One tiny $4 jar. Eighteen life-changing uses. From the makeup artists of Hollywood red carpets to grandmothers who’ve sworn by it for 70 years, Vaseline (plain old petroleum jelly) is the ultimate undercover hero sitting in your bathroom cabinet right now. Ready to have your mind blown in the next three minutes?
Let’s dive in — starting with the trick that saves hundreds on high-end beauty products.
18. Turn Any Lipstick Into a Long-Lasting Cream Blush
Dab a pin-head amount of Vaseline on your cheeks, then press on your favorite bold lipstick with your finger. Instant cream blush that stays put for 10+ hours and costs literally pennies.
17. Make Cheap Perfume Last All Day
Spritz fragrance on wrists, then seal it with a micro-layer of Vaseline. The scent molecules get trapped and release slowly — people will ask what expensive perfume you’re wearing.
16. The 5-Second Brow Lamination at Home
Brush eyebrows up with a spoolie, then coat lightly with Vaseline and press them in place. Feathery, laminated brows that stay perfect until you wash your face tonight.
15. Stop Foundation from Caking in Fine Lines
Mix one grain-of-rice-sized dot of Vaseline with your foundation on the back of your hand. Suddenly your skin looks airbrushed and dewy — even at 3 p.m.
14. Create Glossy “Wet-Look” Lids Without Sticky Gloss
Finger-pat Vaseline over any eyeshadow for the glass-skin lid trend celebrities pay makeup artists $500 to do.
13. Rescue Cracked Heels Overnight
Slather feet thick with Vaseline, pop on cotton socks, wake up to baby-soft heels. Do it three nights in a row and sandals become an option again.
12. Tame Flyaways and Baby Hairs Forever
Lightly rub a clean mascara wand in the jar, then smooth those annoying wisps. Holds better than $40 styling paste and never gets crunchy.
11. Extend the Life of Your Dying Mascara
When mascara gets clumpy, add the tiniest dab of Vaseline inside the tube, shake, and it’s magically creamy again for another month.
10. DIY Highlighter That Beats Becca and Fenty
Mix Vaseline with a pinch of loose gold eyeshadow. You now own the most blinding, skin-like highlighter on earth for under a dollar.
9. Prevent Hair Dye Stains on Skin
Run a thin layer along your hairline and ears before coloring. Dye wipes right off — no more tell-tale stains for two weeks.
8. Soothe Chapped Lips in One Application
At night, exfoliate lips gently, pile on Vaseline thick, and sleep. Morning = plump, healed lips that look like you just left a spa.
7. Make Your Lash Extensions or Strip Lashes Last Twice as Long
Tiny dot of Vaseline on the lash band before applying = stronger hold, zero lifting, and easier removal later.
6. Stop Blisters Before They Happen
New shoes? Coat the spots that usually rub with Vaseline. Friction disappears and you can actually enjoy breaking them in.
5. Fix a Stuck Zipper in 3 Seconds
Rub Vaseline on the teeth of a jammed zipper (purses, boots, jackets). Glides like new again.
4. Instant Cuticle Rescue
Massage in after every hand wash. Two weeks later your nails look like you get weekly $60 manicures.
3. Remove Makeup Ring Around the Collar (or Self-Tanner Stains)
Vaseline dissolves stubborn foundation necklines and fake-tan mistakes better than micellar water ever dreamed.
2. The Secret to Shiny Legs on Date Night
Mix a pea-sized amount with a drop of body oil and smooth over legs. Instant runway sheen — no $70 body shimmer required.
And the #1 Vaseline Hack Everyone Is Obsessed With Right Now…
1. “Slugging” — The Korean Overnight Facial That Went Viral for a Reason
Cleanse, apply your serums, then lock everything in with a thin layer of Vaseline as the very last step. Wake up with glass skin that looks Photoshopped. Dermatologists quietly admit it works better than $200 night creams.
One humble jar. Eighteen genius ways to look better, save money, and solve annoying little problems you didn’t even know had a fix.
Grab the Vaseline that’s probably sitting in your drawer right now and try at least three of these tonight — your future self (and your wallet) will thank you.
P.S. The blue-cap original is still the best — accept no substitutes. Go be brilliant. 💙
