| Mehndi is an ancient Indian
art form performed by generations in Middle East,India, Pakistan and in
other countries. But this art has recently been popularised by western
celebrities like Madonna.
In the earlier days mehndi is made of freshly ground
mehndi leaves and tamarind. But now mehndi leaves are dried and powdered.
While applying mehndi I always used my creative freehand drawings as
mehndi designs. Here is my mehndi preparation and application process.
Mehndi
Recipe:
Henna Powder
Sugar
Eucalyptus oil
Lemon juice
Tamarind Paste
Water
Preparation: First sift the henna
powder. Then add tamarind paste, about 2-3 drops of eucalyptus oil, two pinches
of sugar and water to the henna powder. You can substitute with the lemon
juice. Also it is better to use very little water or no water for good results.
Keep the paste covered for at least 6-8 hours.
Cone
making: Take a square piece of
tough but flexible plastic sheet. The plastic should be hard enough to hold
it's shape when the mehndi paste is squeezed. Then roll it to a cone
with a small hole at the tip. Stick the side of the cone with the cellophane
tape. Take extra care to seal at the tip of the cone because, usually
cone will develop leak later. Then fill the 3/4 of the cone with the above
said mehndi paste. Lastly roll the top of the cone and seal it with the
cellophane tape. Now a days readymade cones with different tips
are also available in some Mehndi
stores.
Application: Now it's the time
to apply mehndi. You can use your creative mind to draw different designs
or you can buy design books or stencils which are easily available in beauty
stores. To make thick lined designs or bareek (thin) lined designs
use different types of cones. Free hand designs do very well with this henna
art.
Aftercare: After one hour henna
will dry and starts to crack. Leave the mehndi for a while - the longer you
keep, the darker the color. Prepare the sugar solution to apply on the henna.
For this take about three tbs lime juice and add 1/4 tbs of sugar. Mix it
well until the sugar dissolves. Apply this solution on the mehndi while it
is drying by dabbing with cotton. Repeat it for three to four times so that
the mehndi remains wet. Leave the mehndi in your hand as long as you can
stand on it, at least 4 hours. If you want bright, dark color the keep
it for 6 hours. Then remove the mehndi, apply little coconut oil and then
wash your hands.
More
Links:
Mehndi
Mehndi
sketchbook
Mehndi
preparation
Ginger's House of
Mehndi
-
|
Recommended
Books:
Art of
Mehndi
by Sumitra Batra
Art of
Henna
by Pamela Nichols
The Mehndi
Kit
by Zaynab Mirza
Henna from Head to
Toe
by Norma Pasekoff Weinberg
Mehndi: The Art of
Body
Painting
by Carine Fabius
|
