Mehendi is a pectoral ritual drawing. It is applied with a composition based on henna. The tradition of applying body ornaments has a long history. In modern society, such a ritual drawing is done in India, Pakistan and some other eastern countries. In Europe, the traditional pattern began to be used as a temporary natural tattoo. What are the advantages of such a body ornament and whether it can be done independently - we will tell in our article.
The history of henna drawing
Henna for mehendi has antiseptic and wound healing properties. The medicinal qualities of the plant were known in ancient Egypt. He was treated for injured warriors and snakebites. Only after centuries, they began to apply the distinctive signs of tribes and troops with the help of liquid mass from the plant. The historical migration of peoples brought the tradition of mehendi to India, and to this day in the East, drawing a picture for the bride is an obligatory ritual. It is believed that the larger the body area of the future wife is covered with intricate ornaments, the stronger the married life will be and the more desirable a woman is for her husband.
What is a biotatu?
Pop stars and cinema stars brought popularity to Europe to decorate the body with a temporary pattern. Decorating themselves with henna patterns, they set a new round of fashion for the so-called biotatu. In fact, such a procedure is nothing more than an idian mehendi. Many beauty salons and clinics offer this service. The cost of the procedure is from 500 r. up to 5000 p. depending on the amount of work and the complexity of the drawing.
The advantages of mehendi before a tattoo
A temporary henna pattern is an alternative to a permanent tattoo. This is a real find for those who want to temporarily decorate the body with a pattern or tend to often change the body pattern. Benefits of biotatu:
- henna for mehendi is a natural material;
- the procedure is absolutely painless and safe, the drawing is applied even to children;
- holds up to a month.
Necessary materials
In order to apply a temporary pectoral drawing, you only need henna for mehendi, tattoo, stencils and natural vegetable oil. The necessary materials can be purchased in specialized stores, for example, in shops of Indian goods. You can also make it yourself.
Mehendi at home
Salon biotatu are affordable for not everyone. If you have even the slightest inclinations of artistic taste, then you can draw a pectoral pattern yourself. The home procedure will be much cheaper. So, ready henna for mehendi costs 100-200 p., And a simple plant powder will cost even cheaper - from 30 p. up to 70 p.
It is much more convenient and practical to purchase a ready-made mass of henna for applying mehendi. Its consistency, composition and packaging in cone-shaped bags contribute to convenient, fast and high-quality drawing. But if you could not find such a composition, we will tell you how to make henna for mehendi with your own hands. To do this, you need to dilute the plant powder to a mushy state with lemon juice or warm water. Add a few drops of olive or essential oil to the mixture, and you can begin to transfer the composition to the skin.
At will add various dyes: food or natural. Black henna for mehendi is obtained by mixing finely ground natural coffee or basma powder.
Drawing Methods
The easiest and most convenient way for self-applying henna is to use a cone-shaped package with a notched tip. At home, use a bottle with a narrow nose or a syringe without a needle. You can draw with a simple brush of the required width. In the latter case, the use of stencils is mandatory - without them you will not be able to draw subtle patterns. Stencils for mehendi can also be purchased in specialized stores or cut out of cardboard yourself.
How to draw mehendi?
After cleansing the skin with a scrub and drying it, apply a stencil to the desired area of the body. Then henna for mehendi is applied in a thick layer on the skin. Leave to dry completely and crack the composition. This process can take anywhere from half an hour to 50 minutes, depending on the application area and layer thickness. Then, carefully, taking care not to damage the pattern, remove the stencil and rinse off excess henna from the skin. Fix the result by lubricating the "masterpiece" with olive or coconut oil.
You can do without a stencil if henna is packed in a special cone. Just apply the selected pattern directly to the skin.
To make mehendi unique and aesthetic, pay special attention to the choice of drawing, find out its meaning. Apply henna gently, as washing off the wrong lines will be impossible. If you want to enhance the color, wipe the finished drawing with lemon juice. After a few weeks, when the ornament loses its brightness, you can resume the pattern along the previous lines, again applying henna to them. High-quality original mehendi pattern will emphasize your individuality, brightness and originality.