Security regulations – especially the ban on liquids on board airplanes --- have made packing for a trip so complicated it almost takes all the fun out of vacation! And even though some rules have been loosened, it is ultimately up to the discretion of TSA agents to allow a given passenger to bring an item on board a plane. And even checked luggage these days can be subject to search. And because they therefore have to be sent through unlocked, not a few people have reported having things stolen from their suitcases.

With that in mind, a few tips for your next flight:

If you can’t replace it, do not pack it . Wear it. Carry it. Copy it. Scan it. And for godssakes, back it up. Twice.

Hair clips can set off alarms. Trust me on this. Women who usually wear their hair pinned up may want to substitute another hairstyle, or use plastic accessories, instead.

Don’t even try to get away with carrying foundation in your makeup kit. Cover Girl, MAC, and others make excellent powder foundations, some of which can be applied wet or dry.

Officially, lipstick is permitted. Unofficially, it may be or it may not, especially the kind of lipstick (or gloss) that is applied with a brush. If possible, use a lip pencil; if not, stick with standard lipsticks.

Don’t worry about things like perfume and aftershave. Duty-free and other airport shops always have sample scents available for the spraying – both before you board and after landing.

Don’t be so sure your nail file will pass muster, either. Pack it in your checked luggage (or leave it at home) and take an emery board, instead.

You might want to leave your good silver ball-point pen at home, as well; someone I know (okay, my father) had his Tiffany pen confiscated by a TSA agent who seemed to think it constituted a potential weapon (unlike, I guess, knitting needles, which I see on board planes all the time these days). Fountain pens, by the way, because of the ink they contain, could possibly be subject to seizure, as well.

I don’t care how much you paid for the rosemary-and-lemon biological honey in the hand-blown glass jar. If you want it to survive the trip, wrap it well in bubble plastic, surround it with clothes, and nestle it in your checked luggage. Things like syrups, honey, jams, and so on are on the “banned items” list.

And while most US airports permit you to carry drinks on board if purchased at the airport, many European ones will not. Drink up before you reach the gate!

None of which should deter you from traveling by air. After all, a little exercise in creative planning is always good.