These 6 Tiny Beauty Upgrades Make A Surprisingly Big Difference

If you’re a regular reader of this blog, then you already know I’m all about sharing simple tips and tricks that make life a little bit easier. But sometimes the best little tips aren’t enough to fill a whole blog post on their own!

So I tuck them away for later — because I can’t stand to waste a good idea. I recently realized I’d collected a whole batch of beauty- and skincare-specific tips, so today I’m rounding up my favorites. None of them takes much effort, but together they make a surprisingly big difference.

1.  Shave Your Face For Smoother, Brighter Skin

I was pretty skeptical about this idea when I first heard women talking about shaving their faces, but I was willing to give it a try. Now I’m a true believer, so much so that I made my favorite folding facial razor available in my shop!

Facial shaving is a simple way to remove those pesky dark hairs and peach fuzz that get more noticeable as we get older. But that’s not the only benefit. It also provides gentle exfoliation by removing dead skin cells from the surface of your skin, which can leave your complexion looking smoother and brighter.

An added bonus? Many women find that their skincare products absorb more easily after shaving, and foundation glides on more smoothly without catching on fine facial hair.

And if you’re worried that shaving will make your hair grow back darker or thicker, you can put that myth to rest. Shaving cuts hair at the surface of the skin, but it doesn’t change the color, thickness, or rate of growth.

Read More: This Simple Tool Eliminates One Of The Most Frustrating Signs Of Aging

2. Fix Puffy Eyes With Tea Bags

This is definitely an old-school beauty hack, but it’s stuck around because it really works! If your eyes look red and puffy from irritation or a poor night’s sleep, a couple of tea bags can soothe them.

After brewing a cup of tea, toss the tea bags into the fridge until they’re cold. Then place the chilled bags over your eyelids for about 10 minutes.

The cold helps reduce swelling, while the caffeine and tannins in the tea work to constrict blood vessels and tighten the skin — exactly what you want when you’re trying to de-puff.

Read More: These 11 Old School Beauty Hacks Still Work Like a Charm

3. Wash Your Face Twice

Thoroughly cleansing your skin allows your other skincare products to penetrate and really work. And when you’re spending your hard-earned money on the best ingredients like retinol and vitamin C, you don’t want anything standing in the way of their effectiveness. So I suggest trying my double-cleansing method: an oil cleanse followed by a gentle water-based cleanser.

It sounds backwards, but oil cleansing is based on a concept you might remember from science class: “like dissolves like.” Massaging an oil cleanser onto dry skin dissolves makeup, sunscreen, and the day’s grime without the scrubbing or stripping a standard cleanser requires. Then, when you follow with a gentle water-based cleanser, you wash away anything that’s left and rinse your skin clean.

The combination of the two steps does something neither product can do alone: it leaves your face deeply clean AND deeply moisturized.

Read More: I Thought Washing My Face With Oil Was Crazy — Until I Tried It

4. Use Primer To Keep Lipstick In Place

If you wear lipstick and struggle with your color “bleeding” or “feathering” (when it migrates into the fine lines around your lips), try applying a small amount of eyeshadow primer around the outside edges of your lips before your lipstick.

The primer pulls double duty — it smooths out those lines and acts as a barrier to keep your color where it belongs. It’s a small trick that makes a big difference, especially since those fine lines around the mouth tend to get more pronounced as we get older.

Read More: Here Are The 8 Makeup Products I Can’t Live Without

5. Use Vaseline To Make Your Perfume Last Longer

To help your signature scent last longer, apply a thick ointment like Vaseline or Aquaphor to your pulse points before spraying on your perfume.

Ointments form a protective layer on the skin that helps prevent moisture loss and holds onto fragrance longer than bare skin can. This is especially handy if you have dry skin, which tends to drink up perfume and let it fade faster — a little extra slip on your wrists and neck gives the scent something to cling to.

Read More: 15 Genius Uses for Vaseline That Go Way Beyond Chapped Lips

6. Apply Moisturizer To Damp Skin

Most of us towel off completely before reaching for our moisturizer — but that little habit might be working against you. The trick is to smooth your moisturizer on while your skin is still slightly damp. Many moisturizers contain hyaluronic acid, an ingredient that draws in and holds onto water, so applying it to damp skin gives it surface moisture to grab onto and seal in instead of letting it evaporate.

So after you cleanse, pat your skin with a clean towel just until it’s no longer dripping, then apply your serum and moisturizer. My Ideal Daily Moisturizer is what I reach for here — it’s lightweight and made with hyaluronic acid, so it sinks right into damp skin.

Read More: This Is The Best Daily Moisturizer For Aging Skin

7. Extend Your Skincare Down To Your Neck

When it comes to skincare, your neck shouldn’t be an afterthought! In fact, the skin on your neck is thinner than the skin on your face, contains fewer oil-producing glands, and tends to lose collagen and elasticity more quickly. Add in years of sun exposure and constant movement, and it’s no surprise that the neck is often one of the first places to show signs of aging.

The good news? You don’t need a completely separate routine. The same ingredients you use on your face can benefit your neck as well. When you cleanse your face, gently cleanse your neck, too. Then extend your serums, moisturizer, and sunscreen (SPF 30 or higher) all the way down to your neck rather than stopping at your jawline.

One thing to keep in mind: Because neck skin tends to be more delicate, it’s a good idea to introduce products containing retinol or vitamin C gradually if you’ve never used them on your neck before.

Read More: I Wasted Hundreds on Wrinkle Serums So You Don’t Have To

Bonus: The Biggest Upgrade of All

The tips above are the little tweaks — but if you’d rather upgrade your whole routine in one go, I’ve got you covered there, too.

Like a lot of you, I spent years trying to find skincare that actually worked for me, from a $195 face serum (yes, really!) to $20 drugstore moisturizers. Nothing fit. So many products are made with 20-somethings in mind, or packed with ingredients that sensitive, mature skin just can’t tolerate.

So, in classic Jillee fashion, I decided to make it myself! That’s how my Timeless by Jillee skincare line was born.

It’s a simple five-product system — cleansing, treating with serums, and moisturizing, morning and night — that takes the guesswork out of caring for aging skin. No confusing 10-step routines, no irritation, no standing at the mirror wondering if anything will ever work. 

Just a routine that’s simple, affordable, and actually works.

And I’m far from the only one who feels that way:

“I absolutely love this system, and I don’t have to bribe myself to do it twice a day or have the instructions written down to accomplish the steps! I have tried many very expensive and complicated systems, and this, by far, is the best and last I will experiment with again.” – Kathy G.

“This skincare fixed my skin. I no longer have those pesky patches of redness. My skin feels great, and it shows. The more I use it, the better it gets. I love trying products, but I recently tried a brand that did not live up to its word. Thank you, Jillee, for my skin.” – Jo Ann G.

“I am 73, and I have sensitive skin. I have used almost every skincare line across the spectrum, from moderately expensive to expensive. I will only use this skincare line for the rest of my days. I love everything about it and have no objections or complaints. Thank you, Jillee!” – Mary P.

Right now is the perfect time to upgrade your skincare routine!

All of the products in the Timeless by Jillee line are currently 30% off, but when you buy the complete system, you’ll save 40%! That takes the cost down to just $126.57 (regularly $210.95). That’s a savings of more than $80!

And if you’re not completely satisfied for any reason, just reach out within 90 days for a full refund. So there’s truly no risk in giving them a try!

CLICK HERE TO SHOP THE SKINCARE SALE