Mehndi
Henna tattoo
How it's made
Henna is usally done on hands and feet. The henna pant contains a red-orange dye. The use henna leaves, dried them, and ground into powder. Once applied to the skin with be an orange color but will darken over the next 3 days. The color will change to a reddish brown.
What it's used for
Mehndi is usally used for celebrations and special occasions. It's used to adorn young woman's bodies. Henna is applied to the hands and feet of the bride to be and sometime will be out on the members part of the wedding. It is applied for good luck, joy, and beauty. When a bride is not wealthy will wear mehndi in place of jewelry. People say that when you get Hanna done for your wedding the darker the design gets the more your mother in law loves you.
How to prepare the henna paste
Henna leaves must be crushed and not whole or will not stain the skin. The powder you make is mixed with lemon juice, strong tea, mildly acidic liquids. You can add a form of sugar to the paste witch will make it darker.
Styles of mehndi
The Styles of mehndi varies from country to country. It helps recognize cultural distinctions.
Middle Eastern
They use large, floral, patterns on hands and feet.
India (Asian)
They use fine lines, lacy, floral, and paisley patterns.
African mehndi
They use large, bold, with geometrically patterns.
Mehndi became fashionable in the west during the lay 1990's they were so,etimws called henna tattoos. The term "henna tattoo" is not accurate though because it is not permanent, some people say.