It wasn’t just about planking; Katy Perry‘s recent stint as a mermaid had to do with her latest series of ads for haircare line ghd. The singer channels Little Mermaid Ariel in her new U.K.-only campaign, (ironically) advertising a hair dryer from below sea level.

“I love it because I’m such a fan of the Disney movies,” the newly single star says of her campaign, shot by David LaChapelle. “Ariel is such a big influence. It’s always fun to dress up once in your lifetime as a mermaid and have that fish fin tail.”

The glimmering “tail” Perry wears in the photos was custom-made by a Dubai-based designer, but the singer’s favorite part of the look seemed to be wearing the lavender wig. “It was fun,” the blue-haired star shares. “It’s as if Lisa Frank had done The Little Mermaid.”

So should we expect to see Perry — who explored past decades in her last round of ads — donning a mermaid costume on her next tour? “I would wear it again,” she says. “I actually thought about wearing it for Halloween.” Tell us: What do you think of Perry’s aquatic ad?

SHOP OUR EDITORS’ BEAUTY PICKS

With the number of hair color changes she’s made lately, Katy Perry could practically create her own line of dyes. But the “California Gurl” has different plans: on the tail of her second fragrance release, the singer is launching a line of false lashes, Katy Perry by Eylure.

“I have worn Eylure lashes all the way through my tour and really loved them,” Perry says in a statement. “When it came to having a range of my own, I wanted everyone to have a great experience with my lashes. Eylure was really the best choice for me to work with.”

According to a release, Perry was quite hands-on in the development of the lashes, as well as the packaging, which features a ’40s-style ice cream parlor logo, in keeping with the sweet theme of her California Dreams tour.

The four lash varieties include “Sweetie Pie,” dainty, natural lashes; “Oh, Honey,” a fuller set; “Cool Kitty,” shorter and suitable for daytime; and “Oh, My,” bold, attention-grabbing lashes. “This style is full of texture, but lightweight and very wearable,” Perry says of the latter, based on Eylure’s double lashes. “The perfect accessory for your eyes.”

Perry’s lashes hit ULTA stores and ulta.com in February, and retail for $6.99 per set. Tell us: Would you try Perry-branded false lashes?

WANT MORE STAR-INSPIRED PRODUCTS? SHOP OUR EDITORS’ BEAUTY PICKS

Is Katy Perry trying to tell us something?

Just weeks after splitting from Russell Brand, the pop star, who was noticeably absent from Wednesday’s People’s Choice Awards despite being honored with five awards, surfaced in L.A. on Thursday with a bright blue new do.

While hardly a remarkable move for the color chameleon, who has dabbled in every shade under the rainbow, it is a drastic change from the warm blonde hue the star was sporting last month.

“Katy wanted to go this particular color blue for a few weeks now,” Perry’s colorist Rita Hazan tells PEOPLE. “The blonde was not an interim color; she wanted to be blonde at the time, but knew it wouldn’t be permanent.”

We’re happy that Perry is back to her usual tricks, but want to know what you think. Tell us: Are you digging Perry’s blue do? Or is it a don’t?

–Justine Harman

VOTE ON MORE TRESS TRANSFORMATIONS IN: ‘WHAT’S HER BEST HAIR?’

–Katy Perry‘s latest beauty plans reportedly include launching a line of false eyelashes for Eylure [FashionETC]

–Katie Holmes gets very sexy in her new Brazilian ads for jeweler H. Stern [Huffington Post]

–Five beauty lessons you can learn from the ever-chic Duchess of Cambridge [BellaSugar]

–Learn all about Felicity Jones’s fabulous sense of fashion — and how you can steal her style [Who What Wear]

–Great eye makeup advice for girls who wear glasses regularly [xoJane]

Which of Hollywood’s style stars had readers buzzing this week? Don’t miss our top stories!

–Anne Hathaway flashes her glimmering emerald-cut engagement ring. READ IT

–Jennifer Aniston sort of admits she’s tried injectables. READ IT

–Katy Perry is back to blonde — and her stylist dishes on her latest look. READ IT

–Matthew McConaughey shaves off his trademark golden curls. READ IT

–Kendall Jenner discusses her pre-runway nerves, and why she’s excited to model again. READ IT

She had great success with her first scent, Purr, and her latest perfume, Meow!, just hit stores last month. So is a men’s fragrance next on Katy Perry‘s to-do list?

“I’m not sure,” she told reporters Wednesday during a promotional event at The Grove in Los Angeles. “I think I really know how to do female-related things. It might be a little more tricky to do a men’s fragrance. But maybe.”

So that’s not a no? “I don’t want to say no to anything,” she continued. “Just like Justin Bieber says, ‘Never say never.’ So maybe one day. For right now, I’m just doing Meow!.”

Sadly that means hubby Russell Brand will be left to buy his own colognes — unless he steals a spritz of Meow!. “I don’t know if he necessarily wears it,” she joked, “but I wouldn’t mind if he did. I would not judge him.”

–Reporting by Gabrielle Olya

SHOP STARS’ SIGNATURE SCENTS

Katy Perry cracked jokes like a pro on Saturday Night Live this weekend, but it seems the singer is also becoming a pro at changing her hair color these days, too. This year alone she’s gone from black to red to blonde to lavender, and now, she’s switched back to blonde, debuting the look Saturday on SNL.

Perry’s colorist, Rita Hazan, loves her latest look. “She wanted to do something different — an easy, effortless honey blonde,” she tells PEOPLE. “She’s having fun with her hair color now, which I love.”

The star also chopped several inches off of her hair last week, rocking what Hazan calls “a really edgy bob.” To complement the cut, she left the ends of Perry’s hair “a little bit darker” to give her some depth. “We didn’t want it too solid or boxy,” she explains. “She has to work something that’s cool.”

Though Perry’s “dream shade” was the lavender she wore all summer, Hazan says she was ready for a change. “That was high maintenance, it fades really fast,” she admits. In fact, the pinky-blonde look Perry sported a week ago was just the result of her color fading. But Hazan does admit that the initial change from blonde to lavender was “genius. It worked with her skin tone, too.”

Constant color changes can be pretty harsh on the hair, but Hazan says Perry is great about at-home conditioning treatments. “I know she does them, because she always calls me and asks me to send her more product,” Hazan jokes. “She takes it seriously because she likes to keep her hair healthy. It doesn’t just stop at the salon — it has to continue at home, too, and she understands that.”

While Perry is seemingly giving her hair a break and enjoying her time as a blonde, Hazan doesn’t see the color lasting for too too long. “I think this will stick for a few months at least,” the stylist says. “But she’s Katy Perry — she can do anything at any moment.” Tell us: What do you think of Perry’s latest hair hue?

VOTE ON MORE STRAND SWITCH-UPS IN ‘WHAT’S HER BEST HAIR?’

Which of Hollywood’s style stars had readers buzzing this week? Don’t miss our top stories!

–Shakira changes her hairstyle, chopping several inches from her mane. READ IT

–Katy Perry lets her lavender locks go and returns to almost-blonde hair. READ IT

–Ricki Lake thinks she’s found her wedding dress — a vintage gown! READ IT

–Demi Moore‘s daughter Scout Willis bares her bottom in an artsy style vignette. READ IT

–Madonna calls the Duchess of Cambridge‘s style “elegant” and “fun.” READ IT

OK, so you can’t win a cupcake-covered Katy Perry or wig-wearing Nicki Minaj to have in your home, but you can nab miniature versions of the superstars in a new charitybuzz.com auction, running through Monday, Dec. 19.

The lovely ladies were each recently turned into Barbie dolls, and their mini-mes are part of a fundraiser for the L.A.-based charity Project Angel Food, which provides nutritious meals to men and women affected by HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.

Perry’s doll, which rocks a blue wig just like the singer often did on her California Dreams tour, wears a dress that features 70 hand-painted cupcakes and a glittery bodice, plus fishnet stockings dotted with Swarovski crystals. Designer Amy Lee even replicated Perry’s tattoos, pink shoes and candy cane microphone.

Minaj’s mini wears a modified version of the dress she wore on her Pink Friday album cover, complete with silk charmeuse and tulle. Designer Stephen Sumner also added the rapper’s tattoos to the pink-haired doll, and hand-placed each crystal accent on her shimmering jewelry.

At press time, Perry’s Barbie was going for $3,250, while Minaj’s is up to $4,855. If you’re not ready to shell out the dough for such big-ticket items, check out some other Barbie-themed buys in the auction, including an art deco dream house, pink girls’ bike and Barbie and Ken cooking set.

LEARN HOW TO SPOIL YOURSELF LIKE A STAR

Katy Perry‘s hair has had a bit of an identity crisis this year, but it seems that for now, the California Gurl has settled on a semi-permanent color: blonde with lavender highlights.

Perry popped up at the David Lynch Foundation’s Change Begins Within benefit celebration in Los Angeles on Saturday sporting a chic new bob, which replaces the long lavender locks she’s sported for months. With her California Dreams tour over, it seems the singer is ready for a change.

Perry, who’s had jet-black hair for a good portion of her career, began dying her hair in June, first going red. A month later, she changed her hue again, going blonde (her natural color) in an effort to achieve a “secret color.” That shade ended up being lavender, a look she sported from August up until this weekend — save for the moments she opted for her colorful wigs, instead. Tell us: What do you think of Perry’s new hair color?

TRY ON STAR HAIRSTYLES IN ‘INSTANT MAKEOVER’

She’s spent the past year on tour in a world covered with peppermints and cotton candy, and that saccharine inspiration has found its way into Katy Perry‘s new scent Meow!, in Nordstrom stores this week.

“The first fragrance (Purr) was more floral, by a long while, and this one is a lot more edible,” she told reporters last week during a launch event in New York City. “It’s the perfect snapshot of where my head is right now, especially being on tour,” during which her team pumps wafts of cotton candy into the arenas each night.

The scent features notes of honeysuckle and pear, with a base of vanilla, musk and amber. Prices range from $45 for a 1.7-oz. bottle to $65 for a 3.4-oz. spray.

The design of the pink, cat-shaped bottle was inspired in part by Perry’s youth. “I grew up going to flea markets, and all the vintage stores and the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles,” she explained. “I’d always look for milk glass — that beautiful, vintage milk glass that held candles, or salt and pepper. I definitely wanted to use it for Meow!.”

Though she’s entertained the idea of a third fragrance — named “Hiss,” she joked — Perry seems to have bigger plans — like a clothing line or accessory collection — in mind. But for now, she’s happy to make an impression through her two scents.

“I think that you can hear a song, and it’ll take you back to that moment, or that person, or that time in your life,” she explained. “Same thing with your sense of smell — it’s really powerful. So I thought I could make memories with people with Purr or Meow!.”

In fact, she’s had some of those sensory memories herself — just don’t tell husband Russell Brand. “I swear if I walk into an elevator and there’s Giorgio Armani Acqua di Gio on anyone, I freak out,” she shared, revealing, “that was my first boyfriend.” Tell us: Are you excited for Perry’s new fragrance?

SHOP STARS’ SIGNATURE SCENTS

Taylor Swift and Katy Perry were two big winners last night at the American Music Awards — not to mention, two belles of the ball. The singers — and close friends — sported flawless skin and eyes and lips that totally popped. So we talked to their makeup artists to get the scoop on their clean looks — and how you can emulate them at home.

“The American Music Awards show itself was the inspiration for Taylor’s look,” makeup artist Lorrie Turk tells PEOPLE. “I wanted to reflect the youthful, fun vibe of this event. I wanted her stunning, youthful complexion to really stand out.”

Turk first used a foundation brush to smooth CoverGirl’s Natureluxe Silk Foundation onto Swift’s skin. She applied concealer on the inner corners of her eyes, and used CG TruBlend Minerals Blush in Shimmering Sands on the singer’s cheeks. (Swift is one of CoverGirl’s celebrity spokesmodels.)

Turk swept some neutral shadows on Swift’s lids and on the innermost corners of her eyes, then lined the tops of her lash line with CG LineExact liquid liner in Very Black, finishing the look with CG NatureLuxe Mousse Mascara, also in Very Black.

For lips, Turk chose CG’s ShineBlast lip gloss in Dazzle. “I always send her off with whatever lipstick or gloss I used for any needed touchups throughout the evening,” she says, adding that Swift likes to play up her lips. “She loves red lipstick and black eyeliner.”

Makeup artist Jake Bailey created Perry’s pinky look, which he calls “a sophisticated twist on the ‘classic Katy,’” designed to complement her Vivienne Westwood dress.

He first started with foundation, buffing a liquid formula into her skin using a large kabuki brush, setting the look with Guerlain’s Les Viollettes loose powder. “I warmed her complexion with a tawny blush from Nars called Madly, and swirled a tiny bit of NARS’s coral shimmer blush, Orgasm, on the apples of her cheeks for a little extra glow,” Bailey says.

To elongate Perry’s eyes, he used liquid liner from Le Metier, plus two sets of false lashes covered with CoverGirl LashBlast 24-Hour Mascara (available in January). He lined her lower lashes with CG’s LiquilineBlast Violet Voltage eyeliner, softening it with a small shadow brush.

For a finishing touch, he used coral red CG LipPerfection lip color in Flame, “the perfect color to pick up on the dress’s coral accents and complement her lavender hair,” Bailey says. “I had Katy apply the lipstick directly from the tube and I refined the edges using a small lipstick brush.” Tell us: What do you think of Swift and Perry’s AMA looks?

CHECK OUT ALL THE HOTTEST 2011 AMAS LOOKS

She’s a California Gurl with a heart-shaped dress — and a pretty big heart, too. Katy Perry is one of many stars joining forces with eBay for eBay.com/celebrity, a new portal where memorabilia-seekers can bid on amazing experiences and items, all to support a variety of worthy causes.

Perry, one of the first to pop up on eBay.com/celebrity, is auctioning a dress worn on her California Dreams tour: a red-and-pink Swarovski-studded cotton candy pouf, which she’ll give to the winner during a backstage meet-and-greet before her Nov. 21 concert in Oakland. (At press time, bidding was up to $8,100.) VIP tickets are included, too, and proceeds benefit the American Red Cross.

Additional items available now include works of art by Jeff Bridges (up to $2,250); a meeting with Brad Pitt (currently at $10,000); and Sienna Miller‘s snakeskin boots (more affordable at $256). Proceeds from each item will benefit a myriad of charities, including Pitt’s Make It Right and Share Our Strength — No Kid Hungry, an organization selected by Bridges. Christina Aguilera and Robert Duvall are next up, with offerings coming soon.

SHOP STAR LOOKS FOR LESS

Two major singers, two major new scents. Madonna and Katy Perry are both one the verge of releasing new fragrances — Madge’s first, the California Gurl’s second — and both recently sat down with WWD to talk bottles, botanicals and more.

“I have always been obsessed by fragrance and for years wanted to create something personal that was an expression of me, but that other people could relate to as well,” Madonna tells WWD. “Something classical and timeless and yet modern.” Recalling the perfume her mother wore — which smelled like gardenias and tuberose — the singer say she wanted to “recreate this scent, but with something fresh and new about it as well.”

The result is a fragrance with top notes of gardenia, tuberose and neroil; a heart of jasmine and white lily petals; and a drydown of vanilla, amber and musk. The scent will hit U.S. Macy’s stores in late March, retailing from $55 to $68.

Perry’s Meow!, a follow-up to the wildly successful Purr, is “a little bit more sweet,” the singer tells WWD. “It was probably because of the California Dreams tour that it was more of the confectionary world, because everything I’ve seen for the last year has been like cotton-candy scented or huge peppermints or massive gummy bears.”

Meow! has top notes of tangerine, pear, gardenia and jasmine; a heart of honeysuckle, lily of the valley and orange blossom; and a drydown of vanilla, musk, amber and sandalwood.

The bottle, cat-shaped just like Purr, stands alone, Perry says. “It’s … really stunning and doesn’t need bells and whistles, or too much sparkle around it,” she shares. Arriving in Nordstrom stores and on nordstrom.com in mid-November, it’ll be available in two sizes, and priced from $45 to $65.

SHOP STARS’ SIGNATURE SCENTS

One year after her very first scent, Purr, hit shelves, Katy Perry is planning a second fragrance for November. The silly, sexy singer will launch this perfume — a companion piece to Purr — at Nordstrom stores and on nordstrom.com in November.

Purr, which was a top-seller around the globe for months, was intended to make the celebrity scent market “competitive,” Perry told WWD last year. “I saw a lot of my peers getting into this world, and, as with my music, I thought I could bring my touch to the category.” The fragrance — a combination of peach nectar, freesia, Bulgarian rose, apple and green bamboo — “was completely unlike anything I’d smelled before,” she said.

While Perry spoke openly about Purr and its cat-shaped bottle before it debuted last year, this time, she playing coy: starting next week, via Twitter, the singer will invite fans to guess the scent’s name. Winners will be selected randomly, and will receive prizes like perfume and the chance to meet Perry at a launch event in December. Tell us: What do you think Perry named her new scent?

–Kate Hogan

SHOP STARS’ SIGNATURE SCENTS

She’s rocked everything from pink hair to candy-coated costumes, but lately, fashion-forward singer Katy Perry has looked to fellow style star Beyoncé for some trend-setting inspiration.

“I’ve adopted the Beyoncé leg,” she says in the October issue of InStyle, in which she flaunts her lavender locks. “When I saw her on tour, she had these glowing legs.” So Perry decided to get to the bottom of those glimmering gams, ASAP. The secret? “They’re Wolford neon 40 tights,” she reveals. “I put them on first, and then over them I wear a Capezio fishnet that has been bedazzled. I do lots of layers. I’m like an artichoke.”

Though the singer, who is inspired by the pin-up girls of the ’40s and ’50s, dons some pretty elaborate frocks, she says it’s ensembles with corsets that are the least comfortable of all her costume choices. “I love how they look, but they cut off my main instrument while I’m trying to get sound out. It can be … interesting,” she shares.

But once she’s done wearing them, where does Perry put those outfits — some of which feature moving pieces, major feathers and super-tall hats? “I have a storage unit at an undisclosed location,” she shares. “The last one that went in was the Smurfette dress. Hopefully we’ll have some fabulous Elton John-type auction some day!”

–Kim Peiffer

VOTE ON STAR STYLE IN ‘LAST NIGHT’S LOOK: HIT OR MISS?’

Baby bumps, Britney tributes and Bruno bashing — oh my! The MTV Video Music Awards were filled with many buzz-worthy moments last night, but the style choices of several stars gave us just as much to talk about.

Lady Gaga started the two-hour show as her male alter ego, Jo Calderone, wearing Brooks Brothers pants, a men’s jacket, little makeup and a short black wig. She convincingly stayed in character (and costume) all night, even hitting on Britney Spears while presenting her with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award.

Meanwhile, Nicki Minaj hit the black carpet in a jagged bodysuit accessorized with plush creatures, knee-highs and lots of colorful hair. “Tokyo inspired this outfit,” she told reporters during the show. “Harajuku is something I have been absorbing for a long time.”

Though Justin Bieber one-upped her in the shock-value department — he brought his pet snake, Johnson, along for the ride — his accessories were slightly more demure; namely, his DITA Senator glasses. “I was just going for something fun and youthful and not too put together,” he told reporters. “Something that would go good with the cheetah shoes.”

But Beyoncé‘s accessory was the best of all: she debuted her baby bump in a flowing orange Lanvin gown, later revealing it for the television crowds in a Dolce & Gabbana tux following her performance of “Love on Top.”

It was Katy Perry, though, who became the night’s quick-change artist, starting out in an Atelier Versace geisha-style mini-dress, complete with parasol. To introduce Adele, the big nominee slipped into a long, high-necked purple gown, a departure from her usually revealing wardrobe. She ended the night in Dior Couture, sporting a pink top paired with a black-and-white tulip-shaped skirt and yellow cube-shaped hat, but not before looking like a broken record — literally! — in a sparkly black dress accented with vinyl bearing her name.

“I just felt like being colorful and fun and with me, I am okay with self-deprecation,” Perry told reporters. “I am all right with being laughed at and laughed with and just laughing, so that was the inspiration of tonight: just to have a laugh.”

There was a lot to look at, but we want to know: which VMAs style moment was most shocking?

Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic(2), Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

–Kate Hogan, with reporting by Jessica Herndon and Mia McNiece

SEE ALL OF THE VMAS’ STYLE STARS!

When Katy Perry asked Rita Hazan to take her raven locks lavender, the veteran stylist knew it was a lofty goal.

“Changing from black to a lighter shade is not an easy process,” the colorist-to-the-stars confides to PEOPLE. “You have to strip the black from the hair and go in phases of color in order to keep hair healthy.”

Undeterred by the process, which took “about a month to lighten her hair and reach the shade we wanted,” Perry remained committed to her target hue of lavender. “Katy loves her color,” says Hazan. “Even after all the changes to reach her final shade.” However, that’s not to say she’s keeping it forever. “I think she’ll continue to change it up and surprise her fans,” Hazan hints.

If you — like Kate, Sienna and now, Dianna — want to embrace a neon hue, Hazan has a few words of wisdom: “You should expect the change in color to take about three to five months,” she says. “Katy is constantly in the public eye so she wanted to reach her goal quickly, but we were extra careful to be sure her hair was kept healthy.”

We think Perry looks rocking no matter what she does with her hair, but want to hear from you. Tell us: What’s your dream hair color?

–Justine Harman

VOTE ON MORE STRAND SWITCH-UPS IN ‘WHAT’S HER BEST HAIR?’

Maybe she decided blondes don’t have more fun?

After mere days with a new blonde hair hue, Katy Perry stepped out in Los Angeles Monday sporting light pink locks. Originally raven-haired, then red in June, then blonde — is she finally settling into a permanent hair color? It’s hard to tell.

“I have been dying my hair since 10pm! Good GOD let me get to my destination tonight! #beenblack #beenblue #beenhotginge #beenblonde #now…” she Tweeted on July 25, later adding, “Still transitioning…………… practicing patience!”

The road to the perfect hair color has been a long one for Perry; after a dye job gone awry in June, the singer had to stick with her transitional red shade before she could go blonde, at the risk of damaging her hair.

And though she’s been through four colors in about as many weeks, there’s still the chance she’ll change her look yet again. We can hardly keep up! Tell us: Do you think Perry should keep her pink hair?

–Kate Hogan

VOTE NOW ON STAR HAIR CHANGES!

Which of Hollywood’s style stars had readers buzzing this week? Don’t miss our top stories!

–Newlyweds Nick Lachey and Vanessa Minnillo show off their custom wedding bands. READ IT

–Want more? Get all the gorgeous details of Minnillo’s wedding look, from the dress to the hair. READ IT

–Matt Damon and Jake Gyllenhaal prove they look just as good sans locks by showing off their bald heads. READ IT

–Robert Pattinson creates a worldwide frenzy with his new half-cropped, half-wild hairstyle. READ IT

–Meanwhile, Katy Perry causes an equally big stir with her new blonde hue. READ IT