Mehndi is an integral component of Hindu wedding ceremonies. Family and friends dance for the bride as she gets mehndied to celebrate her upcoming nuptials.
Before choosing a Mehndi artist, it is advisable to meet in person and discuss what you expect of him or her in order to make an informed decision that won’t cause confusion on application day.
Origin
Henna (Lawsonia inermis) has long been recognized for its natural cooling properties in hot climates. Additionally, it can also be used as a hair conditioner and fabric dyeing medium and has the power to leave behind beautiful reddish rust stains on skin surfaces.
Mehndi is traditionally applied at weddings to signify that the bride-to-be will soon be marrying, calming her nerves while providing medicinal relief from pain, fever, stress and headaches.
At special occasions and festivals such as Eid, Diwali, Karva Chauth and Vat Purnima for married women it has long been tradition to apply mehndi designs on their hands with intricate floral and paisley patterns covering both feet. Arabic mehndi stands out with intricate designs while Indian designs feature fine lines and lacy patterns.
Symbolism
Mehndi design is a symbol of beauty, protection and luck; many believe the darker its color, the deeper their love for one another is.
Mehendi, or Mehndi, is applied to hands and feet and decorated with various symbols and designs such as peacocks, floral patterns and mandalas to represent wholeness and the connection between humans and the Earth.
Mehndi is said to protect brides against evil spirits and bad luck. When applied correctly, it can show signs of fortune and happiness for both the bride and her family in the form of patterns made of henna paste.
Application
Mehndi paste can be applied to hands and feet using a cone that can be purchased at beauty stores or created at home with some effort. Blow drying the mehndi may ruin its design; to preserve its design it should also be avoided as this could leave marks. Shaving or waxing could leave permanent marks that detract from it’s look.
Once the mehndi design is complete, allow it to dry completely before sealing it with lemon and sugar mixture using cotton swabs. Once dried completely, use cotton swabs soaked in lemon sugar solution to seal it for lasting effects.
Make the mehndi more vibrant and last longer by applying eucalyptus oil before applying the mehndi. This helps prevent it from becoming smudged and makes removal simpler later.
Maintenance
Mustard oil has warming effects which allow mehndi to stain your skin more darkly and last longer. By adding sugar to the mehndi mix, its color may also darken even further and become longer-lasting.
Make sure that you get enough rest and nourish your body before visiting a mehndi salon, then sit comfortably so as not to shake your hands for drying purposes; doing so could spread mehndi out more, potentially ruining the design of your design and even cause it to run together with itself!
Applying eucalyptus oil or Vicks will also help your mehndi to darken. For added intensity, place your hands over a pan with cloves heated until smoke emerges – this will further intensify its color and deepen its stain. However, please keep in mind that mehndi takes up to one week for its effects to fully show and stain your hands completely.