The Budget Babe | Affordable Fashion & Style Blog

5 Under $50: Purple Dresses


While not necessarily a spring trend per se, purple dresses seem to be everywhere and the color is pulling me in like a moth to a flame. Here, 5 spring-ready dresses that will give you a dose of this mesmerizing color for less than fifty dollars.

{The inspiration: (from left) Looks from the Jil Sander, Isabel Marant, and MaxMara Spring 2011 runways. Photo credit: Style.com}

Off the Rack: Walmart's Spring Fashion Fail




This past weekend I make a quick trip to Walmart to see what was new for spring in the fashion department, and I have to say I was pretty disappointed. There were a few cute things but nothing worth going out of your way to buy. The Miley Cyrus collection continues to be a surprising source of cute, cheap pieces like the pink ruffle cami (shown above), just $12. Pair it with jeans, some heels and a blazer and you have a respectable going-out look. Norma Kamali's line continues to baffle me - what's with the oversized sweatshirts, camo pants and kooky prints? I struggled to find 5 items suitable for sharing: A black trench ($35), black lightweight parka ($35), leopard wrap dress ($20), pinstripe shirtdress ($20) and striped v-neck tee. Norma Kamali for Walmart has really lost its steam and it's a darn shame.

Have you found any budget-fashion gems at Walmart recently?

Make Your Spring Makeup Pop with New Hues from H&M




For spring, H&M is introducing some vivid new colors to their makeup lineup to help you achieve a fresh look without spending a fortune. Nail polish colors include a tropical metallic aqua green, deep bright purple and light yellow. Shimmering lip gloss comes in apricot and bubblegum pink, while eye shadows come in purple, green, turquoise and pink.

I love all the brights but find these colors often look better in the box than on my face. Nail polish is an exception - I could wear H&M's entire range from the lemon yellow to the more subtle shades like mud beige, concrete gray or old rose. Look for H&M makeup at your local store.