BY MAKEUP ARTIST AND KEEP ME BLUSHING BLOGGER SAMANTHA MICHELLE

We’re in denial about any shreds of winter left. Full speed to spring, please. Bright colors! Lighter fabrics! We even spotted a pair of bright pink wedges in our midst today.

With Smashbox Cosmetics on our horizon, we turned to Keep Me Blushing blogger, Samantha Michelle, to enlighten us on the color of 2011: sweet, pretty honeysuckle – a mouth-watering, reddish-pink hue. Check out her tips, then let us know if you’ll be up for a little (or a lot) for spring.

I love the color of 2011. It’s happy, warm, and beautiful, and looks great on just about anyone. It’s easy to add this color into your wardrobe and accessories, but don’t forget your makeup bag! Some of you may think this honeysuckle is too bright to wear on your face, but when done correctly it looks so great – especially for spring/summer.

The easiest way to add this color is with nail polish. It looks fresh on fingers and toes – especially on the beach.

Lipstick and lip stain in honeysuckle is so chic. Although this color is bright, it’s absolutely do-able. For long-lasting lip color, fill your lips with the same-color lip liner, then apply lipstick. If this feels a little too bold, a lip stain is a safe alternative.

When wearing honeysuckle on your lips, keep the rest of your face simple. Use foundation and concealer on any problem areas like your eyes, nose, and any blemishes. Bronze all over (Hint: to contour your face, use bronzer on the sides of your nose and under your cheek bones). Use highlighter on your cheek bones, bridge of your nose, arch of your brow, and the corner of your eyes – skip the blush. For your eyes, try a shimmer shadow from your lash line to your eyebrow, and for a nighttime look add black liner to your lash line and the rim of your eyes, then finish with black mascara.

For honeysuckle cheeks, I suggest a cream blush right on the apples of your cheeks and pulled upwards towards your hairline. Set with the same color powder blush. Use lightly and blend. To avoid looking too harsh, skip colored lipstick and opt for nude or a clear gloss. You can do a smokey eye or a natural eye with honeysuckle cheeks. If you want a smokey eye I would do a slate grey instead of purples, greens, or navy.

Have fun with honeysuckle and don’t be intimidated by it. It’s a perfect shock of color for spring days and nights.

Chicago street style is a mixture of various regions, but there is always one central focus: function. Fashion-forward Chicagoans are known for using current trends to create effortless style. In a lakefront city filled with festivals and markets, mobility and comfort are ideal. Since we tend to stick to simple shapes and silhouettes, colors and patterns are key components to one’s individuality.

Here are a few trends that are currently garnering attention on the streets of Chicago:

Screen Ts
These are the ideal combination of comfort and personality. Bright colors, cool graphics, and bold personal statements are the prominent characteristics of the Ts being worn by men and women across the city. Men are coordinating the Ts with classic denim, fresh “kicks” (those are shoes, by the way), and vintage sunglasses. Women, on the other hand, choose to play up their femininity by rocking their Ts with skinny jeans or full skirts. With several local designers launching T-shirt lines in the recent months, this trend may be around for awhile.

Stripes
Stripes, by their very nature, are eye catching. To stand out from the pack, many people are wearing stripes in unexpected color combinations like yellow and gray, or pairing stripes with another pattern such as floral. The key to mixing patterns is to make sure they both include at least one common color to serve as the base. Another way to indulge in this trend is to wear items that create an illusion with a mixture of horizontal, vertical, or diagonal stripes. The dizzier it makes you, the better!

Patterned Maxi Dresses
Maxi dresses are extremely versatile and comfortable, which automatically makes them a winner for most women. In Chicago, however, fluid patterns in multiple colors are most prevalent. When wearing a patterned maxi dress, accessories are your friend only when kept to a minimum. Vintage sunglasses, belts, and statement jewelry are great for personalizing your look.

Crossbody Bags
The initial appeal of crossbody bags is purely functional. We need our hands free to peruse the shops and markets as well as enjoy meals at the festivals and street fairs. What can I say? We love to shop and eat! Chicago trendsetters are taking it a step further and demonstrating their personal style by wearing bags with details such as studs, fringe, and contrast stitching.

Suspenders
For Chicago men, suspenders are now being used to accessorize outfits. Unique colors and patterns take them from practical to fashionable. Wear them with a T or button-down shirt, cuffed denim, and nerd eyeglasses to create a look that’s intentionally “geek chic.”

Colorful or Patterned Socks
Many guys are opting for socks in various hues and patterns (i.e. stripes, polka dots, and argyle) to balance out cuffed trousers and rolled denim pants. To step up your sock game, try patterned socks in the same color scheme of your outfit, or socks in a solid color different from but complementary to your outfit. Wear neutral shoes to anchor your look and maintain your cool factor.

The great thing about these trends is that you can mix and match them to create an outfit. A maxi dress with a crossbody bag, a screen T with a striped skirt, suspenders with a screen T and colored socks – the options are endless. Also, many of these items can easily transition into fall. Simply throw on a blazer, cardigan, or leather jacket and a lightweight scarf and you’re good to go. Women can take it one step further by adding tights or leggings into the mix.

If versatility in fashion is not a good way to stretch a dollar, I don’t know what is.

Down to earth
Contrary to what you may think, a vacation is great to take with kids. The key to making this happen: Choose a destination and accommodations that are age appropriate. The Breakers is such a classic, established hotel that doesn’t immediately scream “kid friendly,” but once we were there I was pleasantly surprised. The staff goes out of their way to ensure that people of every age feel comfortable and welcome. Extensive thought was put into creating an environment with a space for everyone to relax - alone or together.

Up in the air
When it comes to traveling with kids, certain carry-on items are a must. A few of mine: Hand sanitizers (you never quite feel like your hands get clean on an airplane, and they’re great for cleaning up after the kids), hand cream, a gentle face moisturizer, and lip balm (that both myself and the kids can use - it gets dry in the cabin, especially on long flights), and a variety of books. I also never check anything of real value to me. If I’d be sad and sorry to lose it, it stays with me in my carry-on luggage. This includes kids’ blankets and any other much-loved comforts.

Around the hotel
The Breakers offers so many fantastic choices for families. I love that they have both a family and adult-only swimming pool, a spa, fitness center, a kids’ club (for ages 3-12), a kids’ entertainment center, two golf courses, and an excellent array of restaurants for every mood and occasion. The Italian Restaurant has an adjacent, supervised kids’ play area so parents can truly enjoy a long meal while kids head off for safe fun without the logistics and expense of hiring a babysitter. Absolutely ideal!

At the end of the day
Our oceanfront rooms had amazing beach and ocean views. An entire wall was comprised of windows, with a waterview front and center. Nighttime was our favorite time of day, as the water was lit up and you could watch big fish come inland for feeding. Our whole experience was mesmerizing.

The Breakers Palm Beach Boutique opens Thursday, August 5, 2010 at 11AM ET.

Katya Moorman has two great loves: Fashion and NYC. Her blog, Style Defined NYC, combines these two passions – and gives us a glimpse into the world of style in the city that never sleeps. We sat down with the uber-cool blogger to learn a thing or two about the fashion fresh on the streets of Manhattan.

Rue La La: Explain street style.
Katya: It’s a sense of individuality. It’s fearlessness, a sense of “now” and knowing fashion well enough to deconstruct or comment on a trend. It also involves the ability to break away from fashion uniforms – the little black dress tends to be safe and boring no matter how you accessorize it.

Rue La La: What makes someone’s style truly compelling?
Katya: Boldness and confidence. This might seem like an easy answer, but it’s the truth! While NYC is considered an “anything goes” place in terms of fashion, in reality it’s full of little style tribes that follow each other: the skinny jean androgynous boys, the “intentionally quirky” Brooklyn girls, the Gossip Girl wannabes in the Meatpacking District. But it’s the people who aren’t afraid to step outside their tribe that captures my attention.

Rue La La: Do you have any favorite styles?
Katya: I really like style with a sense of humor that borders on kooky! Lady Gaga and the late Isabella Blow both know how to do that. And the Japanese seem to have this down better than any other culture.

Rue La La: What can we learn from great street style (especially this fall)?
Katya: Try to add the unexpected. For example: I don’t see the DIY shredded trend going away yet, so the natural progression is to see it moving from T-shirts to sweaters. But if you’re going to do that, instead of taking an oversized black sweater (soooo predictable!), find a small pink angora cardigan or a preppy tennis sweater.

Rue La La: Can you fill us in on some of the styles you expect to see on the streets of NYC this fall?
Katya: Men’s cardigans as jackets, socks with platform sandals and boots, layered leggings (i.e., tights with fishnets over them, sheer stockings with over-the-knee socks, loose/short legwarmers, headscarves or turbans, punk/new wave-influenced hairstyles, men’s vintage boots (on both men and women), and of course black-black-black.

Rue La La: Any favorite places to people/stylewatch?
Katya: I love scoping out the urban middle school girls on the subway. They have their own, very specific style that’s fun to observe.

Rue La La: Where do you find your fashion inspiration?
Katya: New York City is my playground. I love to go to the club nights hosted by Kenny Kenny, Ladyfag, or Amanda Lepore where young gay fashionistas and full-on drag queens come out to play. Their style is amazing, and I often see things here months before anywhere else.

We love your style questions. From what’s appropriate, to what’s “in,” to what you’re just dying to pull off – your queries get us thinking, and searching for the best answers. This time we turned to Misty Huber, stylist and co-founder of StyleSalt.com and DIYbeautiful.com. Here’s her chic, practical say:

Q. I never know if it’s okay to tuck tops into pants anymore. A few years ago my teenage daughter told me absolutely no tucking in.
A. It’s definitely okay! Tucking in your tops is an easy way to define your waist and create an hourglass figure. The trick to pulling it off is to make sure you have a great-fitting pair of pants that lay flat across your stomach and flatter your derriere without bulging, pinching, or pulling. Choose a substantial fabric. Thin fabrics aren’t as forgiving and can show the excess fabric where you’ve tucked in your top.

Q. I am looking for the perfect work/play black leather purse. What brands do you recommend I look at?
A. Look for bags that are structured enough for the office, but with fun, going-out details. This season I love Marc by Marc Jacobs.

Q. I have to wear the famous little black dress for work events, and that’s often! Who has the hottest styles this season?
A. Little black dresses are one investment piece you know will carry you through several seasons, but it’s exciting too when designers get the inspiration to tweak an already gorgeous staple. Among my favorites this season: Milly and Haute Hippie.

Q. Help! I am a 41 year old single mom of two teenage boys (can’t believe I said it out loud). I want to be stylish and sexy without dressing too young for the office and when I go out. What are some basics? I am a slender 4-6.
A. If you’re slender, you want to bring out your curves and emphasize your waist with skirts, tucked-in blouses, and dresses. Dark denim is a fantastic choice because it’s on-trend and flatters every figure (and is very age appropriate). You can still do bold colors as long as they’re not of the fluorescent family, along with sophisticated neutrals and feminine prints.

Q. I need a new black blazer. I like the length of boyfriend jackets because I can wear skinny jeans or leggings while covering my derriere. Is that too fall/winter-ish?
A. Where basic blazers are concerned, there are many options that look like a million bucks and usually cost less than $100. Skinny jeans and leggings are both still options for spring, but you should also consider wearing blazers with cropped pants, skirts, and even shorts as spring starts and temperatures start to rise.

Q. I saw the Galliano preview and am mesmerized by his ability to mix patterns that you’d never think would go together. I would love to do that but are there any rules so I don’t end up looking like a hot mess??
A. The idea is to not come too close to matching color tones – you don’t want it to look as if you were trying to make them work together, but were off base – or colorblind. If you’re shopping online, open two windows and look at the patterns next to each other. Go with your first reaction as to whether they clash, or if they bring out the best in each other. The combinations you are drawn to may surprise you: mod prints mixed with florals, or a batik print paired with stripes.