I received this product complimentary for testing and review purposes from Influenster.  Here's a full review:

Product Details*
Introducing Kiss Nail Dress, ultimate nail fashion for tips and toes! Just peel, apply, and shape for a manicure that lasts up to 10 days. On in minutes, off in seconds without remover. Nail Dress is available in 18 different styles, many of them featuring 3-dimensional jeweled designs. Check out Peplum, a deep black with multi-colored gems for a pop of color, or Babydoll, for a golden and glamorous jeweled look. Skip the topcoat, Nail Dress has it built in.  With 28 strips in each package, you can cut up your extras to create designs that can be used on top of polished or artificial nails

My Take on the Kiss Nail Dress
I applied these onto artificial nails, which probably adds to the ease of application.  After finding the right size decal for the first few nails, it’s easy to get the hang of it.  If you do make a placement or sizing mistake, it’s no big deal to peel off if the nail dress isn’t all the way adhered.  Mine were slightly difficult to file off at the ends, but I think that’s because of the 3-D nature of the design I was given to test. I’m thinking the “flat” designs would be a breeze to file off.

The thing I love about these nail stickers is that they allow you to sport crazy-awesome patterns and textures that would cost a fortune and take hours in a salon.  Also, the colors and patterns are definitely bold, but they’re just wacky enough to still be wearable.  

The first day I wore these I got so many compliments on them; they’re pretty hard to miss.  People were curious how I did them or where I got them done were surprised when I told them how easy it was.  

Another plus is that these decals stay put.  I’ve used similar products from other brands, and they were peeling after less than a day.  The Kiss ones last much better, especially on artificial nails (in my opinion).  

The package says that you can use these on your toes as well, but my toenails are teeny, and I don't think that would work, but for others I'm sure it'd be super cute. 

Also, I like the idea of using one of these as an accent nail with regular polish on the other nails.  I will definitely be trying that sometime soon. 

Overall, I think this is a great product, and I will be trying more colors for sure!.

Where to Buy
Nail Dress’ suggested retail is $6.99 and is available in all major drug chains and mass retailers like WalMart, CVS and Walgreens.

Visit KissNailDress.com to learn more!
*Check out Influenster for more information on Kiss Nail Dress or other new products to test and review.

On a recent business trip to Nashville, I was able to experience tons of fun stuff in a short period of time (which is kind of my M.O.), through the eyes of a first-time Music City visitor.  Here’s a quick run-down of all the places I visited and things I did – the good, the bad, and the country.

Gray Line
Airport Express
Taking the recommendation of the lady at the airport information booth, I purchased a ticket to take this shuttle to and from my hotel, as I didn’t need a rental car for my trip to N’ville.  For $24 I got a round-trip ticket.  The shuttle runs about every half hour to and from the hotels, so I just stood outside for a few minutes and was promptly picked up in a clean van-bus-vehicle-thing with a very friendly and helpful driver both times.
Pros:  Quick, clean, friendly
Cons:  None

Homes of the Stars Tour
When traveling I try to avoid the typical “touristy” destinations, but I do love taking guided tours.  They’re a great way to see a large area in a small amount of time, and hopefully get some history from the tour guide.  Since I’m not a big fan of country music, I chose the Homes of the Stars tour instead of the Country Music Hall of Fame or Opryland.  Who doesn’t enjoy a nice parade of beautifully landscaped mansions?
Pros: Price ($40), clean, friendly tour guide, beautiful homes and countryside
Cons: Would have been nice to see some non-Country music stars’ homes; TONS of pop stars and Christian artists live in Nashville too!

Renaissance Nashville Hotel
This was the host hotel for the event I was in town to attend; it’s connected to the Nashville Convention center, which makes it all the more convenient.  The hotel seemed quite large and full-service, which is a welcome change from some of the “airport” or “business traveler” hotels with fewer amenities and services available.
Pros:  Price, gift/sundries shop, helpful valets, fun music playing in hallways, clean room, good room service, makeup mirror in room. ;)
Cons: Very loud at night and in the morning (Whether this was due to construction, or just general loudness, I’m not sure), NO FREE (or otherwise) WIRELESS INTERNET in the rooms (I’m still baffled at how this isn’t a standard offering at all hotels.)

Nashville Farmers’ Market/Bicentennial Capitol State Park
The information guide at the visitors’ center recommended I have lunch here, as I was looking to eat outdoors.  I took the bus, which was a short and painless ride from downtown.  The area surrounding the Farmers’ Market is quite picturesque - it’s actually the Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, which was pretty cool.  There were lots of workers having lunch on their lunch breaks, so both areas were quite populated, but not too congested.
Pros:  Beautiful landscaping, outdoor seating, inexpensive food
Cons:  Food just okay (food court-quality), not enough seating on picnic tables

Puckett’s Grocery and Restaurant
I attended a reception/cocktail party at this restaurant, and I was pleasantly surprised.  Don’t be fooled by the name of the restaurant, or their ads featuring overalls-wearing farmer types eating at what looks like a truck stop; this place is actually very nice.  Although I didn’t have any food, there was a full buffet of comfort food-chic fare, which many people raved about. 
Pros: Great service, inviting atmosphere, central location, food (or so I’m told)
Cons:  Sort of misleading name and print ads (I didn’t see anyone in denim at this event, that’s for sure!)

Merchants Restaurant
Throughout my stay in Nashville, I heard several times that this was the best, or “nicest” restaurant (read: expensive).  I had a business dinner in the private party area on upper level of Merchants.  My dinner consisted of the following: fairly standard salad, prime rib with green beans and mashed potatoes, and a wonderful gooey chocolate cake.  The menu was a prix fixe, so the quality of food may have suffered a bit because of that.    
Pros: Good service, very friendly staff, nice atmosphere
Cons: So-so food

Ichiban Japanese Cuisine
It’s no secret that I’m a sushi fanatic, and I try to have some raw fish in every new city I visit.  I was alone, so I sat at the bar (not the sushi bar, but the bar-bar), so I could look out the window and get in some quality people watching.  I ordered a few pieces of yellowtail sushi and two rolls: the Dixieland and Norway rolls.  To be honest, I can’t recall exactly what was in each roll, but I will say this – they were delish. 
Pros: Great quality sushi, friendly staff, quick service, reasonable prices
Cons: Not the best atmosphere; the place looked pretty outdated

The Basement
Because I don’t have an affinity for the honky tonk-ing, I set out to find a bar or club where I could hear some other (non-country) live music.  After putting posts up on Facebook and Twitter, I was lead to pretty much one conclusion: The Basement.  I also saw online that Mumford and Sons played an impromptu show there the week prior, so it had to be rad.  The club is the actual basement of a music store, so it seemed cool and “underground,” pun intended.  Slightly outside of the downtown area of Nashville (I had to take a cab there), The Basement is located in a semi-industrial, semi-residential neighborhood, which adds to its coolness, I guess. 

I was charged a $4 cover charge, even though I arrived well before the “9:00” band went on.  In fact, I was there for about an hour and a half and only got to hear about three songs at the tail end of the “6:00” set.  Those three songs were good; three talented singer-songwriters took turns performing.  For an hour after that set ended, the bar was nearly empty, and I sat listening to pre-recorded music, wondering when this $4-worthy band would start.   

At 10:00 I reached my maximum level of impatience and just left. On the way out, I half-jokingly, half-bitchily asked the door man for my money back, but he didn’t budge.  Because of this whole $4 situation, I turned out to be pretty disappointed in this place, after loving the first 9 minutes I was there. 
Pros: Good live music, nice beer selection, cool show posters lining the walls, great outdoor area (for smokers, or warm people), friendly bar tender, no cowboy hats in sight
Cons:  The $4.  I’m glad I went and would consider going back, but I’d definitely go later in the evening, to get my $4 worth. 

Nashville BONUSES:
Take advantage of the FREE MTA Music City Circuit, which is a city bus route that runs pretty much anywhere you’d want to go in the downtown area.  I took this bus to and from the Farmers’ Market and was pleasantly surprised at how quick and easy it was.  

Although it’s pretty tourist-centric and somewhat corny, I loved the fact that there were live musicians most places throughout the city – even in the airport! That’s just plain cool to me, and it’s not something you can find everywhere. 

Nashville treated me well, and I'll definitely be back.  I may even consider buying some cowboy boots...

This is my current favorite new beauty product.  I received it complimentary to test through Influenster’s VoxBox program.  If you are unfamiliar with Influenster, get more info on the program here (it's very cool). 

Product Details*

Venus’ five-bladed razors shave you close and adjust to women’s curves for a smooth and comfortable shave, even over tricky shaving areas like knees and ankles.

Olay Moisture Bars contain skin-enhancing elements found in Olay products: Petrolatum helps lock in skin’s moisture for less dryness and Glycerin helps offer that goddess glow! Just wet the razor to release a light lather – no separate shave cream required.

As with most Venus razors, new Venus & Olay also features a rounded, pivoting head designed for women’s curves, and a soft-grip ergonomic handle for confident control, even in wet and soapy environment.

My Take on the Razor

I have used razors with moisturizing bars or strips attached before, and they worked well, but this one is my new favorite.  Without any shaving cream or soap, I was able to shave my legs in the shower, with no nicks or razor burn whatsoever.  The ease and speed of use with this product is what makes it especially enticing to me.  I like the fact that this razor is not very bulky but still packs a big moisturizing punch.  It also comes with a handy little suction cup shower hook, which is an added bonus.

Here’s the real deal on the goddess skin: although my legs aren’t especially hairy (TMI?), I shaved them on Saturday, and they are still completely silky smooth today (Monday).  This razor came around just in time for the 4 S-es of summer – Shorts, Skirts, Sundresses, and Swimsuits!

I will definitely be purchasing this product in the future and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a new razor that’s quick and easy to use with great results.  Thanks for intruducing me to this great razor!

Where to Buy*

A refillable Venus & Olay with one replacement cartridge sells for approximately $8.99-$10.99. Packages of three replacement cartridges are available for about $14.99 - $19.49.

Venus & Olay is available at food, drug, convenience and mass merchandise stores throughout the United States.  

More information here.

*Information sampled from Influenster’s website.

 Beauty Army is a new subscription service, offering members the opportunity to choose 6 deluxe beauty samples per month, for $12 all-inclusive.  Similar in concept to Birchbox and MyGlam, Beauty Army's choose-your-own-samples feature is what makes it unique. 
Based on the results of the beauty profile quiz, you are provided with a bunch of sample choices, and are allowed to choose 6 per month.  The full-size products are also available for purchase on the Beauty Army website.  This is my first month, and here are the samples I chose (they came in a super cute black box with pink camo lining), and my first impressions of each product:

SunFX Summer's Secret - Basically a moisturizer with build-a-tan properties, similar to Jergens Natural Glow products. Works well so far (only smells a bit "tanner-ish"), but the full-size product retails for nearly $30, so I would just stick with the drug store version.
StriVectin SD Concentrate - This product is supposed to help reduce the appearance of stretch marks and wrinkles. I have been using this daily for a few weeks and haven't noticed a difference, but it does seem like a good moisturizer, and it smells nice too.  HOWEVER, the full size product retails for $135, so it's safe to say I won't be purchasing this one either. But, that's what makes subscription-based services like BeautyArmy great - you get to try high end products without making an investment.
JOICO K-Pak RevitaLuxe - A great, color-protecting conditioner.  Enough said.  Smells fab (REALLY FAB, like a tasty men's cologne), works well.  Retails for $18 on Amazon.  Out of stock on Beauty Army's website.  I would definitely buy this product again.
Shea Terra Organics Black Soap Facial Cleanser - This is very gentle and makes my skin super smooth. But, so do a lot of other cleansers. I am obsessed with Purity Made Simple, by Philosophy, right now, but when I get tired of that, I'd consider buying the full-size Shea Terra cleanser for $18.
Indie Lee The Body Wash - The only thing I like about this is the smell - citrusy and refreshing. The product really disappointed me otherwise. I had to reapply 2 times to my loofa to clean my whole body; it didn't lather well at all. I will not be purchasing this product ($22).
LaRocca Skincare 24K Exfoliating Cleanser - This sample came in a cute little pot with a gold top, which made it feel extra luxurious. However, it sort of hurt my skin, which surprised me because my face is generally not very sensitive at all. I will be trying it again, but I doubt I will be convinced to buy the $45 version.

Pros: Some people will probably like getting to choose their own samples each month.  Also, the cost is fairly reasonable.  Finally, the samples are all quite high-end, which is a plus.   
Cons: I would say that, overall, I prefer Birchbox and MyGlam to Beauty Army, for a few reasons. First and foremost, my main beauty passion is makeup, and I was not given any makeup options at all with Beauty Army.  Also, I like the surprise that comes with Birchbox and MyGlam each month...not knowing what's in the box, and getting to try things I might not otherwise.  It's like having a mini-birthday each month! With Beauty Army, what you see is what you get - literally.   
Final Thoughts: Beauty Army is a great idea for someone like me to is always looking for the next big thing in beauty, and the cost is low enough to make it seem like you're getting away with something. :)

 Although I never considered myself a "techie," I have recently been sucked into the "i" phenonmenon.  That is, I'm obsessed with my iTouch and iPad.  In fact, I use them both so much, that I feel compelled to share this short list of my favorite and most-used apps. 

I won't talk about Twitter, Facebook, or YouTube because those are pretty standard, and I assume most people have and use those pretty frequently. 

Here's my hot list:

Netflix
What it does:  Streams online content available through the regular streaming monthly membership. TV shows, movies, workout videos.
Pros: So convenient.  This is definitely my most-used app of all time.  I use it when traveling, in bed, on the treadmill, everywhere! It streams very will with little or no loading time at all, for the most part.
Cons: Sometimes the picture can get blurry.  I think that probably has more to do with the Internet connection, but who knows. Also, it's not quite as easy to navigate as the regular PC-friendly Netflix site.

HBO Go
What it does: Any HBO subscriber (on Comcast, Time Warner Cable, DirecTV, etc...) can watch tons of HBO moves, shows, documentaries, etc. on demand.
Pros: There are way more titles available to watch on the app as there are on Time Warner Cable's HBO On Demand. Pretty much every season of every recent show, and tons of movies!  Works pretty much the same as the Netflix app.
Cons: I had a VERY time figuring out how to register for the program after becoming an HBO subscriber. There were a lot of steps, and I couldn't find help online anywhere!

Sleep Pillow
What it does: This is basically sound machine app to help you sleep, similar in function to those sold at stores like Sharper Image or Brookstone.
Pros: There are a lot of options for different sounds, even in the free version (water flowing, wind, fans, white noise, ocean, ice cubes clinking, etc, etc.), and you can also set the timer so the app turns off after a certain amount of time.
Cons: There's no one sound that I really love. And, you can't combine multiple sounds, as you can on many stand-alone machines.  Plus, one of the sounds (mother's heartbeat) doesn't work.

Glow Draw
What it does:  This is like an Etch-a-Sketch for the year 2012.  You use your finger to doodle and shake the iPad to erase.
Pros: You can choose different colors and "pencil" widths. It creates pretty cute sketches, and it's great for on-the-go Pictionary, or entertaining kids.
Cons: It would be cool if there was an option to save the pictures you draw as an image on your iPad. Also, it's sometimes hard to remove the image by shaking.

Bible
What it does: You can read different passages, or choose the option to have the old British guy read to you. Pretty cool.
Pros: The app allows you to leave bookmarks, or share certain passages.  Also love the reader's voice.
Cons:  Sometimes the app gets messed up and reads the wrong section, but that's only happened a few times.

BeFunky
What it does: Similar to Instagram, but with more options. Easy, on-the-go, hipster photo editing.
Pros: You can save to your device, or post to Facebook after editing. More editing options (crop, rotate, brightness, etc) than Instagram.
Cons: I can't think of any! It's a great app!

What are your favorite apps? I'm always looking for beauty, fitness, and entertainment apps! Comment below!

 My mom intruduced me to this product over the weekend.  She's used Bumble and bumble products for years, but they've always seemed a little pricy for my taste.  However, my mom got this at The Cosmetics Company Store outlet, so the price was right for me (free!) and for her (about $15 for 1 oz.). 

The 1 oz. container is a spray can, and I used the color Brown (I have dark brown espresso-colored hair.)  I applied the product just like I would a dry shampoo, parting my hair and spraying in short bursts every few inches along the front and crown areas of my hair.

After just one use, I love the B & b hair powder because it acts like two products in one:
1. It's like a dry shampoo.  It soaks up any oil from your roots and adds volume and texture as well.
2. It's like Toppik.  (If you're not familiar with Toppik, it's a colored powder you sprinkle on your roots to camoflauge any hair loss or fine/thinning hair.)  The B & b powder does exactly the same thing, but better. It's heavily tinted, so it really covers any "bald spots" and makes your hair appear thicker and fuller with no gaps.

Because of the color of the powder, you should be careful when spraying if you're using brown or black, as it could get on clothing, linens, etc...However, it appears that it does wash out easily if that does happen. I did get a little on my fingers, and it washed off with no problem.

The hair powder can be purchased on Bumble and bumble's website as well ($35 for 4.4 oz.).
They are currently running a promotion for FREE SHIPPING on all orders as well as 3 free samples (plus free gift wrap if you're buying as a gift).