A couple of weeks ago I received one of the best pedicures I have ever had. In keeping with the excitement of it all, I decided to take a departure from my normal color (red). So, I went with OPI’s Lincoln Park After Dark (dark purple). I liked it at first, simply because it was so different for me. However, after a few days, I thought that perhaps it was a better color for fingers versus toes. And then after a week, it just needed to go. It made me feel a bit Halloweenish, or even goth. In circumstances such as these, I wish that making a quick color change was as easy as waving a magic wand. Don’t you know that in the not-too-far-off future, it just may be.

A team of chemists at the University of California recently identified a way to change pigments in a liquid. Made of the iron oxides commonly found in mineral make-up, the polymer-embedded pigments can be instantaneously and reversibly manipulated by a magnetic field. In other words, the nail polish that goes on pink could be shifted to a new shade - say burgundy, charcoal or beige - and back again when exposed to a variable magnetic force. Conceivably, the technology could work on any liquid cosmetic made with iron oxide pigments, including lip gloss, foundation and more. Just imagine.

Because we are not there yet, it gives me the excuse to go out and get another phenomenal pedicure by Jane. This time, I’m going pewter. Hey, if I don’t like it, another pedicure is in order, right?