One of my favorite shows each season is Brazilian designer Carlos Miele. He has a strong point of view, loves colors and loves dressing women. Sometimes shows begin to blend together because you see a lot of similar silhouettes and colors, but not so with Carlos Miele. You can't mistake his bold patterns, sexy evening gowns and unique details.

For fall 2012, the designer took inspiration from the culture of Southern Brazil, and in particular, the traditional gaúchas, which loosely translates to cowgirls. This inspiration was clear from the very first look - sand crepe pants, taupe wool poncho and an authentic black gaúcha hat. Other traditional elements were interwoven throughout, like geometric embroidery, cool leather sashes and the classic bolero.

The eveningwear references weren't quite so literal - the patterns and colors were vivid and, to me, reflected the confidence and free-spirited nature of the gaúcha. You could picture many of these looks at the Grammys. Set to the thumping sound of Latin beats, it was an energizing show all around and one of Miele's best. What do you think?

Below are highlights of this month's best events that are being featured on freebeautyevents.com.

For example, in February and March, Ulta is having their Yesto Event in select states. Demonstrators will be sampling products from all the Yesto lines including Yes to Cucumbers, Yes to Tomatoes, Yes to Carrots, and Yes to Blueberries.

Also, in March and April, Walgreens is having their Neutrogena event in Florida. Demonstrators will be showing the latest Neutrogena sunblock products and giving customers great coupons. Best of all, customers will have the chance to enter a raffle to win a Neutrogena gift basket as well.

Freebeautyevents.com also features a monthly contest. For the month of February 2012, they will be giving away 10 prizes. Each prize will consist of L’Oreal Go 360 Clean Deep Facial Cleanser, L’Oreal Youth Code Youth Regenerating Skincare Serum Intense Daily Treatment, and Dr. Lewinn by Kinerase Life & Resculpt Anti-Wrinkle Night Cream. The Contest runs from 2/1/2012 to 2/29/2012, winners will be chosen on 3/5/2012 and notified by 3/15/2012.

Disclosure: I received free beauty product samples in conjunction with this post.

This was my first time attending a Lela Rose runway show and it did not disappoint. I had a hard time narrowing down my photographs for this post because I loved each look from start to finish. This season, the designer took her inspiration from the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. My husband and I were just in Spain a few months ago for our honeymoon and we were wowed by the Calatrava buildings we saw in Valencia, so I had those mental images in mind as models walked the runway. The show began with ladylike coats and geometric prints. I especially loved a zig zag print sweater paired with a mustard yellow pencil skirt. The show progressed from separates to chic cocktail dresses, culminating in some stunning red carpet-worthy gowns.

Lela Rose also debuted her fall/winter footwear collection for Payless, due out in September '12. Keep an eye on www.paylessontherunway.com where the collection should be posted any day now; styles include the Merida pump, Ponteverdra t-strap, Lucerne pump, Wholen ankle bootie, and Cascine cocktail heel. Watching the shoes walk the runway, you'd never guess they were Payless. They looked amazing!

Keep reading to see more photos including a few peeks of the shoes and my encounter with Lela Rose's pup, Stitch!

What do you think of the collection?

The Budget Babe was invited to the bebe BLACK Fall 2012 collection runway show yesterday, presented by Style360 and held at the Met Pavilion in New York City. Since I was ill, my girl KC covered the show for us!

Inspired by film noir with futuristic influences, the vibe was retro and ladylike with a dark edge - think Gwen Stefani getting dolled up. Bangs were brushed into a big, pin-up curl with loose voluminous waves in back. A red lip and red manicure added the perfect glam touch to the assortment of tailored coats, capes and knee-length dresses in wool, leather and velvet.

Exaggerated shoulders with nipped waists, corset seaming and lace paneling paid homage to the femme fatale. The palette was mostly matte black with glossy black accents, with the addition of deep crimson and a rich teal, reminiscent of Old Hollywood glamour.

Remember last spring's all-white see-through collection that was a Marie Antoinette-meets-Lady Gaga mash-up? Bebe is clearly headed in a completely new direction for fall and I, for one, am loving it. I'd like to get my hands on some of the plaid pieces and the capelet-topped trench.

What do you think of Bebe's fall collection?

Sorry for the lack of posts, I seem to have caught the Fashion Week flu so I'm home recuperating. But in the last week, I saw enough runway shows and street style to inspire me for months. One of the trends I was loving the most among the fashionable show-goers had to be neon! Some subtle, some not-so-subtle pops of neon yellow, orange and pink added a jolt of color and energy to mostly neutral looks. Here are 5 ways to inject a pop of neon into your wardrobe now for under $50...

{The Inspiration (from left): A bright bag that I spotted at Fashion Week, A Pair & a Spare's neon denim; Nanette Lepore's Spring 2012 runway}