Lacey Chabert Finds Her One True Love in Adorable New Beauty Campaign (Exclusive)

As someone who played a high schooler at 22 years old, Lacey Chabert knows a thing or two about staying young at heart. 

“I think age is just a number,” the Mean Girls star, 42, tells PEOPLE while discussing her new campaign with Philosophy, a skincare brand she credits for her youthful complexion. “Staying young at heart for me is about finding joy in any situation and connecting with people in life. It’s part of the reason I think I enjoy being a storyteller and making movies because I love connecting with people through story.”

Now, Chabert is using her passion for storytelling to tell the ultimate love story, that of a woman and her skincare. In her new campaign, inspired by rom-com movie trailers, Chabert plays the big-city girl who returns to her hometown and realizes the one she’s been searching for has been right in front of her all along—Philosophy’s purity one-step facial cleanser.

“My mom, sisters and I have been philosophy fans for so many years, and I was really excited about this opportunity because I love skincare,” Chabert says about why she signed on to front the campaign. “Being on camera I wear a lot of makeup and my skin goes through a lot, so I’m always searching for the perfect product that takes care of my skin. I love the purity cleanser because it has the capability where it’s strong enough to take off all of the makeup that I wear on camera, but yet it’s gentle on my skin.”

Chabert adds that being in front of the camera since she was seven years old has taught her the importance of taking care of her skin.

“Obviously I wasn’t using a lot of products as a kid or a teenager, but in my early twenties, I really started to be aware of wearing sunscreen and doing things to protect my skin and to try and take as good care of it as I can,” she says.

Partnering with Philosophy was an easy decision for Chabert, especially since it gave her a chance to tap into her Hallmark roots for the romantic trailer. “I love rom-coms because they bring joy and often have relatable storylines that I feel like people can see themselves in,” she says. “So I thought this was a really clever way to advertise the line.”

As she gears up for her 41st Hallmark film, An Unexpected Valentine, premiering on Feb. 1 on the Hallmark Channel, Chabert shares that she and costar Robert Buckley “learn about each other, let our guards down a bit, have some fun and romance might prevail.”

“He’s hilarious and so kind and he comes to work with the best attitude,” Chabert says of Buckley, 43, with whom she embarks on a mission to find the owner of a lost engagement ring on Valentine’s Day. “We’re both parents. We were talking about our kids and FaceTiming with our families and just really hit it off from the beginning. We just had the best time.”

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Looking ahead to future projects, Chabert shares there’s one type of film she’s eager to make and one former costar she hopes to reunite with. “I’m from Mississippi and I haven’t gotten to do a movie about the South. I would love to do a southern based movie,” she tells PEOPLE. “And I will say the first person that pops into my head for who I would want to work with is Jennifer Garner. She and I worked together on Ghost of Girlfriends Past many years ago, and it was such a dream to work with her. She’s just so lovely and I love following her on social media.”

In the meantime, Chabert is grateful for the chance to tell “uplifting stories that make you laugh and cry,” and to partner with brands like Philosophy.

“I have loved the Philosophy line for many years and I’m really grateful to be able to partner with them in this way,” she says. “I’m really thankful for the opportunities I’ve had.”