No Plane Jane

New anti-terrorism rules make it hard, but not impossible, to pull off in-flight beauty regimens

Vacations are about running away to recharge and relax, and there was a time when you could start relaxing the moment you boarded a plane. No more.

New anti-terrorism airline bans on liquids and gels in carry-on luggage have put a real damper on end-of-year travel, particularly for women accustomed to packing the contents of their vanity tables and medicine cabinets for the shortest of trips.

COURTESY PHOTO Kiehl's Baby Lip Balm

What's a girl to do?

Relax, with a little improvisation you don't have to get off the plane looking like a complete hag.

For starters, if you haven't embraced the ease of mineral cosmetics, now's a good time to check out Leomana's custom-blend mineral foundations (call 224-9343) or that of i.d. Bare Escentuals, available at Sephora. The minerals go on dry with a brush, offering a mix of coverage and SPF15 protection. Leslie Blodgett, CEO of I.D. Bare Escentuals, claims you can sleep in it, which you'll probably end up doing unless you're allowed to carry on makeup-removing wipes.

Shiseido and Sephora offer handy nonspill wipes, at $15 and $10 respectively, for makeup removal without the extra weight or hazard of jars or bottles cracking or spilling. Even if they're not allowed in the plane cabin -- new items continue to be added to the list of banned products -- they still make a lightweight alternative for easy use in your hotel room. Once you use them up, you're left with a little space in your luggage for souvenirs.

If you're shopping online, Elsie's Original All-Natural Cleansing Wipes, available at www.elsiesoriginal.com, come in a small plastic box of 35 wipes for $6. (Baby Bum Wipes are also available, at $7 for 40.)

COURTESY PHOTO Tranquileyes Eye Hydrating Therapy

Of course the biggest problem will be staying moisturized in the dry airplane environment. There, the same technology that preserves active ingredients works in the war against terror. Awake's Vital Express vitamin C treatment ($68 at Neiman Marcus) uses a powder-to-emulsion formula that will keep your skin moist until you can get to your daily moisturizer, while delivering skin-penetrating rejuvenation benefits.

Otherwise, grease yourself up before leaving the house, and don't forget your lips, prone to cracking and drying. A basic Chapstick or lip balm will do, but if you're shopping around for choices, there's no age limit for babying your lips with Kiehl's Baby Lip Balm ($7.50 at Neiman Marcus), or try honey-flavored lip balm ($2.50) from Burt's Bees, available at health-food stores and Daiei. Invest in a portable, retractable lipbrush and brush it across your lip balm before packing it away, leaving with enough of a treatment to get you through mid-flight and a touch-up just before exiting the plane.

Obviously, mineral cosmetics work well as eye shadows, but the right colors can be used on lips as well. I've used Makeup Forever's Star Powder in Red Copper ($18 at Sephora or Blush) for a long time. A little bit goes a long way when moistened with the residual lip balm off your lip brush.

Then, before making your exit, pop a couple of breath mints or try using some of those Oral-B brush-up tooth wipes that you never had reason to try before now.

COURTESY PHOTO Too Faced's Tropical Tease cosmetics

THE REAL FUN can begin when you get off the plane, when you can get to your refreshment stash. If you can't be sidetracked into making a spa appointment or can't afford to, your hotel room is as good a place as any to create a mini spa experience. Here are a few tips:

» Get some rest. Shut out the world with Tranquileyes Eye Hydrating Therapy. The calming treatment involves spritzing a pair of cushioned goggles with Tranquileyes Waters, with a choice of relaxation, puffy eye or age-defense formulas. Wear it for 20 to 75 minutes to refresh tired eyes. Each Water Therapy kit retails for $49, including goggles, water formula, a spare set of replacement foam, a net dry bag and one micro-fiber travel sack. Look for it at Pamper Me, 737 Bishop St. 100, or go online at www.eyeeco.com.

» Revive your skin. If you could not get it onto the plane, now's the time to bust out your Shu Uemura Moisture Face Mask, a paper mask soaked with emollients. About 15 minutes is enough for a deep-moisturizing experience. The set of eight masks is $50.

COURTESY PHOTO i.d. Bare Escentuals' mineral foundation.

» Don't strain yourself. I see a lot of people running around airports with several jumbo-size suitcases. Why take on extra stress and leave yourself open to losses amid the current confusion. That means going light on shoes and accessories and keeping it simple when it comes to cosmetics. Paper compacts are lightweight, and ones like Too Faced Quickie Chronicles contain everything you need to finish your face, from lips to eyelids. The limited-edition "The Tropical Tease" ($25) includes bronzer, a trio of eye shadows, a quartet of lip glosses and applicators. A pat of powder and you're done. After all, in a strange town nobody knows you anyway.

» Don't neglect your tresses. Frederic Fekkai packs everything jet-setters need in easy-to-pack kits. The Bon Voyage kit featuring two ounces each of Technician shampoo and conditioner, with glaze, Shea Butter Revitalizing Moisture Wash, sheer hold hairspray, portable hairbrush and more, is $75. A Travel Faves Gloss kit is $40. Look for these at Sephora and Neiman Marcus. The kits offer, essentially, a two-week supply, so use it up and don't worry about packing it for the plane heading home.