Banana Republic is teaming up with Milly founder and designer Michelle Smith for a limited-edition capsule inspired by the "summer sophistication of the Hamptons." The Banana Republic Milly Collection will feature over 60 pieces for women and men (Milly's first foray into menswear, in fact) including feminine silhouettes in splashes of neon for her and tailored separates in bold prints for him. Prices range from $39.50 for jewelry to $175 for apparel. Previously Banana Republic teamed up with Trina Turk and the results were fab. I have a huge designer crush on Milly for her use of color and prints, so I can't wait to see more! Look for the Banana Republic Milly Collection in late May 2013 at select stores as well as online at bananarepublic.com.

Shown above: Sketch from the Banana Republic Milly Collection, courtesy of Banana Republic.

For their first catalog of the new year, Free People headed to Amsterdam to shoot "Girls on Bikes" with photographer Guy Aroch. Models as well as "real girls" cycle through the bike-friendly streets in Free People's most recent collection of "casual, flirty and effortlessly chic styles." Makeup by Deanna Hagan and hair by Amy Farid was kept natural and fresh, lending to the shoot's street-style vibe.

And some exciting news for ladies who love their bikes: Free People will also carry a limited edition assortment of artisan accessories to outfit any bike in style this month. Items include hand-tooled and painted bike seats, crochet skirt guards, embossed handlebar grips, hand-painted wooden bike stands, and even wine bottle holders. Pieces will be available exclusively on FreePeople.com starting this month.

Click through for more photos...totally dreamy, no?

These fun polka-dot jeans were one of the many items to grab my attention in the latest edition of the J.Crew Style Guide.





Scoop them up for $135 at jcrew.com.

Toothpick jean in polka dot

Get the look for less with these Merona polka dot pants, $27.99 at target.com.

Merona® Women's Ankle Pant (Fit 2) - Black Dot Print

Or try Forever 21's polka-dot ankle pants for $16.50.

FOREVER 21 Polka Dot Ankle Pants

Clear Scalp & Hair Beauty Therapy is offering you the exclusive opportunity to take the 7-Day Scalp & Hair Challenege to acheive stronger, more beautiful hair in 7 days, guaranteed.

If you're like me, you probably haven't let conditioner touch your scalp in years. All the beauty mags, my hair dresser and even the conditioner bottles themselves say "apply to ends" - not apply to the scalp. And that's what I've been doing: Washing my hair, applying a glob of the conditioner to the ends of my hair, and then working a small amount around the rest of my head - but I never dare to work it into my scalp. Doing so would seem counterintuitive - you want a squeaky clean scalp, so the last thing you'd do is reintroduce conditioner after you've just shampooed - right?

Well, the folks at CLEAR Scalp & Hair Beauty Therapy are turning things upside down. According to them, 99% of hair's natural strength and beauty comes from the scalp. And when you think about it, that makes a LOT of sense. So they formulated products that you apply to the scalp - not just the ends - "feeding" the scalp with Nutrium10 - a rich blend of 10 vitamins and nutrients - for locks that are stronger and smoother, from top to bottom.

I kinda had a lightbulb moment when I heard this concept for getting softer, stronger, silkier hair, and I for one am totally on board to give it a try - and you can participate, too!

If you want to take the 7-Day Scalp & Hair Challenge, just visit the Clear Scalp & Hair Beauty Therapy Facebook page for your chance to win free product samples and see for yourselves. CLEAR is so confident you'll be amazed by the results after 7 days that they are even offering a money back gurantee. How's that for budget friendly beauty?

Stay tuned to follow my journey and if you take the challenge, too, let me know what you think of your results!

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by CLEAR Scalp & Hair Beauty Therapy and Style Coalition. Opinions expressed are entirely my own.

The Budget Babe was cited in a 12/27/12 article by Ellie Krupnick on Huffington Post Style titled "Target + Neiman Marcus Collection On Sale After Just 3 Weeks." See the complete feature here. Thanks to reader @njgirl for the tip!