6 Simple Ways to Rejuvenate Your Look

Jennifer Connolly is your go-to gal when it comes to style! Read more from Jennifer on her blog, A Well Styled Life. 

Who wants to look old?

And no, we’re not counting the rings on my neck!

It’s OK…even great to be old..but looking old doesn’t work for me.

Careless grooming mistakes derail your appearance and impact your image in the blink of an eye.

It’s so easy to overlook these little details but they don’t go unnoticed. Even subconsciously, they’re speaking volumes about you.

• Clean your eyeglasses every morning.

  Clean your sunglasses as well. I use generic prepackaged wipes from the drug store. I started with the name brand then switched to generic because they work just as well and why waste the money? My optometrist tells me spray cleaner and a soft cloth just spreads the smudges around…which I found to be true. I also keep a few wipes in my car and handbag for that inevitable thumb print that lands front and center in my field of vision. Common mistake, easy fix.

• Wipe the tops of your shoes.

  Some people are so meticulous they wipe their shoes clean after each wearing. If you’re that person, skip this step and probably the rest of the list too. Gently clean suede shoes or boots with a suede brush. With leather it can be as simple as using a paper towel. The point is to remove dust. Polishing shoes is more time intensive so a weekly, monthly or seasonal thing. I like to take my boots and leather shoes to a shoe repairman at the end of each season. He checks the soles for needed repairs and gives them a professional polishing. They come back looking like new.

• Lint roll yourself.

  Look for errant dog hair, dryer fuzz, shmutz (technical term) and general crud (ditto). Sometimes you can even remove fuzz pills from your sweaters…if you’re lucky. I roll across my shoulders, down my arms and legs, then get the backside. If wearing a coat, hat and scarf, I give them the same treatment. In a pinch, a piece of tape will work.

• Check for chipped nail polish.

  This counts for toenails too, if they’re going to be seen. If the polish can be touched up to blend, fine. If not, remove what’s there. Bare nails make a much better statement than chipped polish. Even the most beautiful hands look tacky with chipped nail polish. Especially if it’s colored.

• Be sure your perfume is not overpowering.

  A signature fragrance is wonderful, even preferable, but ensure it’s not too strong. After we wear a fragrance for weeks, months or years,  we can become desensitized to it. Light application is safest so we’re not suffocating people in elevators, restaurants, airplanes…even the same room.

• Buy and use a sweater shaver.

  This simple little tool takes seconds to buzz off sweater pills which inevitably happen under arms, on the inside of your sleeves…anywhere a sweater is rubbed. Even the finest wool’s can pill, but a quick, careful shave makes your sweater look almost new.

This little shaver is available at the Container Store but you can pick one up almost anywhere. I got mine at Target.

Tiny details can have a huge impact on how you’re perceived.

What have I forgotten?

Please share your tips.