"Two big areas to target are the eyes and hands," says Kimberly Daly, a beauty writer for Good Housekeeping. "Fatigue and age show up around your eyes first, and nothing shows or exaggerates your age more than your hands."

Here is an assortment of tips and tools to take years off appearances - plus a quick way to cover grays.

The eyes have it

Here's how to avoid signs of aging around the eyes:

Wear sunscreen year-round. And be sure to apply it to your crow's-feet. Even in winter, the sun is the main cause of this type of damage. Good Housekeeping suggests Aveeno Continuous Protection Sunblock Lotion SPF 30 for Face ($9.99).

Avoid squinting. If that means wearing glasses or contacts more often (or in sunnier weather, sunglasses and a hat), so be it.

Apply a moisturizing eye cream twice a day. Put it on with your ring finger. This is your weakest digit, so it's the one that's least likely to cause damage or wrinkles.

Gently exfoliate. Using delicate, circular motions, slough off dead skin and improve circulation. Payoff: Eyes will look fresher and less puffy, and makeup will go on smoother. Try Olay Regenerist Eye Derma-Pod Anti-Aging Triple Response System ($24.99).

To keep eyes looking their best:

Don't remove makeup aggressively. Dab gently instead. The same goes when you apply makeup, cream or lotion.

Don't wear creamy eyeshadow without a primer underneath or a layer of powder on top. When makeup sinks into creases, it showcases crepey skin. Try Mally Beauty Shadow Base ($19.50).

Don't apply dark or heavy liner to your lower eyelids. Doing so will make you look five years older and extremely tired. Instead, define lower lashes with a quick coat of mascara - or use nothing at all.

Don't wear overly frosted, sparkling liner or eyeshadow, especially the loose-powder kind. The glimmering particles can migrate into fine lines and draw more attention to them.

Don't drink, smoke or consume a lot of salt. All three can contribute to redness and puffiness.

Best anti-aging hand cream

Your best defense is an anti-aging hand cream, so the institute tested four to see which gave the best results.

With the help of New York City dermatologist Amy Wechsler, the Institute evaluated volunteers' hands, then asked the testers to use cream on just one hand for four weeks.

The results: Vaseline Intensive Care Age Redefining Hand Lotion ($4) was the most effective.

Goodbye, gray

The next time you spot a white strand of hair, try Quick Tint ($12.50), a speedy color touch-up product that makes covering gray as easy as putting on concealer. One stroke of the waterproof formula (available in 10 shades) and the strand in question blends right in - no mixing or salon appointment required.

* On another matter: If you're squeezing a lemon to extract just a tablespoon of juice for a recipe or to spritz on fish, you can get the juice by hand. But if you need a cupful or want freshly squeezed juice, turn to an electric machine. With these powerhouses, you get more juice, more quickly, plus you get fewer pits and suffer no hand fatigue. In juicer tests, the Oster Citrus Juice and Serve Juicer #3186 ($20; oster.com; 800-334-0759) was a star. It juices straight into a serving pitcher. Other models juice into a glass, which must be changed if you need more than one serving, often leaving messy dribbles on the countertop.