Threat of the empty purse IT'S BARE BASICS FOR WOMEN AS MAKEUP BANNED

Now the terrorists have done it: They've made women clean out their purses.

Or, more precisely, dump all the liquids, cleansers, lipsticks, gels, lotions, pastes and tools that are in many purses or makeup kits that usually ride along with female airline passengers.

With the new carry-on regulations introduced this week by the Transportation Security Administration prohibiting most makeup items, female travelers went on a crash purse diet, shedding precious personal goods that they rarely leave home without.

"All I have in my purse is my wallet, plane ticket and a shirt, in case I get cold," said Pamela Craig, 43, who arrived in San Jose on Southwest Airlines from Los Angeles. "Normally I'd have my whole makeup case in here. But I checked it so it wouldn't get taken away."

Lynn Banks, 40, prepped her bottomless bag for her trip from Phoenix to San Jose while watching travel reports on the morning news.

"I saw that they were throwing things out of purses into garbage cans," said Banks, of Salinas, "so I packed away my lotion, lipstick, Clinique makeup and hand sanitizer. Women have all these things with them that they don't want to get lost if they lose your luggage. It's expensive stuff."

Other female travelers took even stricter precautions. Elisa Phillips, 28, pared down her packing for a weekend trip with her sister to San Diego.

"I left all of my high-end makeup at home and brought just the bare basics," said Phillips, who brought disposable facial wipes instead of her bottle of liquid face wash. "I figure you can always buy whatever else you need when you get there."

Most women viewed lightening their loads as a minor disruption to their travel beauty regimens -- worth the price in safety.

"I would've liked to touch up my lipstick right now," said Sally Carmenita, 36, who was waiting for her baggage to arrive from a Las Vegas flight on America West. "But it's better that they're being safe."

Stephaine Mayne, 16, opted to check in her Revlon cosmetics and stick deodorant, which she usually carries with her to prevent them from melting.

"Now all I have is two books for school, my wallet and cell phone," said Mayne, of Charlotte, N.C., "but if it makes us all safer, then who really cares?"

Kathyrn Russell, 26, likes the idea of extra safety precautions, but without sacrificing her time. Although she planned to carry her weekend bag onto the plane, she realized at the airport that she had left her new $25 lip gloss in her purse. So Russell decided to pop the lip gloss in her bag and check it.

"Now I have to wait an extra 45 minutes to get my luggage off the carousel," Russell said, "all because of my Pin-Up Chanel lip gloss."