When the heat gets going, the only thing I need is...

This month has been one of the hottest months on record her in the Mid Atlantic. As a Shine Beauty Guru, each month we are given an assignment to write on concerning beauty topics. This month is: What is your summer beauty secret?

Well.... when it's as hot as it's been lately and the only secret I can come up with concerning beauty is ICE!

When your face is melting off and your can barely breath from the humidity either take yourself inside an air conditioned room and sit or you can take a plastic baggie and fill it with ice. Wrap it in a thin towel and place at the nape of your kneck. When your body is cool, you can back to looking your best.

A couple of other secrets I do to keep cool:

• A Fan


• A Personal Mister


• A Parasol

CoverGirl Shineblast: Not My Type of Lip Gloss

When the package arrived this month for my Beauty Guru assignment, I was stoked. I'm a lip gloss addict! Maybe this is because I have purchased almost every brand known to man but I know my lip gloss. I need my lip gloss!

When choosing a lip gloss, my needs include: one that stays longer than two seconds and one that has a ton of shine. With that said, this product does not qualify.

CoverGirl's Shineblast is easy enough to open but that's where its user-friendliness ends. The main issue with the design of the bottle is in how much energy is required in inserting the stick into the gloss. I felt like I was pumping up a tire.

The "Breakthrough Applicator" claims to hug the contours of your lips but it doesn't grab enough of the thin gloss. You will have to keep dipping the applicator into the bottle, again pumping up a tire. Not what I want when trying to gloss up my lips.

The texture of the gloss itself is very thin. Even with the three bottles I was supplied with, in a month they are almost empty. I personally like a gloss that is a little sticky because it holds to the lip longer. My husband may not like it when trying to kiss me but a gloss with a thicker consistency holds much longer and offers more shine. This gloss will make you lips shine for a moment but look quick! Oops, it's gone.

With a cost of around $8 a pop, I won't be purchasing any more of it in the future. There are finer glosses on the market for much less that offer the qualities I look for in a lip gloss.

On a plus note: As a mother of a pre-teen, I would suggest this product to her. The colors are light enough she won't look like she is trying too hard and they taste sweet. She'll be busy licking off her gloss instead of worrying if it makes her look older.

Redken's Body Full Line Is Not For Everyone

As a consumer of hair care brands you can pick up while shopping for dish detergent and tampons, receiving Redken's Body Full line was a real treat. I haven't had the luxury of treating my hair to a salon brand since my grandmother decided I was old enough to pay for my own hair care needs.

With packaging that screams "I'm cooler than what you use," and a scent reminiscent of $100 hair cuts, Redken's allure has it's place but when the hair that grows from your head is not what your hair care line treats, some mishaps can occur.

Redken's Body Full shampoo promises volume for baby fine hair and the conditioner claims to be weightless and a detangler. A fan of the shampoo but without the help of a strong conditioner to hold down the coarseness of my hair, it seemed to get lost. After washing you can apply the Body Full Instant Bodifer evenly into your strands. The mousse claims to provide volume for thin hair. The problem occurred when the combing process of hair care began.

My comb became lodged into my hair. As much as I tried to free the comb, my hair reacted in an ugly manner. Ripping sounds and a neck that bore most of the brunt, the result was torn hair and a pulled muscle. Imagine telling your coworkers you have a crick in your neck from combing your hair.

Needless to say, I'm not completely sworn off of Redken but next time, I don't need "body" for my hair. I need freedom from tangles and a conditioner that's not weightless but more like butter in a bottle.

Olay Regenerist Anti-Aging Roller Works Wonders

As a Shine Beauty Guru, we have such an amazing job! With our assignment this month, I was privileged to have wonderful products to test from the Olay Regenerist line. Although I have thoroughly enjoyed each and every one and would recommend them all to you, Olay Regenerist Anti-Aging Eye Roller is my favorite!

With thirty year old skin around my eyes, I have tried products before to help with puffiness and fight the appearance of fine lines around my delicate eye area. Olay Regenerist Anti-Aging Eye Roller is different. Designed like a marker, you can easily apply the cream under your eyes without getting your hands dirty. Just as you may have used cold cucumber slices or ice packs before to reduce swelling, Olay Regenerist Anti-Aging Roller works better and without the time constraints or extreme cold.

Olay Regenerist Anti-Aging Roller is automatic in the reduction of puffiness.

Just click the end several times before your first application and you are ready to go. Once you see the eye cream coat the three rollers at the end, apply under eyes until it disappears. Immediately, I noticed the puffiness reduce. You make think I'm making this up but I'm not; I could see from my eyes that the puffiness had been reduced.

With three weeks into using this product, I have seen dramatic results in the reduction of puffiness under my eyes. Olay Regenerist Anti-Aging Eye Roller claims to continue working to fight the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. I have not seen any increase in the fine lines and that is the claim. Actually, I think my eye region looks better than ever!

With a suggested retail of $23, some may still be skeptical about paying this price, but I have to say it's a miracle drug. I'm hooked! (You may be able to find it online for cheaper.)

Keep up the great work Olay!

Image Credit: Olay.com