LEATHER & LIP GLOSS

As we make the transition from April to May, the adage April Showers Bring May Flowers comes to mind. With Spring in full bloom, what better way to celebrate the season than sharing some fun and funky floral pieces. Here are some great finds, all for under $50! All of these pieces can be worn for daytime or evening looks, depending on the ensemble and accessories. Check specific retailers' websites/stores to see if they are available in additional sizes/styles.    Flower print dress, $28 from Kohl's / Cap sleeve top, $49 from Wallis / Oversized top, $17 from Dorothy Perkins / High rise pants in Women's Plus, $22 from Kohl's / Xhilaration® Juniors Circle Skirt, $18 from Target

Here are today's FASHtastic Finds ...fashion and beauty deals, steals, contests, events, new products, activities and anything else I think fashionistas might want to know about! Check out this adorably funky Wink Onesie for your little one, by Betsey Johnson, $29. Find it at  www.betseyjohnson.com. Here is mark. makeup artist Jamie Greenberg, discussing some of mark.'s "glowing" products, and how she likes to use them on her clients. Check out the video and then hop over to www.meetmark.com to get yourself some glow! Steve Madden has an awesome deal for 20% off your order of $75 plus FREE shipping, or 25% off your order of $100 plus FREE shipping! See the promotion codes below. To take advantage of this offer, go to www.stevemadden.com .

Beyonce. If you don't know the name, you have probably been hiding under a rock for the past decade. Not only is Beyonce one of the top contemporary music artists of today, she is also a fashionista who inspires many women in the area of style. Usually glammed up for red carpet events and performances, it is nice to see women like Beyonce "normalize" themselves when they are not painting the town red or making media appearances. Being able to relate to our favorite celebrities helps us feel more connected to them and makes them appear more human. Want to doll yourself up (or down) to look like Beyonce? Here she is out and about in a fun Spring outfit that is easy to replicate. Start by pairing a plain white over sized tank with a pair of gray or khaki shorts. Add some color with a fun pair of neon yellow heels and add a matching beach hat. Complete the look with a large hobo bag and a funky pair of sunglasses. Total cost for this look?  $186 White tank fr...

It's here! It's here! Spring is here! In honor of the season of Spring, I'm presenting the women who represent the Spring color palette. These are women who possess the following attributes: *Hair is golden blonde, strawberry blonde, caramel, copper or beige blonde *Skin has a warm or golden undertone and may be creamy ivory, peach, peach beige or golden beige *May have golden freckles *Eyes are blue, green, aqua, warm amber, warm hazel, blue green or caramel *Does not have deep brown eyes Here are some celebrity Spring beauties. If your coloring resembles these ladies and you have the traits listed above, you are probably a Spring. Carrie Underwood Gywneth Paltrow Marcia Cross Reese Witherspoon If you are a Spring, there is a nice variety of colors that will suit you when it comes to clothing. Choose from shades in the coral/peach family, the aqua/teal family or the medium brown/taupe family. Also, bright golden yellow and powder/sky blue are grea...

Spring doesn't officially start until March 20th, but it's never too early to start hunting for the hottest looks and products for the season. With pastels topping the list of hot fashion/beauty trends this Spring, here are some awesome products and a "how to" video from mark., showcasing a fun, fresh, Spring makeup look using pastels. Makeup artist Jamie Greenberg focuses on the color pink in this look, but you can have fun with any pastels this Spring! You can sport this look on Easter Sunday, during an afternoon coffee date, or just to meet up with some friends. Here are some of the products used in this video: On the Dot Pastel Eye Color Compact, $16 Please Hold Eye Primer, $9 No Place to Run Eyeliner, $9 Min-a-Real Cream to Powder Foundation, $18 Lipclick Full Color Lipstick, $11 To purchase any of these products, or to find more hot Spring looks and items from mark., visit meetmark.com

Introducing... FASHtastic Finds . This is where I post about fashion and beauty deals, steals, contests, events, new products, activities and anything else I think fashionistas might want to know about! Here are today's FASHtastic Finds . CHARLOTTE RUSSE has some fun new Spring/pastel nail colors and some fun heart shaped sunglasses. Both of these are awesome picks for this Spring. Check them out here !   DOROTHY PERKINS is having a Facebook "Fash Off," where you can vote on who wears fashion pieces best. Check out their Facebook page to see the looks and vote for your favorite. www.facebook.com/dorothyperkins   H&M is streaming an online fashion show from Paris on February 27th to introduce their Autumn 2013 Collection. Visit their   Facebook page for the details.

We are already two months in to 2013 but there is still plenty of time to show off some of this year's hottest looks. From fun and funky to plain and simple, here are five different trends that are gracing runways, streets and magazines in 2013. POLKA DOTS Polka dots are making their way through the fashion circuit this year. Whether a cute pair of pants, a preppy sweater or a fun pump, polka dots are a great way to add some pattern to your wardrobe. Since polka dots are a busy pattern, keep the accessories and corresponding pieces simple. NEON Neon colors are not just for crossing guards or nighttime bike riders. This year, neon is making an appearance in the closests of fashionistas everywhere. Bright yellows, oranges and greens make for a fun pop of color. Tone down the neons by pairing with neutrals. DENIM Denim is a large part of almost everyone's wardrobe, which makes it an easy trend to maximize this year. Instead of just wearing jeans, liven up your deni...

Celebrities are known for their glitzy, glamorous looks on the red carpet but they also have days when they dress it down for laid back outings around town. Often times we want to emulate their looks but don't know how without breaking the bank. With a bit of shopping around, you can find affordable pieces that will have you looking like your favorite celebrities in no time! First up- the adorable and quirky Gwen Stefani. Below is a picture of the lovely Gwen on a seemingly low key day, sporting a casual look that mixes color and comfort. Beneath the picture of Gwen is a collection of items that you can wear to feel like you are also a "hollaback girl"! To create the collection, I paired a set of black leggings and a casual racerback tank with some fun chunky wedges. I added a large black handbag and a simple, small necklace and topped off the look with some bright red lipstick to copy Gwen's signature bright red lips! Total cost for this look? $112. ...

Looking for a fun and unique handbag? Check out the  Change It Up  bag from mark. Keep it as a Neapolitan ice cream style with black, white & pink, or zip away the pink to get a simple black and white bag.   Order yours here! Change It Up, $38 from mark.

Do you ever stand staring at the clothes in your closet and think, "U gh. Same old selection and I have no money to buy anything new" ...? I think most of us have had that thought when trying to figure out what to wear sometimes. What many of us don't realize is that we can take the pieces we already own and combine them to create several different looks, without having to spend more money on new pieces. One suggested fashion staple for women is the "little black dress." But I recommend the "basic black slack." Any nice pair of black pants will do (preferably one that doesn't collect too much lint). Here are three different looks, using the same pair of black pants and creating three totally different outfits. The first one is a daytime look. Pair the pants with a comfy sweater, comfy boots, and for those in colder climates, a comfy jacket and beanie. A nice sized tote bag makes a great accessory for this look. Since the look is not meant to be...