July is the month of extremes in beauty reality. On the one hand, we're inundated with images of perfectly tanned, toned, flawless women cavorting on beaches. On the other hand, there's ... the rest of us. We sweat. Our makeup melts. Don't even get me started on the hair. And I shudder to think of the actual amount of time I spend slathering myself in SPF.

The only thing keeping me from turning into an unbearable summer whiner is this handful of fun, new products. From a skin care serum that hides fine lines and minimizes shine to a cream that smoothes the surliest, humidity-frizzed hair, these seven July beauty buys make me happy about the fact that its summertime again. Truckloads of summer-related products roll into the office, but these are the very best of the bunch -- the ones we're playing rock-paper-scissors for to see who gets to take 'em home.