I got another great question today about traveling with products. I hope to save you all some pain, so these are some things I had to learn the hard way.

1. Use zipper-topped plastic bags. Have you ever flown with a plastic water bottle? You can be sure that what happens to your water bottle will happen to your monomer or acetone bottles too. Unfortunately, you have no way of knowing whether the bottles are upright or not so any liquid that comes in a plastic container will almost always leak under airplane pressure or at high altitudes. To prevent unwanted spills or smells (Um, TSA does NOT approve of smelly luggage!) always pack your liquid bottles in zipper-topped bags. The plastic is unaffected by the monomer or acetone, and it keeps your other stuff clean. And always carry extra bags with you.

2.Use airtight containers. Just to be on the safe side in case my zipper bag has a hole in it, (Likely with my nails), I’ll put any liquid bottles (monomer, acetone, primer, polish) in an airtight plastic container. I found some at Target called “Lock & Lock” and I love them — worth every penny.

3.Never put powders in the same airtight container as liquids. I learned this the hard way and it took me a few times to figure it out. I would arrive at a competition, open up a brand new pot of acrylic powder only to find it had lumps in it. I would have to scoop them out or chance having a messed up bead.

And the next competition, same thing happened — brand new pot with lumps in it. I started checking them when I packed my kit and they would be fine, then when I arrived at my destination, lumpy. I finally put two and two together and figured out what was going on. The liquid was leaking under airplane pressure and creating a humid environment inside my airtight container, which was in turn seeping into the powder pots creating lumps. Since then, the powders go in their own container with a desiccant packet to keep the moisture away and Blamo! — perfect powders on arrival.

4.Last but not least, if TSA wants you to classify your products, do so. Remember, they are cosmetics, nothing more. Hairspray, perfume, nail polish…these are all dangerous and flammable too so should be reported.

— Lynn