How to apply mehandi

Mehendi has many healing qualities. It also acts as a hair conditioner and is said to stop hair loss. Mehendi is alleged to have been brought to India by the Mughals in 12 AD after it had been used for centuries in the Middle East and Africa. Mehendi or henna comes in many different shades or colours, ranging from reddish orange to brown-black. Other colours available are usually artificially mixed and have dyes added to the natural henna. Always use fresh mehandi for the cone. It will give a good color without much efforts. If mehndi color is fedded, that means if it is more like a brownish then dark green.Filter this powder with a nylon clothe. Even the tea striner will work. For 2 cones 50 grams of strained mehandi powder is needed.

Mehendi is readily available in most shops that sell cosmetics. You can also buy ready-made stencils to help you apply it. Usually professional Mehendi artists are hired to apply Mehendi, but it can be great fun for the whole family if you do it yourself.

So leave the bride to the professional while the rest, especially the little ones have some fun.

To get a good color and for a longer period, boil 1 cup of water, add 1 tea spoon of tea powder(Indian tea), then add 1 tea spoon sugar,stir it and then filter.

The add this water to the mehndi powder as required.Also add 6-7 drops of eucalyptus oil.The consistancy of this paste should be as thick as hurshes chocolate cerup.

Stir it till u do not see any lumps(for 10-15 minutes)

Put it in the cone when u need apply it on the hands.

You can preserve this paste in the freeze but not the cone

 
In the Middle East women use henna to decorate their hands and feet. Men also use it as a dye on their hair and beard. Women apply henna on their hands and feet approximately once every two weeks. It is usually after the night prayer that most women dye their hands and feet. It is believed that the action of the dye is most efficacious at night, especially when left on the skin all night.
To obtain a maximum black hue a dry lemon is boiled in the water used to make henna paste as it's acidity makes the dye fast and because the tint becomes blacker from the colour released by the lime. After 3-4 days the black colour fades into an auburn hue lasting for approximately 10 days and in turn fading to a light orange tome. Rarely do women let the colour reach this stage and most apply fresh henna along the same lines of design of the first decoration, unless a different decorative style is desired. In the latter case women wait till the dye has completely faded.
In case intricate decoration lines are desired, a match sticks or a toothpick is used to be dipped in the paste. For and adequate painting, the hand must be energetically stretched during the whole time of the dyeing. This is necessary because the skin wrinkles and may deform the pattern if the hand relaxes.

Henna Today...
Traditionally henna leaves were crushed finely, sieved in a fine cloth and then the past is applied with the help of a matchstick. Now a day's henna powder is available in the market in a packed form. Plastic cones are devised for easy application. The cone has a fine opening at the thin end which lets a thin flow of past to facilitate intricate designing. One can also get plastic cones filled with henna past ready to be used
Henna painting has become very popular as a form of temporary
tattoo and is liked by one and all. One of the main advantages of Henna painting is that the designs gradually fade from the body over a period of about two weeks. Henna is a beautiful and painless alternative to tattoos.
Interestingly the onslaught of new fashions and styles for women has not pushed this ancient art of henna design to the background. With new trends in fashion, henna design has blended well with time. In fact they have become more beautiful and intricate with the use of plastic cones. The popularity of henna designs show that it is going to stay for a long time. 

You can make your own powder by drying henna leaves in shade. It might take weeks for them to dry to a crisp and you need to grind them thoroughly. You may also buy henna powder from the market.

1. Henna powder sieved through a muslin cloth.
2. Well strained strong tea decoction.
3. Eucalyptus oil (few drops).
4. Strained lime juice.
5. Sugar (one table spoon).

Take the henna powder in a bowl, add the tea till it becomes a thick paste (similar to a dough). Add eucalyptus oil, sugar and lime juice and mix well to make it into a smooth and thin paste.
Leave it covered over night or during the day if you prefer to apply in the night.

Take a thick plastic cover or use any thick freezer bag - cut it into shape of rectange 7" X 4". Twist one corner of the cover to make a cone. Tighten the tip to make tiny hole. Hold the tip and fill the paste and tie the broader end tightly with a thread.

You also get readymade cones from the market.

You should leave the mehendi to dry on your skin and keep it on for as long as possible (4 to 6 hours if possible - you may go to bed also with it). Scrape it after that. The color will become deeper if you leave it untouched by water for another 4 to 6 hours. A deep color may last upto two weeks. The coloration varies from person to person.