In truth, life is complicated — this makes it look better (4,4)
I believe the answer is:
face lift
'this makes it look better' is the definition.
The definition suggests a singular noun which matches the answer.
'in truth life is complicated' is the subsidiary indication.
'in' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'truth' becomes 'fact' (I've seen this before).
'is complicated' is an anagram indicator.
'life' anagrammed gives 'elif'.
'fact' going around 'elif' is 'facelift'.
(Other definitions for face lift that I've seen before include "Stand in front of lobby doors perhaps" , "surgery" , "renovation" , "Beauty treatment" .)