FC BARCELONA

Those crazy folks over at Astroglide are asking fans to take photos of Astroglide on spring break trips and submit photos. The best one in each of the three categories will win a $100 American Express gift card. The categories are best creative use, farthest away and funniest. We love the ladies above who are getting ready for an Astroglide slip n' slide party. Enter here.

Usually before I head on a weekend away, I schedule a blowout the day before (usually on Thursday) so I don't have to wash my hair all weekend. But I was able to skip it this time around because I had already gotten a killer blowout—on Monday—and my hair still held its style and was frizz-free, even in Miami. That's frizz-free after four days, a 3-hour plane flight, a day at the pool and a boat ride. That's me on the left, above, on Friday night. How impressive it that?

I credit it to the products that were used when I got my blowout, the new TRESemmé Climate Protection Shampoo, Conditioner and Mousse. The products are formulated with olive oil, keratin, UV blockers and polymers to protect hair against humidity, UV rays, static and wind—basically everything I experienced on day four of my blowout. I realize I sound like a commercial for TRESemmé, but these products really are that good!

You'll find Tresemmé products at drug stores and grocery stores nationwide.

This review was based on a free sample.

Prince is playing the L.A. Forum for 21 days—and many tickets are just $25! (Standard Culture)

Still looking for the cool side to Atlantic City? Check out this sweatsuit-free guide to A.C. (Refinery 29)

Think you already know everything about renting a car? This story even had a few tips that surprised us. (NY Post)

San Francisco's T2, home of Virgin America, opened to glowing reviews. (USA Today)

We're just back from our girls' getaway to Miami, where we stayed at the Viceroy in the downtown area.  The best thing about the hotel was the decor--the rooms, lobby and public spaces are light and airy, as befitting the climate, but don't cross the line into austere. The bed was super comfy and the bathroom was enormous.


The pool at the Viceroy is on the 15th floor and while the hotel isn't on the beach, there's plenty of water all around. It's within walking distance from the Epic Hotel and the delicious Zuma, a Japanese restaurant. (We not only saw Lebron James there--turns out our group kept him waiting for his table!) You can see the Mandarin Oriental from the pool.


Our main complaints about the hotel revolve around the pool. While there was plenty of seating, including comfy beds that easily fit our group of three, there are NO umbrellas. While there is plenty of shade, it moves around. So if you want to be in the shade all day, you're going to have to chase it around. Plus, it made hard for all three of us to sit together when one wanted sun and the others didn't.

The other—and—bigger complaint about the Viceroy is that the food, both at the pool and from room service, is really bad. At the pool, it's served to you in a brown paper grocery bag and the food itself comes in flimsy plastic containers. It doesn't taste good either. Sandwiches were dry and salad dressings were bland. On our last day, we went off property to nearby Rosa Mexicana because we all agreed we didn't want to eat our last meal of the trip in Miami at the Viceroy.

The spa, however, was one of the most beautiful we've ever seen. Those are the plunge pools and hot tubs below. The gigantic yellow chandelier is the center piece of the room. Entrance to the spa is free for guests. We didn't have time to experience a spa treatment on this trip.

What else? The crowd at the hotel was a mix--lots of Europeans and South Americans (who made for good eye candy), a handful of families and at least one bachelorette party. The scene at the hotel's Club 50 was a bit too young for our tastes--we're guessing 25 and younger. But the views from the 50th floor are certainly worth seeing.

Let us know if you have any questions about our stay!

Thanks for everyone who helped me pick which Rent the Runway dress to wear on our recent girls' getaway to Miami. Though the Shoshanna Magic Carpet Ride one-shoulder dress was the winner, it wasn't available when I went to rent it. So I opted for the second place winner: the Badgley Mishcka Fifth Avenue Showstopper Dress.  That's me in it, above.

It's definitely a beautiful dress and one that I wish I had in my closet. It was pinker than it looked in the photos, which a reader had told me prior to my renting it. While it probably would have looked better on me were I more tan, it didn't wash me out, like I was afraid it might. I do think the dress would flatter any number of figure types.

That said, I didn't end up wearing it in Miami. It was a little too sparkly for the nights we had planned. And, as my friend Heidi pointed out, it was too covered up for Miami. If the neckline were a little lower or there was less pleating in the front, it would have been sexier and more flattering. As it is, I feel like this is a great dress for your own birthday party or a really special date.

Here's the dress I did go with:
I opted to take advantage of Rent the Runway's promotion to rent a second dress for $25 and also ordered this Halston Heritage La Scala Draped Dress. Its color and one-shoulder style reminded me of the Shoshanna dress I wanted to rent. I was very happy with the dress, though the fit could have been better. (I'm pear-shaped, so had to go with a size up to get it to fit my hips, which meant it was a tad too big on top.) I loved the color and the flowiness of the fabric. It made for the perfect dress for a night on the town in Miami—attention getting and sexy, without looking like I was trying to hard (IMO, at least!).