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Zooey Deschanel is InStyle‘s annual April color issue cover girl! And what we learned when we sat down with the New Girl is that she’s anything but green—especially when it comes to crafting her signature style. “People are more affected by how I look and dress myself than I think anyone would care to admit. I guess I’ll just have to start wearing power suits,” she joked. Not that she needs them: she stars on a hit TV series, has her fourth She & Him album, Volume 3, coming out this May, and maintains her own successful website, Hellogiggles.com—and all while working her signature bangs and gorgeous red-carpet looks. “Style isn’t when you buy yourself the most expensive things,” she says. “It’s being creative and able to put together what you’ve collected.” In the issue, Deschanel also revealed that when she was young, she couldn’t afford to collect the couture items she’s seen in today, but she feels all the more savvy for it. “I didn’t have a lot of money, so I got things for, like $2, $3, and made myself look as good as I could. Limitations make you more creative.” Indeed, just check out her nail art for proof of her vivid imagination! To read more about Deschanel, pick up the brand-new April issue—or download it to your iPad, Nook, or Droid tablet—on newsstands starting Friday, March 15.

Plus, go behind-the-scenes at Zooey’s InStyle cover shoot!

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• Shop Zooey’s Best New Girl Looks!
• See Zooey’s Best Beauty Looks Ever
• See How You Would Look with Zooey’s Bangs

On Zooey: Marc Jacobs coat, Jason Wu top, Ferragamo flats, and Louis Vuitton bag. On cover: Carolina Herrera dress and rings by Claude Morady Estate Jewelry.