iPhone App of the Week

When the iPhone first came out, a skit on Late Night With Conan O'Brien joked that the miracle phone could do it all. But can the iPhone give a nice, stress-relieving neck, hand, or wrist massage?

OK, I know you all probably have your minds in the gutters already upon hearing of the Vibrate Massager app. And while yes, there are some apps out there specifically targeted for, ahem, other purposes, this particular one is touted as a "relaxing and portable vibrating device to let go of your knotted muscles in the office or after workout." Sounds good to me. But did it work? Find out when you read more.

Ever wanted to see what you'd look like with a sweet face tat? Or wanted to scare your friends by making it look like you went out and got sleeves? Well, now you can with a new app called Tattoo Shop ($2). The app lets you select from a wide variety of ink organized in categories like "Animal," "Love," and "Fantasy," then apply them to pictures. It also comes with tattoo skins for your phone, if you're into having the entirety of your Apple product tatted up.

It's not the kind of thing you'd spend more than a couple of bucks on, but it's definitely fun to check yourself out with a bunch of funny tattoos. At the very least, it's a nice way of seeing whether that four-leaf clover you were considering getting on your shoulder would actually look good.

For this week's iPhone App of the Week, it's not about makeovers or try-on polish swatches. This week, it's about sweet dreams. However, it wasn't actually beauty that inspired me to purchase the MindWave App ($2) about a year ago. Instead, I was searching for something "natural" to help provide headache relief. While I didn't find that my migraines magically disappeared (more like slightly subsided) with the Headache Treatment feature, it wasn't until later that I started making use of this app's Sleep Induction feature. But can a series of eerie tones and science fiction-esque noises help a Bella get her much-needed beauty sleep? Find out when you read more.

To score an appointment with famed dermatologist Dr. Frederic Brandt, you'll need a lot of patience — the man has a waiting list like you wouldn't believe. But with an iPhone, you can access some of his best advice with just a few taps. His free application gives answers to complexion conundrums, provides information about cosmetic dermatology procedures, and shows your local UV index so you know how to protect skin. If you're inclined to shop Dr. Brandt's skin care line, you can enter your skin concerns and receive product recommendations, too. Is it the same as getting face time with the doctor himself? No, but for skin advice, it's a good place to start.

Need a massage, stat? Better yet, need a discounted massage? Then download SpaFinder's free iPhone app, which puts information about 5,000 spas in the palm of your hand. Because it's hooked up with the iPhone's GPS, the app pulls up details on nearby spas, their treatments, and even some money-saving specials. You can search by location, price, and service — and, better yet, you can book an appointment in real time, too.

The only drawback is that despite the thousands of spas, some pretty big guns aren't in the database. (Two of San Francisco's most popular spas, Bliss and Burke Williams, are nowhere to be found.) But compared to the things the app does do, it's a pretty small complaint. So if you're frequently gripped by a need to spa, spa nearby, and spa now, get thee to the App Store.

Some people are just born to rock a 'stache — like Tom Selleck, Wilford Brimley, and Clark Gable, for instance. But then there are the rest of us, who might find that facial hair simply doesn't work. (Especially us ladies.) That's where 'Stachetastic ($1) comes into play. Upload a photo, then choose from about 40 hairy enhancements for the fun of it. Like most apps of the alter-yourself type, this one's silly yet addictive.

While I wouldn't spend more than a dollar for it, you'll get a good giggle out of adding multiple 'staches to your mug, with easy-to-maneuver graphics inspired by the likes of Magnum, P.I., Charlie Chaplin, Hulk Hogan, John Travolta, and George Michael. You can even deck yourself out with a pirate patch and aviator sunglasses for a badass finish. According to my poll, most of you think that beards on a guy are OK depending upon the type, so perhaps you could use this app as a way to discover how someone would look with a little facial hair.

You probably already know that you can virtually try on OPI nail polishes right on the brand's website. Did you also know that you can paint your nails with a click on the iPhone, too? The free OPI App allows you to try on all of the company's over-200 offerings, like Over the Taupe, a nice dupe for this Spring's trendiest shade.

Due to customer feedback, OPI's working on creating a place to store your favorite shades, along with making improvements on the accuracy of finishes so that your sparkle or shimmer will truly sparkle or shimmer.

Pros: I like that you can adjust your skin's tone to match your own coloring, and that you can both search by name and by color at the wheel selector at the bottom.

Cons: It would be nice to see some trend alerts and some kind of information regarding the latest collection, but all in all, it's a fun app that's easily addictive. Have you tried it?