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}

Sam Edelman's "Leroy" espadrille wedge sandals are $150 at Footnotesonline.com. The knockoff is $89.94. Can you tell which is the real and which is the steal? Click either image to find out.

On sale now at Last Call by Neiman Marcus, Ash's strappy wedge sandals will cost you $175 (down from $250). The bargain find will set you back $59.95. Think you can tell which is which? Click either image to find out.

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?

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.