Henna Lovers, and Mehndi Mamas! - Page 2

[lilylove]

No problem
Cajput smells similar to eucalyptus and tea tree.

[FloridaBorn]

Hey everyone, I'm Darla and new to this board. I'm expecting my first child in mid July.

I'm also a professional henna artist! Here's my page: http://www.myspace.com/starlightmehndi

[lilylove]

Hello Darla, welcome to MDC.


Your work is gorgeous and I absolutely love your style!!!


Congrats on your pregnancy!

[rainbowmoon]

Hi Darla! I love your page! I am ohhhing and ahhhing! Welcome to MDC!

I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of my first kit! I'm hoping it will be here by mid week! What should I practice first? Any tips for simple designs to try? I am guessing I should try practicing on my legs or feet to begin? I ordered the Arabesque CD from Henna Caravan so I hope it's good! I am definitely eyeing the Mehndi de los Meurtos and all the others too!

[FloridaBorn]

Thanks for the great compliments lilylove and rainbowmoon!

In addition to looking at some of the henna patterns you may find online, the best thing I have found is to look in Indian or Persian art books so that you can absorb and appreciate that particular style. Doesn't have to be Indian/Persian, that's just what I enjoy best.

I don't follow any particular pattern, and make the design up as I go. I describe it as "having learned a visual alphabet and can now draw whole sentences!" Deconstructing an intricate design by finding simpler individual shapes and patterns is helpful practice because you can then do a similar design in the future without having to always look at a separate resource.

Definitely practice on skin with henna. Trying out designs with a pen on paper won't give you the same effect because henna is a 3D medium and meant to be used on a 3D body! Henna lines are thicker than pens. If you've run out of skin, you can also practice on fruit, toilet paper or towel rolls, things like that...

Hope this helps!

[CorasMama]

I used to practice on skin with toothpaste.

My favorite sources for henna are kenzi and magical mehendi.

[rainbowmoon]

Thanks for the tip Darla! I am going to try to locate a few books from the library too. (to see if I want to buy them mainly). I know there are at least 2 on my want list thus far!

Corasmom- I have never heard of those brands! Seems like there are a lot of different types and products out there. I need to learn about them all and see what I like best I guess.

[CorasMama]

They're not brands as much as sellers. Kenzi gets hers shipped directly from Morocco, sifts the heck out of it (I never ever get clogs), and Magical Mehendi sells a couple different kinds. They both sell oils, as well.

I'm not a fan of cajeput, I think it stinks. I've never tried ravensara, because I've heard it smells in a way I wouldn't like, and also it's $$$ (as is cajeput, tto is the cheapest of the terp-containing oils.)

My usual oil blends are tto and clove for men, tto and sweet orange and clove for women, tto and lavender for either, and lavender only for pregnant women. I'll do tto plus geranium bourbon and/or rose, because some women like it, but only upon request because I hate the way it smells. My favorite is tto and sweet orange and clove. Oh, and cassia is another I add sometimes.

[rainbowmoon]

Thanks for all the info Corasmom. Btw, can neroli be used? I really like geranium too so I may have to play around with the oils eventually. For now I am going to use lavender and TTO. oh and I like clove and cinnamon oils too!

[Ammaarah]

Oh fun! I remember the old thread (I think I started it, or one of its incarnations at least, LOL.) I just started doing henna again for this Eid (Islamic holiday) and I've missed it so much. I developed bad eczema a couple years ago and fell away from henna but I've found it doesn't irritate my skin so I'm doing it again.

I mainly like Gulf style henna (lots of flowers, swirls, fancy leaves) but I'd love to learn the geometric North African style someday. My Indian girlfriend was over the other night and she hennaed one of our friends with awesome, intricate Indian wedding style henna. It was so beautiful!

I prefer Rajasthani henna. It's super-stringy and stays moist a long time so no cracking and not much flaking, and you get a nice stain. Maybe not as dark as Jamila but beautiful. I used to buy from Henna Muse but unfortunately I don't think she's selling anymore.

I have my first paid henna "gig" next weekend and I'm excited. Should be fun.

[Ammaarah]

Originally Posted by rainbowmoon

Hi Darla! I love your page! I am ohhhing and ahhhing! Welcome to MDC!

I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of my first kit! I'm hoping it will be here by mid week! What should I practice first? Any tips for simple designs to try? I am guessing I should try practicing on my legs or feet to begin? I ordered the Arabesque CD from Henna Caravan so I hope it's good! I am definitely eyeing the Mehndi de los Meurtos and all the others too!

There are beautiful step-by-step tutorials on many of the popular henna design elements on the Henna Page. I usually don't bother much with legs because mine don't take a stain very well. Feet are a good starter canvas but I say don't fear the hands either. Doing a lot of dishes or taking a swim in a chlorinated pool can get a not-that-hot henna design off pretty quickly!

Since we're talking gear, I mentioned I love Rajasthani henna but I forgot to mention I am all about using mylar cones. I have yet to try a bottle - maybe sometime here.

[rainbowmoon]

thanks for all the tips! I am soaking it up!

btw, I asked about legs and feet because that would probably be easiest for me as a newbie, right? I mean symmetry and all? I really highly doubt I am skilled enough to use my non dominate hand yet! (wouldn't want to see that mess and have to wear it for days either!) I am also facepainter so I wonder if I can practice painting my designs first? (I mean before my kit comes) someone else told me to practice with water on paper bags. Has anyone tried that? I'm sure I will be practicing alot on myself though as I don't know a whole lot of people in the area yet!

what is the difference between using the cones or plastic bottles? Do both use the metal tips or is that just for use with the bottles? I am not sure which I ordered..will have to go back and look now!

[rainbowmoon]

ps) I wish that old thread hadn't disappeared! It was massive and had a ton of good info.! (I used to lurk there)

[Ammaarah]

Originally Posted by rainbowmoon

ps) I wish that old thread hadn't disappeared! It was massive and had a ton of good info.! (I used to lurk there)

One old thread exists here.

I have not tried bottles for henna yet. When I got started I bought premade tubes when I was in Bangladesh - a lot like toothpaste tubes with a thin tip, and those gave limited control. They were also boosted with dyes or chemicals so not as good as pure henna. But anyway, I got started with cones and they give great control. I worry that the bottles would be like the premade tubes, control-wise, but like I said I have yet to try them. LOL.

Mylar cones are just a wide triangle of mylar and you roll it a certain way (great directions on many henna sites) and then fill and tape it. You barely have to apply pressure and you'll get great control.

Definitely feet and legs are a great canvas for a noob, esp in winter! You'll be surprised at how quickly you get good at it. I went from eek, not cute designs, to really pretty in a short time. And I'm not super artistic either. I can draw well but not expertly. I've always been a doodler, though, and I think henna's a great medium for doodlers!

[CorasMama]

Jac bottles are fine, and some people swear by them, but my hand gets sore. The only thing I like about them is that you can switch easily between .5mm, .7mm, and .9mm tips. But I just make a couple of cones with different size openings. (I make my cones with the tip so tight it's closed, then snip the tip to the size opening I want. It takes practice.)

[lilylove]

Ammaarah, it was your original thread that prompted me to start playing with henna. Yeah, I'm really bummed that HennaMuse's shop is closed. I loved her oil blends.
Hope your first gig is great!

I just ordered some rajasthani, I've been using straight jamila, but I really prefer a mix of the two.

Rainbowmoon, I have the Mehndi de los Muertes and I love it. Here is my first try. Sorry for the poor quality pic.

I haven't used a jac bottle. I love cones and they work well for me, so I haven't bothered buying bottles and tips to play with.

[rainbowmoon]

Ammaarah- thanks for the URL to the old thread!

lily- that is awesome! I it!

My kit shipped yesterday!!!

btw, on the face paint forum I frequent alot of the artists do multi colored glitter mehndi or use the liquid bling to dress it up. SOOOO pretty! Do any of you use glitters or what else?

oh and I had to laugh a thread I was just reading earlier there was a mehndi artist who teaches classes and she suggests using catsup or chocolate (syrup?) to practice. mmmmm!

[~D~]

Subbing... Bought DD a kit last year but she never used it, I might drag it out and have some fun with her!

[rainbowmoon]

does anyone know anything about these specific cones or maybe recognize them?

http://www.facepaintforum.com/face-p...4949b55c050dce

(was thinking of maybe buying/trading for some of these but am unsure as I am a newbie and have no idea about brands,types,etc....)

TIA for your help!

[sleepingbeauty]

hi everyone. I'm an absolute beginner so I'm sure I'll have plenty of questions for you all. Hope I can hang out with you guys!

I have my first kit but I need to pick up some black tea for it....if I ever remember BEFORE I've already been through the check out at the store.... -_-*

Can't wait to get to know you guys!