Well, surprise surprise. This week WWD reported that the worldâ€s no. 1 pop star has in fact signed a deal with Coty to create a line of signature Lady Gaga fragrances.

If Madonna's cone bra could inspire a fragrance bottle, our money's on Lady Gaga's bubble dress playing a role in future fragrances

The same Coty executive who denied the rumors a few months back, Senior Vice President of Global Marketing in the Coty Beauty division Stephen Mormoris, said the agreement was worked out last week, and the first of several future Lady Gaga womenâ€s scents is set to launch in spring 2012.

We love to say I told you so – note this direct quote from a past Signature9 post on the subject: “Even though Gaga is not working on a scent yet, weâ€re betting she will be at some point.”

Bloggers around the Web continue to speculate what Gagaâ€s perfumes will smell like, with some guessing it will have rubber or hairspray notes. {Fashionista} We can only hope none of the fragrances smell like raw meat (BTW is anyone else wondering how Gaga kept from stinking like rotting flesh at Sunday nightâ€s VMAs?).

Anyhow, weâ€re sure the beauty execs at Coty will come up with something wearable. Weâ€re sticking to our original prediction that the most interesting part of the fragrances will be their bottles.

Thatâ€s right folks! Perry had images of funnyman beau Russell Brandâ€s face painted on her finger nails for the occasion. {E! Online} She told Ellen DeGeneres in a post-show interview that she did it because he could not attend the VMAs with her since he was shooting an upcoming movie in New York.

What do you think? Awwwww! Or Whaaaaaaat?

We werenâ€t sure what to make of it, but Ms. Teenage Dream (and Rolling Stone’s September cover girl) did cause us to wonder what else you could have painted on your nails if you really wanted an original manicure.

Turns out the latest trends in nail art are a direct reflection of a younger generationâ€s obsessions – specifically, technology and junk food.

It seems the newest in nail art is having the icon for your favorite Internet browser painted on. Apparently blogger Mamipeko decided to request browser icons be painted on her nails, and the manicurist she went to delivered, using a nude polish as a base and detailing the icons for Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Safari and Opera. {Walyou}

Considering the information generationâ€s obsession with technology and the Web, we figure it’s not unlikely that this idea will catch on, especially since news has spread through the blogosphere. Many others have already followed suit, requesting the Apple icon, Super Mario Brothers images and the Twitter bird as part of their manicures. {Walyou}

This could take the "I'm a PC" thing in a completely new direction

And if you think that is crazy, get this: photos of a set of manicured nails painted with the logos for various snacks and sodas have been circulating the blogosphere of late as well. You can brand your hands with Doritos, Oreos, Goldfish, Mountain Dew and Dr. Pepper if you so choose. {the gloss}

Since much has been made of the importance of appealing to generation Y for any business to remain relevant into the future, we canâ€t really say technology and junk food nail art is such a bad idea. And compared to Lindsay Lohan’s manicure meltdown, the latest nail expressions are pretty harmless. Besides being obsessed with snacks and the Internet, the current younger generation does seem to be particularly inclined toward wearing T-shirts, handbags, sweatpants and other apparel with brand logos plastered across them, which is another point in this type of manicureâ€s favor. We can, however, point out that if you are a grown, respectable woman this is one trend to highly consider skipping. Unless of course youâ€re Katy Perry.

Until today. Apparently, you can now forget about snake serum, Botox, face lifts and collagen products and just buy a pair of Japanese anti-aging goggles. The goggles, called Mejikara, are made of silicon rubber, and they work by squeezing against your eyes and pushing the skin back up where it belongs. {the Gloss via Gizmodo}

The product supposedly features “specially-designed ridges which massage and help your skin by putting gentle pressure on [it] and pushing those sagging eyes back up to where they once were.” {Gizmodo}

Is it us, or is it totally ridiculous to claim that simply holding sagging skin around the eyes taut for a while will make aging lines stay gone when you let go? The last time you woke up with weird sleep lines, chances are they were gone after a few minutes. We’re guessing there will be immediate “results” that disappear in a similar amount of time. The only way Mejikara will hide signs of aging near the eyes is if they are worn all the time, but anyone doing so would look more insane than someone with a few harmless crowâ€s feet.

P.S. – a pair of these babies go for $48. It costs $0 to use your own fingers to hold your skin in place and pretend it will stay that way when you stop. Knowing when a product is a completely absurd waste of money – now that is priceless.

Dirty makeup is fine on a video, but we'll pass for everyday use

This week, we were grossed out by a story that appeared on Glamour.com about used makeup – including lipstick, foundation and brushes – that is up for sale on eBay, with plenty of bids coming in.

We thought the idea of buying makeup that a complete stranger has used was absolutely disgusting, particularly used lipstick and mascaras, but a little digging around the Internet revealed that scoring used makeup online is actually pretty common and has been going on for years now.

Back in 2007 there were warnings of the dangers of the buying used makeup on eBay phenomenon. {Associated Content} Even further back in 2004, The Early Show on CBS reported on makeup swapping site Makeupalley.com, where users can trade their used cosmetics for others†old products. Not only that, but fans of the site who were interviewed for the story had apparently been swapping makeup for years.

“Makeupalley.com is one of several Web sites where makeup enthusiasts can trade everything from lip gloss and eyeliner to fragrances and hair gel.Some of them are ‘BNIB†(brand new in box), but many of the products have been used.” {The Early Show}

The report warned that most dermatologists and the FDA do not approve of using anyone elseâ€s cosmetics. Makeup cannot be cleaned of bacteria and viruses from previous use, which can lead to serious issues like corneal infections that harm vision from mascara. In addition, bacteria are carried from applicators back to the product itself, so using a clean applicator does not decrease the risk. This also means even a product that has only been used once can be harmful.

Women who love to sample different colors and brands raved about Makeupalley.com regardless, and Hara Glick, the siteâ€s founder, said they had received no complaints about contaminated products and their consequences. The Web site does have a disclaimer that users are “swapping at their own risk.”

We understand that getting a new lip color or foundation shade home from the store and realizing it is wrong for your face is frustrating, but taking used products from anyone, especially complete strangers, is just not worth the risk. We can see where fragrances, nail polishes and hair products would be harmless, but otherwise, the risk of shelling out money for something you might only use once is worth knowing you won’t end up wearing a rash, infection or anything more than you bargained for.

We havenâ€t either, but a German company called GFD, founded by a man named Andre Flöter, has been selling synthetic diamond-coated razor blades for the last seven years. Up until now, GFD only sold the blades for industrial uses such as in medical scalpels and tools that cut plastic sheeting. Thatâ€s about to change, as Flöter plans to mine his way onto drugstore shelves. {Technology Review}

Apparently, using a diamond razor blade results in an incredibly close shave that lasts 1,000 times longer than a shave with a traditional steel razor. GFD plans to have the product out before the end of this year, so itâ€s worth considering whether or not to try it out now. {Elle}

So far, no estimates for how much a diamond razor blade will cost have surfaced, but itâ€s sure to be expensive. Itâ€s diamonds – diamonds! – for goodness†sake. However, if one of these blades lasts way longer than a traditional razor, it may end up costing less in the long run, and will likely still be less expensive than laser hair removal treatments. {Elle}

According to Technology Review, at some point Schick offered a razor called the FX Diamond that retailed for around the same price as a traditional blade, which Flöter says is because Schick didn’t produce a substantially harder or longer-lasting blade by using a pure diamond coating, like GFD does. He also said Schickâ€s blades were not expertly sharpened as his companyâ€s blades are.

Weâ€re inclined to think a diamond razor blade is a bit odd, since the rare, precious stones are normally reserved for special gifts. Plus, if for some reason the blades donâ€t offer the long-lasting shave Flöter promises, the customer will feel cheated out of a whole bunch of money. Weâ€re open to try the product when it hits shelves, but a money back guarantee for unsatisfied users may make it more popular by reducing the cost risk.

Back in July when the names for the products in the Rodarte line were released, Jessica Wakeman posted an angry rant on the Frisky saying the designations were inappropriate, which sparked discussion around the Internet. M.A.C. and Rodarte responded with an apology and promise to donate proceeds from the line to victims of violence and poverty in Juarez, Mexico. They also elected to change the names for their makeup products, but now M.A.C. has announced via Facebook page statement that the collection will not ship at all. {The Cut}

Why all the backtracking from such a highly anticipated collaboration?

The collection was inspired by Mexican culture after a trip through Texas taken by Rodarteâ€s two designers. The products were thus named with that inspiration in mind. “Quinceañera” was chosen for the name of a pink blush, while “Ghost Town” was selected as the name for a sheer white lipstick. However, it was the nail polish called “Juarez” that ticked off the Frisky, which blasted the brands for being tasteless. {The Cut} The blog post said:

“Whyâ€s it tasteless? Juarez is an impoverished Mexican factory town notorious for the number of women between the ages of 12 and 22 who have been raped and murdered with little or no response from police. Most of the young women are employees at the border townâ€s factories, called maquiladoras, and disappeared on the way to or from work. Activists have been applying constant pressure on Mexican police, who have shown little response to properly investigating the murders, allegedly because the victims are poor women. The crime channel TruTV even called Juarez a “serial killers†playground”! And itâ€s not like the Juarez murders are some big secret: Jennifer Lopez even starred in a film,“Bordertown,” playing a reporter who writes about the rapes and murders.”  {the Frisky}

The blog post prompted widespread Internet debate over the cosmetic names, in addition to many angry comments from the Friskyâ€s readers. Some were shocked, some were equally outraged by Rodarteâ€s nail polish name, some mocked the author for reading too much into a nail polish name and others alleged the bloggerâ€s research was incorrect. Whether you agree with the post or not, the fact that a blogger caused a cosmetics brand such as M.A.C. to put the brakes on an entire, much talked about collection goes to show just how influential the blogosphere can be.

The statement M.A.C. released Tuesday said the line was canceled “out of respect for the people of Mexico,” and they will still donate the projected profits from the line to legitimate organizations that work to support the women of Juarez. {Elle UK}

What do you think? Is M.A.C. doing the right thing by withholding the collection, or is this a case of overly PC Internet writers finding offense where none actually exists?

Would you buy acne treatments from this face? Proactiv is betting you will.

Bieber joins Jessica Simpson, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Rolling Stoneâ€s September cover girl Katy Perry among other Hollywood types that have served as celebrity faces for the brandâ€s acne-fighting products.

Greg Renker, who founded the company that markets Proactiv, told People magazine he is confident in Bieberâ€s potential to bring more attention to the brand.

“Justin has millions of fans of all ages and followers online where our consumers spend a lot of their time,” he said.

Indeed Bieber may be the perfect spokesperson for Proactive since he has a primarily teenaged audience and is a teenager himself. Perhaps young guys and girls at a tough age skin-wise will relate more to a 16-year-old star who not only appeals to them but can be seen as going through similar skin problems. The only thing we wonder about is if the smooth, baby-faced singing phenomenon has ever even had a pimple that required Proactivâ€s products. Let’s be honest, most of the celebrity “before” shots are of  a single bump that has to be magnified 10 times to be seen in the first place. Not exactly raging, out of control acne, but we won’t underestimate the power of Bieber when it comes to swaying teenagers. Undoubtedly, even similarly smooth skinned fans will be hoping  for their first spot to feel connected to the pop star, but we’re sure that’s exactly what Proactiv is banking on.

You can check out images from the ad campaign as well as a video featuring Bieber here.

Last week, the luxury fragrance house sent five perfumed taxi cabs out into central London to serve patrons the same way any other London black taxi would with a few exceptions. Each cab smells like either the brandâ€s Artemisia, Blenheim Bouquet, Endymion, Malabah or Orange Blossom perfume, and each oneâ€s driver is specially trained to discuss Penhaligonâ€s fragrances and answer any questions about the brand. Passengers will receive a 10 percent voucher for purchases at penhaligons.com and in Penhaligonâ€s boutiques at the conclusion of their ride. {InStyle UK}

Londoners will easily be able to spot the cabs†outer Penhaligonâ€s branding, and the cost of each trip will run the same as any regular black cab ride. {London Beauty Review} Anyone who spies a Penhaligonâ€s cab but doesnâ€t take a trip in it can still participate in the promotion by snapping a picture of the car and posting it to their Facebook page with Penhaligonâ€s tagged for a chance to win a 100ml fragrance of choice. {Fashion Foie Gras}

Penhaligonâ€s is not the first company to embrace the taxi as a marketing tool. Last month, Revlon offered Londoners who photographed the turquoise taxi they sent around the city and tagged Revlon in the picture on Facebook a chance to try the brandâ€s latest mascara before it hit shelves. {London Beauty Review} In addition, Fashion Foie Gras says tons of major retail outlets have used the taxi cab in one promotional form or another.

We wonder just who it was that was sitting at their cubicle one day and thought “taxis! That’s how to sell products.” In this economy, we suppose itâ€s smart to get creative with promotions, and the incorporation of Facebook is a good move. We wonder, though, what may be the result if a passenger who is allergic to perfumes steps into one of Penhaligonâ€s cabs unknowingly. Comment and let us know if you think cab marketing is a good idea!

“Bangs” that are received after midnight or from foreign countries will rack up more points for the user, and each day selected users will win prizes like Marc Jacobs clothing and bottles of the new fragrance. Just a few fortunate ones will eventually win the grand prize – an invite to one of Marc Jacobâ€s upcoming fashion shows. {Hint}

The name of the game is quite suggestive, though not nearly as racy as the Bang ads that cropped up on the Internet this May. Jacobs, who recently split from Brazilian PR Guru Lorenzo Martone, said the name of the new product has many meanings.

“When the word ‘bang†came to me, I liked that it was a sound and also that it felt like something was finished, done, end of story and, you know, kind of complete,” he told Elle.

The “bang” Facebook game is quite the clever marketing idea. With the success of social game makers like Playdom and the premium audience spending time on Facebook, the incorporation of social media, game mechanics and incentives sounds like a winning combination, and one that we hope to see extended beyond fragrance and beauty for more brands. Go Marc!

Perhaps ProActiv should look into shelf space near the cigarette aisle

The study also found that blackheads and non-inflamed bumps are more common than inflamed cystic acne in adult females. Previously, it was widely believed that papulopustular post-adolescent acne (PPAA) was the most prevalent form of adult acne in women as opposed to comedonal post-adolescent acne (CPAA). {Textile Global}
“The findings will affect our treatments, and we will need more products with Vitamin A and alpha and beta hydroxyl-acids to clear the skin along with exfoliating products, as well as more education for the public at large about the damaging effects smoking can have on the body’s largest organ, the skin,” Dr. Marcy Street, a dermatologist in East Lansing, Mich, said. {Textile Global}

So next time you are about to light up, think about if those embarrassingly clogged pores are worth it. If you need help quitting, asking your doctor for advice and googling “quit smoking” are good ways to start. The simple Internet search will yield tons of helpful Web sites. We like smokefree.govâ€s step-by-step guide.