First up, Natasha Bedingfield. The famous singer with a pocket full of sunshine was one of the lucky ones chosen to perform on Dick Clarkâ€s New Yearâ€s Rockin†Eve with Ryan Seacrest, but she came on stage seemingly stuck in an American Pie moment, with her bangs permanently skewed up and to the left. {Glamour} The good news is Natashaâ€s long-sleeved LBD had the perfect amount of sparkle and her sheer black stockings were right on trend, but letâ€s hope the Silly Putty plastered bangs look doesnâ€t take hold like Lady Gagaâ€s affection for going pantsless did.

Next, Lil†Wayne. The Young Money/Cash Money star performed for BET’s 106 & Park New Year’s Eve Party broadcast wearing Designer Jeremy Scottâ€s teddy bear sneakers created for Adidas†Originals by Originals line {Sole Collector}. We truly appreciate Scottâ€s vision and creativity, and we especially admire his willingness to push boundaries, but boy do we hope men and women around the world donâ€t start wearing stuffed animals on their feet. Lil†Wayne (who could’ve used a pair of SUBS in the back) can pull the look off, and the press Scott has received as a result of the sneakers†appearance on NYE television has been unbelievable, but something tells us the ordinary guy or gal would just end up looking a little silly in teddy shoes. Scottâ€s winged Adidas sneakers, on the other hand, are really cool. You should go buy a pair.

Jeremy Scott's Adidas: Not sure about those on the left, no doubt about the style on the right.

We suppose odd, IEJ-worthy looks are a great way for celebrities to get some extra press once the NYE performance hype dies down, so we canâ€t totally blame Bedingfield and Lil†Wayne for their off-beat looks. Just donâ€t go public with any of this, kids. These are two looks you should only try at home.

We're not jumping on these trends, but they're still interesting.

5. The Return of the Fanny Pack

Ah, the cyclical nature of fashion can be a fantastic thing when lovable trends are re-invented and made exciting to wear again, but some fads should be left in the past (and by the past, we mean the ‘80s). This year, Rihanna was spotted wearing a fanny pack and Tory Burch even began selling them. Most of the ones we found online carried a hefty price tag, and we never thought Tory Burch would ever be making one, so weâ€ll see if the hip bag catches back on for good. If it does, then boy does whoever markets that thing deserve a pat on the back.

4. iPhone STD Testing

Researchers in the U.K. announced they were in the process of coming up with a way for young adults to test themselves for STDs by essentially inserting their own urine into their iPhones or other mobile devices. The object is to get the STD rate down by allowing for increased testing privacy. We had to put at least one IEJ topic that gives you the willies on the list.

3. Japanese Anti-Aging Goggles

One of our favorite IEJ trends this year involved brands that were essentially attempting to charge consumers for a product that did basically nothing the average person couldnâ€t do themselves for free. We thought weâ€d seen it all in the ant-aging game when British beauty brand Rodial came out with snake bite anti-aging serum, but these goggles claimed to fight wrinkles and lines by holding the skin around your eyes taut. The makers declared that holding the skin in place for an extended amount of time would cause it to stay that way. (Helpful hint: if you believe them, you can hold your skin that way using your own fingers – or a pair of swim goggles that at least you can take to the pool once you realize they donâ€t work like Botox).

2. Teva Stilettos

The Teva stilettos are meant to be tongue-in-cheek, but they are a fantastic oddity nonetheless. This fall, news spread through the blogosphere of Tevaâ€s partnership with Grey Ant to sell hiking sandal meets New Yearâ€s Eve party shoes. That horrible combination was running for more $300. ‘Nuff said.

1. The Snazzy Napper

The informational video for this thing is definitely in the top 10 most entertaining things weâ€ve ever seen. The Snuggieâ€s weird younger sister popped up across the Web this summer, and it is basically a blanket with a hole in it that is supposed to help you sleep in public. A big IEJ trend this year was strange products with huge price tags. The Snazzy Napper (aka the “snazzy way to sleep while you travel”) takes number 1 partly for the fact that it is not insanely expensive. That and itâ€s sheer WTF genius.

Recent test results have found formaldehyde in the entire lineup of the Brazilian Blowout brand. And not just a trivial amount either. Although the percentage of the potentially dangerous chemical is still considered to be in the “safe” range, for a product claiming to be have none-it’s extremely problematic.

State-of-the-art technology was used to examine the components of the formula in a simulated salon setting. All the tests determined traces of formaldehyde, but as a naturally occurring element that exists all around us, there is no escaping various forms that exist in nature.

The Internet is a buzz with the news, and salons as well as clients are wondering just how safe the products really are.

After theses allegations surfaced, the brand sent this statement to Good Morning America to defend the Brazilian Blowout solution.

“At Brazilian Blowout, the safety of our products, stylists and consumers is our number one priority. We stand behind the integrity of our product, and affirm that our professional solution is indeed formaldehyde-free.

As a result of the Oregon division of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) recent claim, Brazilian Blowout is conducting a thorough investigation of these allegations to ensure that accurate data is released to the public.With regards to OSHA’s claim, the actual source of the formulation tested has not been identified, and was not submitted by the Brazilian Blowout company itself. Because OSHA did not request a sample from the company directly, there is no reason to believe that the formulation tested and found positive for traces of formaldehyde was indeed Brazilian Blowout product. This represents a clear violation of proper testing protocol, and this gross negligence on the part of OSHA invalidates all findings that have been released as a result of OSHA’s testing.” {ABC News}

Further testing will be conducted as the investigation is now in the control of the Oregon Division of OSHA, however the brand maintains the confidence that “all misinformation and inaccurate data will soon be dispelled”.

The final results are still unknown and as new information is released we will keep you updated.

First up: the taxi cab as marketing tool trend.

A few months back, we wrote about Penhaligonâ€s scented taxi cab promotion that was happening in London as the latest in a string of brandâ€s using the taxi to push their products.

Today, we have news of the latest weird marketing idea.

Now that we think about it, if you double down a few times too often the comfortable sweatpants may come in handy.

KFC (a.k.a. Kentucky Fried Chicken) is offering $500 to college girls at selected universities to wear a pair of red sweatpants with the name of one of their sandwiches, “Double Down,” printed on the butt. {the gloss}

This is not just weird. Itâ€s stupid. Because scores of brands from Abercrombie and Fitch to Juicy Couture and Armani Exchange have successfully gotten women and men alike from all over the world to wear their brand name printed across some part of their body already. And these walking billboards paid the brand for the clothing, not the other way around. Then again, weâ€re not so sure “Double Down” butt sweatpants would exactly be the hottest commodity at any clothing store. Youâ€d certainly have to pay us to wear them.

Next topic: branded nail art.

Besides using your nails to show off the logos for your favorite Internet browser and junk foods (or an image of your fiancee), now you can pay tribute to your favorite rock band, as the gal here did with her KISS themed nail art. How hysterical is the red tongue bleeding up her finger?

Finally, we give you one new IEJ little tidbit.

“Haute Coffurier” and Lady Gaga hair stylist Charlie le Mindu showed at London Fashion Week a few days ago, and he sent models that were completely naked save for his hats and wigs and a few accessories down the runway. {the gloss} Expect to see a similarly themed challenge appear on America’s Next Top Model in 3, 2… (hey, a few photo shoots have already come close). We probably don’t have to tell you (yes ladies, even those of you who claim to not have any desire at all to look at any other naked woman) why the attempt at showcasing his designs without any other distractions didn’t exactly happen that way.

We donâ€t know yet if this will turn into a trend for accessories designers, but the absurdity of it was just too good not to share. It did grab attention though, so perhaps the results were exactly as intended.

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?