Valentine’s Day is almost a week away. Which means, gentlemen, it’s time to get moving if you want to find the perfect gift for your sweetie. Roses? Besides being as predictable as it gets, they turn brown, dry up, and make a desiccated mess within days. Chocolates? Way to speak straight to our insecurities, guys.

I know one thing I would be happy to find wrapped in a red velvet box. The iPod nano may be sexy by itself thanks to the fabulous form factor, but the fastest way I can think of to ruin its good looks is dropping it naked into a purse. It’s got to have a case. But somehow most case makers seem to think all women who own iPods are twelve. How else do you explain all the pink rhinestones on the market?

Give me a case, first, that works. I want solid protection and accessibility. Then make it stylish. I’m talking fun and feminine, but classy, not something that looks like it was attacked by a teenager with a Bedazzler. If you really want brownie points, throw in some extras, like a wrist strap that doubles as a handle to facilitate its extraction from the dark depths of my ginormous tote bag. And a mirror. I can never have enough tiny mirrors.

In short, give me the Proporta Shine case.

Proporta were kind enough to send me a sample Shine case to review. The Shine comes in black and red patent leather. If I had been ordering for myself, I probably would have chosen the black — but that was before I saw the red in person. It’s a lovely rich apple color, and on top of being just plain pretty, it has the added benefit of being visible from the bottom of a large purse. Wait, who am I kidding? It’s bright red patent leather. That’s in the dictionary under "awesome."

Inside the box are the case itself and the wrist strap. On the outside, the case is made almost identically to the Alu-Leather case I reviewed previously, with padded patent leather, contrast stitching, and the subtle embossed Proporta logo. It closes securely with a little magnetic tab that wraps around from the back side.

On the back is a little ring to attach the wrist strap. The strap itself is thin patent leather with a metal fastener and tough thread loop on the end. It’s flexible enough not to be uncomfortable, although I can’t imagine listening to my iPod while it’s dangling from my wrist. I actually did end up liking the strap a lot, but that was mainly because it made the case easier to grab.

Here’s a rear view of the case with the strap attached. Again, Proporta’s branding is tasteful and subtle.

Opening the case reveals sheer genius. Well, that was my reaction at least. When Doug first saw the Shine, he begged me to review it so I could explain why on earth anyone would want a mirror in their iPod case. For working out, I see his point, but this is obviously not a case you’re going to take to the gym. However, I also need a case to carry around during the day. The Shine is one of the few cases I’ve seen that does not look out of place with my sharpest businesswear (it helps that I’m young and can get away with bright red accessories). It definitely looks good. When a woman is trying to look good, she needs a mirror. The case has a mirror. Genius!

On top of that, you never have to worry about the mirror getting gummy from makeup.

The iPod slips snugly between two arms on either side. It fits securely enough that I never worried about it coming out, but I could remove the iPod without any trouble when I wanted. I like the openness of the design, which makes it easy and natural to operate the scroll-wheel without anything getting in the way. With the magnetic tab open, it is possible to hook up the connector cord, although I have to slide the nano down a smidge — which is still much easier than taking the nano out of its case to sync or charge.

With the case closed, the headphone jack and lock toggle are still accessible, but the iPod is protected on all sides. Since the case is a little bit wider than the nano and very well-made, you could drop it on any side and still not have to worry about your iPod’s safety (at least under conditions of everyday klutziness. I wouldn’t suggest skydiving with it). The mirror is set back far enough into the leather that there is no chance of it scratching against the iPod’s screen.

Although the case does add to the thickness of the nano, it is still very small and fits easily into a pocket or purse. This keeps the absence of a belt clip from being a drawback. Besides, anyone determined to hang their case from their waist can loop it through the wrist strap.

The Shine case is stylish and sturdy, and the little touches Proporta have added make it a fabulous option that stands out from the crowd. Kudos to Proporta for making a beautiful case targeted to women that gets it right.

Vital Stats: Shine Case for iPod Nano 3G, available from proporta.com for $39.95.