WHAT PRICE CINCY VACAY BEAUTY?

Six days till I leave on my much-needed 10-day Cincy vacay.

Haircut and Color? Check.

Fake Base Tan Started? Check

Teeth Whitened and Brightened? Tomorrow.

Clothes Packed?  Hell, no.

Health and Beauty Aids Cache Assembled?  Started.

Yes, indeedy, I bought a flight-size bottle of root lifter today when I got my hair cut and colored. Still need flight-size shampoo, styling gel, hair spray, a plethora of perfumes, anti-aging lotions and skin-softening potions -- not to mention my trusty packed-to-the-gills makeup bag containing the following:

*Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Primer/Skin Transformer

*Almay Smart Shade Anti-Aging Makeup

*Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles

*Maybelline ExpertWear Eyeshadow (Almond Truffles)

*Physicians Formula Bronzer

*CoverGirl & Olay Simply Ageless Sculpting Blush (Lush Berry)

*Maybelline Define-A-Lash Pulse Perfection Vibrating Waterproof Mascara (Black)

*Maybelline New York Master Drama by EyeStudio (Sapphire Strength)

I haven't flown for a few years -- do I still have to put everything in clear plastic bags?   Ack.

All that plastic-encased anti-aging beauty assistance makes for rather cumbersome luggage, carry-on or tagged. Simpler, certainly, to just shove it all in my checked luggage. But then I must face my greatest fear in flying: the airlines losing my entire morning beauty regimen between Des Moines and Cincinnati.

Grrrr. Makes me crabby just imagining it.

Like I always say, show me a woman without her hair styling gel or fave moisturizer in her carry on -- or worrying about if they will meet her at the luggage carousel -- and I will show you an agitated, aggravated, absolutely unpredictable passenger capable of, well, I shudder to think.

(Just a little HBA humor, of course...just in case anyone with airport security happens to read The Home Stretch.)

One way around  the whole bothersome HBA packing rigmarole, of course, is to not take any of my current collection with me and just buy all new when I get to Cincy. Could ship it home UPS. Or heck, just leave it all there till my next visit.

Would certainly be a quicker way to pack seeing as I never can decide which perfume (I layer scents), hairspray (maximum or medium hold?), flavored toothpaste (vanilla or cinnamon?), deodorant (solid or invisible or invisible solid?), or body lotion (Sweet Pea, Cherry Blossom or Moonlight Path?) to take with me when I travel.

Besides, I always do a little HBA shopping on vacay anyway. 

There's just something more exciting, more suave and sophisticated, about buying a a new blusher or lip stick in the big city.

Would be sorta expensive buying all new HBA, yes.

But reallllly dahling, what price Cincy vacay beauty?

Next up: Must-have eats on my Cincy vacay