and what breaks, not by what's on your face. Then a carry-on is plenty.”Her take

What counts as a liquid under the TSA rule?

Under TSA's 3-1-1 rule for carry-ons, liquids, aerosols, gels, creams and pastes must be in containers of 3.4 ounces (100 mL) or less, all fitting in one quart-sized bag. You get one bag per passenger, and it should be easy to take out of your carry-on. Anything larger goes in your checked bag.

For makeup, that means liquid foundation, concealer, mascara, lip gloss, liquid lipstick, setting spray, primer, cream blush in a pot, micellar water and makeup remover all count. Regular solid products are simpler: TSA lists lipstick and solid makeup as allowed in carry-ons, and pressed powders and pencils aren't liquids. If you're unsure, the officer at the checkpoint makes the final call, so don't pack anything you can't bear to lose.

Sort your makeup into two bags

Everything goes much faster if you divide your makeup by type, rather than keeping it all together in one pretty case.

• Clear quart bag: foundation, concealer, mascara, gloss, liquid liner, setting spray, primer and cream products, all in sizes of 3.4 ounces or less.
• Soft pouch: powder, blush, bronzer, eyeshadow palette, pencils, bullet lipsticks, brushes and tweezers.
• Personal item: lip balm, a mini mascara and one lipstick for touch-ups before landing, as long as anything liquid also fits your quart bag at security.

How to stop liquids from leaking

Changes in cabin pressure can force liquid past loose caps, so anything with a pump or dropper is at risk. Unscrew the top, cover the opening with a small square of plastic wrap, and screw it back on. For pumps, tape the pump down or cover it with its cap. Squeeze a little air out of soft tubes before you close them.

Decant only what you need into small, leak-proof containers, and label them with a fine marker. A week's worth of foundation usually takes far less than 1 ounce. Keep your quart bag zipped and put it at the top of your bag, so you can reach it at security, and away from electronics and your good clothes if a leak were to happen.

How to protect powders and compacts

Powders usually crack from pressure and vibration. Lay a cotton pad on top of each pressed powder before closing the compact, which fills the space and stops the powder from moving around. A rubber band or small strip of tape can keep lids closed. If you can, pack compacts in the middle of your bag, surrounded by clothes, not in an outside pocket.

If your powder does break, you can often press it back together at your destination. Crush it evenly, add a few drops of rubbing alcohol, press flat with a clean coin wrapped in a tissue, and let it dry. Protect brushes with a roll or a mesh sleeve, so that the bristles don't get bent and pick up loose powder.

A compact makeup kit for a week away

Choose multipurpose products, and you'll have room for your clothes. A cream blush can double for lips and cheeks, a neutral eye palette with a matte brown can also fill your brows, and a single lip pencil can line your lips and act as a lipstick base. Use this list as a starting point and edit it to fit your own face.

• Skin: small tinted moisturizer or foundation, one concealer and a mini setting powder.
• Cheeks: one cream blush that also works on lips.
• Eyes: a compact palette, a brow pencil, liner and mascara.
• Lips: one everyday color, plus one evening color with a matching liner.
• Tools: two brushes, a small sponge, tweezers and a travel-size mirror.
• Remover: individually wrapped wipes or a small bottle of micellar water for the quart bag.

International flights and what to do if you run out of space

The US rules are similar to those of many other countries, but the details can change. A number of airports use their own bag and scanning rules, so check the airport's website on any international connection. Since duty-free liquids have their own special rules for US-bound connections, check those too before you buy in transit.

If everything won't fit in your quart bag, you have three options. Leave out what you can buy at your destination, swap liquid products for stick or powder versions, or check a bag. Solid sticks are the easiest swap, and many now cover foundation, blush and even skincare. Packing fewer liquids also makes the trip through security much faster.

Questions people ask

The takeaway

Sort by what security checks: liquids in the quart bag, solids in a pouch. Wrap the pumps, pad the compacts, and leave the rest at home.

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