Though I am a reasonably good driver, I'm a little bit "car nervous." I get lost a lot. I have a hard time following written directions (or the map on my iPhone) and driving at the same time. I recently got my first flat tire and I completely flipped out. I have a tendency to lock my keys in the car and leave my lights on. (OnStar FMV cannot unlock the doors like the embedded system, but can send roadside assistance/locksmith.) Forget about talking on the phone and driving--I won't even answer an incoming call, much less make one when I'm behind the wheel (Oprah would be so proud!). These things have always just been the kind of little annoyances that are part of being who I am. It never occurred to me that there was something I could do to address them. Then BlogHer asked me to review the OnStar FMV Mirror, and everything changed.

For those not familiar with it, the OnStar FMV Mirror is an after-market add-on, comprised of a rearview mirror and a small microphone, which allows vehicles not built with OnStar service to access some of the same services factory-equipped OnStar cars have. Currently, at Best Buy, the system costs about $375, with basic installation included, and the service is either $18.95/month (for just the emergency and security features) or $28.90/month (for everything). (Retail price for the system is $299, with installation in the $75-$100 range, depending on installer/store.)

After receiving my OnStar package in the mail, my first step was to get it installed. OnStar recommends using a professional installer. I went to AV Sound Design in Herndon, VA. The folks there were great and my installation took only a couple of hours and presented no problems. When I picked my car up, my original mirror had been replaced with the OnStar mirror, which is similar in shape and size and doesn't pose any visibility issues. A small microphone was also installed just above the windshield--it's so subtle I didn't even notice it right away.

After my mirror was installed, I pushed the blue OnStar button to call the service center and get it all set-up and registered. During this call and every other call I've made to the service center, the OnStar advisor to whom I spoke was pleasant, friendly, and competent. Setting my account up was easy and within a few minutes I was ready to use my system.

Luckily, I haven't had a need to test the system's emergency service or accident response capacities. However, I have been through the other things it can do. It has provided me excellent turn-by-turn directions and I've set up the Bluetooth connection with my phone so that I can make and answer calls while I'm driving. Both work very well. I particularly love that when I need directions, I can call an advisor to find them for me, rather than just asking a machine--this way, when there are two locations with the same name, or something doesn't seem quite right, the advisor can sort out the issue before sending the directions to my system. It's the perfect combination of human and non-human interaction.

I expected to enjoy the Bluetooth and turn-by-turn directions features of my OnStar system, and I do. What surprises me, however, is how much I am also starting to depend on the access to an OnStar advisor I have at the touch of a button. It is much like being at a hotel with a great concierge--the advisors are helpful, polite, and accessible. If I'm in a new part of town and can't find a coffee shop, or see a construction issue and am not sure how to get around it, the advisor can help me and seems happy to do so. I was afraid, before I got the system, that calling in to it would be much like calling "customer service" at most companies--I'd likely be met with someone who was either rude or simply unprepared to do what I needed. Nothing could be farther from the truth. However OnStar is training their service advisors, they've got the right idea.

The best reason for the system, though, is the one I haven't had to use and hopefully won't. In an emergency situation, the system can alert an OnStar Advisor who is immediately connected into your vehicle to see if you need help. The Advisor can use GPS technology to pinpoint your vehicle and contact the right emergency service provider. That's great for peace of mind. I have a family member who spends the majority of her work time on the road, driving between several locations of her company over several hundred miles. I'd love it if she would get an OnStar FMV--not only would it replace the GPS and Bluetooth devices she now uses with one mirror, but it would provide an extra level of security for her when she's on the road. Were it within my budget, I'd also get an OnStar FMV for each of my friends with small children--both because the Bluetooth and navigation capacities would help to reduce their distractions while in the car and because I'd love for them to have access to the emergency response services.

I absolutely plan to remain an OnStar subscriber after the trial period I was gifted for this review has ended. It's not an overstatement to say that the OnStar FMV has changed the way I drive. For my fellow nervous drivers, I definitely recommend it.

To learn more about the OnStar FMV mirror, visit the Facebook page and/or visit your local Best Buy store.

To read other BlogHer reviewers' thoughts on the OnStar FMV mirror, check out the BlogHer Prizes and Promotions section.

When I was a kid, I divided makeup into three categories. Teeny bopper makeup, teenager makeup, and adult makeup. Teeny boppers wore Wet N Wild. Teenagers moved up to "higher end" drugstore brands, particularly Cover Girl. And adults? Grown up ladies wore Mary Kay. Those pink and white bottles and tubes with the little Mary Kay flower logo on them symbolized serious makeup, makeup for women with jobs, women who were beyond what could be found at Rite Aid. Mary Kay was aspiration makeup.

Fast forward a number of years, and, just before my 30th birthday, I finally start wearing makeup myself. Lots has changed, and the biggest change is Sephora. Suddenly, there is a whole world of "serious" makeup, and I am a fast addict, building a huge and expensive arsenal. One label that is missing from said arsenal? Mary Kay. Until now.

When BlogHer chose me to review a few of Mary Kay's products, I was beyond excited, both because I just plain love makeup and because I'd wanted to see what Mary Kay was offering these days. The selections I received were: a Mary Kay Compact Mini loaded with mineral eyeshadows in their hazel trio (Honey Spice, Hazelnut, and Cinneban) and a mineral blush in Shy; a tube of Ultimate Mascara in Black; and a tube of Tinted Lip Balm in Rose. Basically, they sent me everything I needed to be fully made up (on top of my base and primers). The compact is genius--it's tiny (smaller than the palm of my hand) and the eyeshadows and blush fit into it magnetically, with room underneath them for small brushes for both the shadow and the blush. The lip balm tube is also really small, and both could be shoved into a tiny clutch or even fit in a jacket pocket.

My test was to use the products all together, as if they were all I had with me (on top of my typical morning routine moisturizer, etc.) I was very happy with the look. I was more subtle than what I normally wear, but very professional and pretty. I am typically an eyeliner wearer, and I did miss my liner, but I felt like the three colors Mary Kay picked out for my hazel eyes did a great job bringing them out. I followed the directions helpfully included in the packaging to wear all three colors--the medium brown on the lid, the darker red/brown in the corners, and the champagne/honey at the brow bone. I was also very happy with the blush, which is a subtle peach-pink and warmed up my barely-tan complexion just the right amount. The mascara went on easily, gave good thickening and lengthening coverage in one coat, and didn't smudge and didn't flake all day, even though I have sensitive eyes, so it got a gold-star as well. My hands-down favorite product, though, was the lip balm. The Rose shade is neutral perfection, and I could still feel and see the color at lunchtime. Huge win.

The biggest drawback of the products I was sent was the brushes that came in the compact. In order to fit, they have to be tiny, and I just do not have the hand-eye coordination required to use tiny brushes at 7am. I tried them, but quickly switched to using my regular brushes in order to get even application of the blush and the shadows. Since portability isn't key to me, I'll likely keep using it this way, but if the portable aspect were really important, I'm sure I could learn to use the itty bitty brushes with some practice.

Trying and being so excited about these products led me to pop on over to the Mary Kay site to see what else they have on offer. Wow! There is a ton of great looking stuff! I'm fascinated by the Shadow & Liner Duo Pens, which I think would be another fantastic throw-in-your-bag-and-go option (these are a limited edition product, so they're only available while supplies last), and I'd love to try the Cream Blush. The site also has this really neat Virtual Makeover tool, where you can load your own picture and "try on" the products virtually.

Are you sold yet? How about $100 in Mary Kay products of your own, would that do it? Thanks to Mary Kay and BlogHer, I can do that! For your chance to win a Mary Kay gift pack valued at $100, leave me a comment on this post and let me know which Mary Kay product you'd most like to try. For extra entries, blog or tweet or FB about this contest and link to it in a comment.

This contest will run through August 26.

No duplicate comments. This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

To see other folks review these products and for other chances to win, visit the promotions & prizes section at BlogHer.

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