Spring Eyes
Due to Shop Girl's harrowing experience at the landfill and the tragic loss of her magic slippers, I've had to be strong. I tell you, there is nothing like a tragedy such as this to put things in perspective. And as I stood by her, bringing her magazines and catalogs to try to nurse her through her loss, I came to realize the importance of a brave (and beautifully made) face. You see, knowing her precision when it comes to make-up application and beauty regimens in general, I knew that I couldn't just appear bedside sans concealer, etc. Absolutely not; the mere sight of a gloss-less lip would have thrown her into the abyss. And so, for once, I had to have the pretty face. She was so shaken that she only noticed my face and, most importantly, my eyes; I wasted an hour assembling my attire. And so, in the name of friendship-in-the-midst-of-tragedy, I had to get my eyes in gear.

After hitting the major department store counters and calling on my dear friend and make-up artist extraordinaire, Tallulah, I think I've got the skinny on the spring eye.

1. The good news is that the colors are all about neutrals. But not boring neutrals; I'm talking neutrals with a kick. These silvers, pearls and petals come with just enough shimmer, glimmer and pop that you get the joy of playing with makeup without the beauty hazard of the 80s eye. The golden rule: Have fun while applying - the colors are so muted that the hard rules of makeup no longer apply.
2. The second thrill of the season is the textures of these delightful pots, sticks and pencils. No matter whether you prefer powder or creme, wand or pot, the eye shadows of the season are all about feeling good. For the record, I adore Stila's eye shadow pot in pearl. The packaging is precious and the feel of the shadow on the eye divine.
3. Getting more specific, there are pretty much two sets of colors out there -- the bronzy neutrals and the rosy neutrals. While both are muted enough for anyone to wear, a good rule to remember: warm skin (yellow undertones) looks most natural in bronzy nudes and most dynamic in rosy shades. Contrarily, cool skin (blue undertones) look most natural in rosy neutrals and more dynamic in bronzy shades. So, just decide if you're feeling daring or au naturel and get to playing.
4. Lots of the season's eye products come in duos or other multi-packs. When left with 2 similar colors of varying shades, a good rule of thumb is to put the most natural/light color all over the lid and the darker color in the crease.
5. Fun trick: find a glimmery eyeliner (I loved Lorac's) and use it on the inner corner of the eye, making a sideways "v" for a bit of pop. For a bit more pop, line the bottom of your eye; and for even more, try lining the bottom inner lid.
6. Still itching for the blues? There are a lot of them out there. Just remember that blue eye shadow usually doesn't make your eyes look bluer. And if on the fence, consider your age. Tallullah says that if you were around to wear the blues the first time, it may be best to pass them by. But if you're young enough to have missed the first go-around, have fun with it. Makes sense to me.

And that, my friends, is the skinny on the spring eye. So get yourself to the mall/beauty counter and have yourself some fun.

Products-To-Sample-If-Not-Buy-List:

• Benefit's Eye Jewels -- Gimme an Outside Vine, $16. Packaged like a nail polish and feels like butter going on your eyes (in a good way).
• Bobbi Brown's Nude-on-Nude Shimmer Shadow Palette, $45. A great all-in-one.
• Lorac's Eye Shadow Pots -- The Beige is the best all-over-the-lid neutral I've tried, and Guava is my new everyday fave. And they feel like satin, honestly. And while you're there, play with their Bronzer in Warm Glow and the eye shadow trio in Bronzed Bombshell.
• Sonia Kashuk's Sweet Nothings eye shadow palette which comes with six shadows and a concealer. I've tried all six colors, and actually loved and wore them all. Available at Target.
  

she she me sponsor: Clever Training
Bikini season is right around the corner and it is never too late to begin working off those Krispy Kremes. If you're not quite 'gym-ready,' and prefer the DIY (do it yourself) workout regimen, Clever Training, the online source for fitness products, has all of the up-to-the-minute (and surprisingly sassy) equipment to get you in gear.

No workout ensemble is complete without a classic and stylish Timex watch (to track heart rate, monitor your workout progress, oh and the time) and of course, shades. (Hello, fashion doesn't have to take a back seat to fitness.) Clever Training boasts fabulous sunglasses lines, such as Serengeti, Bolle and Rudy Project. Once you're dressed for fitness, you'll find all of the necessary tools and gadgets at Clever Training as well. They have heart rate monitors to measure your workout level, a Powerlung Respiratory Breather to help train your lungs (may be useful if you haven't run since the 6th grade), and Kestrel Weather Meters to measure wind gust, humidity (important for the 'do), temperature and wind-chill. Once you're ready, measure your results on your Tanita Fitness Scale.

And don't leave your significant other out of the fitness loop. Clever Training has gadgets that he is sure to love. The Timex Bodylink System is a 3-piece system made up of a Timex Ironman watch, a heart rate monitor and a GPS device. Its great for runners as it provides heart rate, speed and distance information continuously throughout the run.

To help us get a jump start on our spring regimen, Clever Training is offering $5.00 off of any purchase. Just enter the code SHESHEME at check out. Happy training.

View their entire collection of equipment at www.clevertraining.com.