In our “expert speaks” section this week, Bhavika Jwalant, Gujarat based mehendi artist speaks to our brides about various Mehendi application tips that not only include making of the Mehendi paste from scratch, but also ways of getting darker Mehendi.
Here is more from Bhavika:
image: hennacurve.blogspot.com
Mixing The Paste For Darker Mehendi
“First we shall discuss how to make the Henna paste for darker mehendi. You can start by buying good quality Rajasthani henna from a reputed store. To a teaspoon of this powder, add ½ tsp of sugar, a bit of tamarind paste and as much lemon juice as required for making a thick paste of the mixture. Sugar will help the henna paste stick really well to the skin and lemon will help bring out its color. Ensure that you use a stainless steel (or ceramic) container for this purpose. Use a spoon to remove lumps from the paste. Allow the Henna to rest for a few hours.
Now you can add ½ a tsp on any essential oils to the paste. Cover the paste with a plastic wrap and keep it aside in a warm place for 5-6 hours. You will start to see a dark dye being released from the paste. You might also need to add a bit of water to the mixture and a good way of judging how much amount to pour is to note whether the henna is really stringy and falls down freely. Really good mixture will fall down in ‘strings’. Now the Henna is ready to be filled into cones for application.
image: lifestylealrazaak.com
image: mehendidesign2013.blogspot.com
image: mehendidesign2013.blogspot.com
Every Indian bride wants her Henna color to be really dark. This has a symbolic significance, in that; it is believed that darker the bride’s henna color, greater the love she will receive from her in-laws and husband. Here are some tips to make the Henna color dark:
- There are many ingredients that can help you get darker henna for your wedding day. Lemon, as mentioned above, helps. Additionally you can use eucalyptus oil on the dried henna, prior to washing it off. You can also dissolve sugar in lemon juice and apply this mixture on the dried henna application.
- This second technique is suitable for brides who are not sensitive to ingredients like cloves etc. Heat some cloves in an iron pan and let them smoke. Hold your henna clad hands over the smoke to facilitate darkening of the color.
- Apply a few teaspoons of nilgiri (eucalyptus) oil after the henna has dried.
- After applying henna, prior to going to bed, apply some Vicks vapor Rub® or Tiger balm® on the Henna. You can use light gloves to cover the hands. Believe me; this process can darken the color really well!
Visit my site to see some great henna designs for inspiration!