Maybe it's the magic words "limited edition" or that it has the word "summer" in the name, but we're totally having to fight the urge to spend $126 on this Shiseido make up kit.

Shiseido Artistic Director Dick Page put this palette together, and the description on Sephora.com is filled with glowy-this and shimmery-that. Plus the kit comes with blotting papers. And directions! So much neat new stuff to play with.

Be okay, we must admit that the yellow and green eyeshadows would probably look kind of scary on most people, including us.

Plus, we're pretty sure we can pick up bronzer, mascara, lipstick and a couple of kooky colored eyeshadows down at Walgreens for under $30. It wouldn't come in a neat-o case, but it might get us out of these early summer make up doldrums, and save $100.

Did you know that most makeup tips try to work the eye into an almond shape? It's true. The shape is considered the most flattering and extremely exotic. However, the tips often don't take into consideration those with deep set, wide set, small eyes, round eyes, or heavily hooded eyes. And if you wear glasses? Puh-lease, you'll never find info for that! Except for here that is.

Wearing makeup in the heat can be a real drag. Hot, humid days take away even our urge to cake on the turquoise eyeshadow and coral blusher. Don't even mention sticky lipgloss. Ugh.

Still, there are occasions in the heat of summer when you need a little something to make your face to look finished: weddings, graduations, baby showers, even the company picnic. For these light-wear days, we're loving CK Calvin Klein Shimmer Palette in Urban Luster.

Most of us love the summertime – the sun, the beach, the warmth, the runny makeup... okay, so maybe we don't love all of it. When the weather is hot and you're sweating your face off literally, it is time to readjust your makeup routine so you don't look like a hot mess for the next three months.

You'd expect Kat Von D to have her make up tattoo'd on, right? Us too! So we were surprised to see that she has an exclusive new line of make up at Sephora.

It's a limited line, just a couple of smokey eyeshadow palettes, four lipsticks and some liquid liners. Oh, and a brush kit they refer to as "cool tattools." Sigh. Everyone with the puns.

As women, we want our mascara to be a macho man -- thick, long, long-lasting, conditioning and waterproof. Okay, maybe that was the wrong metaphor but regardless, we expect a lot out of our mascara but we might not be doing our part in meeting our partner half way.

Here are a few helpful hints to get the best show out of your favorite mascara.

Many of us gals have been the victim of expired cosmetics. Here's the scenario. After seeing pics of that smokin' gloss we used to wear in high school, we rush to our beauty closet only to open the tube to a rank stank that we don't understand. Most beauty products do not have any smell, or if they do, it is very faint. If you start noticing some product BO, it's because that favorite gloss is dying a slow, bacteria-invested death in that dark, tightly sealed tube. Once the product has peaked, it can cause some pretty gross irritations or infections if used. To avoid all of the above, follow these general toss time guidelines.

At first we felt a little, well, superior. After all, we have mad make-up skillz, earned through years of clown faced experiments. And the first item in the gallery was that Sally Hansen nail pen we posted about a month ago. Um, yawn.

But then we were very pleasantly surprised by the rest of the products. Not just easy to use, they are also cool!

Stylelist has a how to guide for wearing colored eyeliner, which is totally fun, and balances really well with all the brights we're seeing for clothes this season.

Clicking through the looks gave us sweet 80s nostalgia. Purple eyeliner! Sparkly green! Ah, ninth grade! Then we came across a pictures of lip liner and vivid pink blush and had to laugh.

We always love reading about a new "how-to" when it comes to make-up -- one never knows when she's going to learn a swell new trick. However, many make-up tutorials on the web are geared toward women with fairly light skin and large eyes, not toward Asian or African American. That's not to say they're not out there -- they're just a bit less prevalent.

Last year, supermodel Daria Werbowy signed a major contract with Lancome cosmetics. If that wasn't enough, the beauty company asked Daria to create a limited-edition three-piece makeup collection.

The Daria collection will be sold exclusively at Sephora stores starting sometime this month and will consist of a Color Fever lipstick in Beige Caracai ($26); Lipgloss in Nude Prainha ($24), and Color Design Eyeshadow Quad in Carnet de Velours ($42).

Kristen Seymour did a great post recently about how to wear neon.

When you're talking about something as fun as neon, why stop at clothes and jewelry? What's good for your body is good for your face.

Yes, neon make up. Pop Beauty Lid Neon eyeshadow, to be specific. Wow! Now those are brights!

As gorgeous as these colors are, please, use some restraint. Do not:

• use more than one color at a time
• match it exactly to your outfit
• apply it in great sweeping wings, like Endora

And if you need more help, just follow the directions thoughtfully provided on the inside lid of the kit.

Snag yourself this awesome Pop Beauty set exclusively at Sephora for $22.

They are billing these stickers as something useful for those of us who may not be very skilled with an eyeshadow brush, but let's be real about ColorOn's eyeshadow stickers here.

Are there people out there who are that incapable of sweeping eyeshadow over their eyelids? Hey, we know we aren't all born with the skills and talent of professional makeup artists, but we're pretty sure that we can, at the very least, dust some neutral color over our entire eyelid. We will assume then, that these stickers are really just meant for women who are just too lazy to do the work themselves.

Here's a newsflash for you: the smoky eye is back! Actually, never went out. We've been ringing our eyes every fall since the kohl eyeliner pencil was invented, so it's about time we all learn how to do this technique (myself included).

Over at DIY Life, Heather Craven put together a step-by-step manual for this sultry makeup look. Essentially, all you need is three shades of eyeshadow and a couple of good brushes.

The actual application can be boiled down into four steps:

1. Start by applying the highlight color to your brow line and upper lid. This gives your eyes an added illusion of size.
2. Apply the middle color from your lashes to the highlighted area of your lid. Be sure to blend the mid color and the lightest color to avoid any harsh lines between the two.
3. Apply the darkest color along the lashes. Then use your finger to blend the dark color with the medium color.
4. Follow this up with a good, quality mascara and you will have a set of sexy eyes to show off to just about anybody.

It might sound stupid, but I've long wondered about the blending part of makeup application. Do you use a brush, a Q-tip or is it your finger? Now I know the answer -- so thanks Heather. My smoky eyes thank you in advance.

Blue is a controversial eyeshadow color. In the 80s, it was huge. In the 90s, it was hated. So how do we feel about it now in the 00s? Well, if it's anything like the blues in Bobbi Brown's Surf and Sand eye palette, we probably say, "Bring it on!"

Bobbi's (if I may call her by her first name) limited-edition summertime eye palette includes 10 ultra-sheer pigments that can be used in infinite configurations. Used alone or together, each shimmery color puts a modern spin on beige, aqua and pale pink shadows. The dreamy collection is said to work well on a variety of complexions and age ranges.

At the moment, the eye palette is somewhat difficult to come by -- Bobbi's website is actually out of stock until mid-May -- but if you have access to her makeup at a nearby department store, a few of the coveted palettes might still be up for grabs.