The Pretty Price Check: Your Friday round-up of how much we paid for beauty this week.

Or really, what we’ve been paying the past three weeks, since I’m back and using this post to get myself caught up on everything. Like, hi, why is Gabby Sidibe’s skin an awful lot lighter than normal on her Elle cover? (Via America the Beautiful and everywhere else that is talking about this.)

Just as a for instance. Now, here are some other ways we’ve been paying for our pretty lately:

• $5 is what a woman in Georgia was charged extra for her pedicure because the salon owner said she exceeded the weight capacity for the spa chair. Dances with Fat has this one pretty much covered, so I’ll just tell you to click right over here.

• $8.19 billion is what we spent, as a country on “prestige beauty” (department store brands and other fancy pants things) in 2009. Which is down six percent from the year before, so… I guess, way to rein it in? (Via Cosmetic Business)

• $5000 is what wanna-be models pay to get themselves to Model Search events like the one Jezebel reported on this week.

• Less than 5 percent of the girls who attend Model Search events get so much as a call-back, let alone a job. (Plus check out this footage from an American Apparel open call, also Jezebel, who has been all over this business.)

Meanwhile, will someone with some spare flaxseed and socks please let me know if this DIY curly hair thing really works? And I’ll see you back here on Monday for reals, yo!