Henna tips - darker henna

So, this is a little odd as I'm a white English girl, but I've recently become obsessed with henna. I got my first proper tattoo earlier this year and I'm obsessed now with doodling on myself in henna.

I bought some from a shop in town, but the thing is I'm not sure its that good quality. Having looked online I've found some pictures where people have gorgeous dark henna stains.

Mine are quite light and orangey.

I left the henna to develop for about an hour before applying and then left it on all night (and woke up with a bed full of henna crumbs!) so its had a long time, its definitely noticeable but I want to get it as dark as possible.

Can anyone recommend me anywhere I can get good henna powder? Any good brands? I think its hard to find something good as its so unregulated so I thought I'd ask for recommendations?

EDIT: Sorry, just realised i posted this in Fitness :erm:

Was aiming for fashion and beauty but somehow managed to click here!

(edited 13 years ago)

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Reply 1

DumpOrStay?

Go to Asian parts of the UK, you're from Kent, so you can probably go to the East End of London in about half hour-40 mins, why not try places like Green Street?

As for the Orangey-thing, henna tends to do that after a while, even for the darkest shades. It sort of just fades in colour.

I lol'd @ the first line though: "So, this is a little odd as I'm a white English girl" - Anybody can use mehndi really, it doesn't matter :tongue:

Good luck finding it!

Reply 2

stephie.u3

my mum is doing tattoo apprenticeship and often jst likes to doodle on us in henna...thebest we've found after lots of searchng is called afrin henna...another tip that is possibly worth trying is to let the paste dry on you for a bit then go over it in lemon juice hten let it dry again and sleep in it as you did :smile:

hope this helps :biggrin:

from another "white english girl" lol. :tongue:

Reply 3

richardd

Original post by stephie.u3

hope this helps :biggrin:

from another "white english girl" lol. :tongue:

apprenticeship....how old is ya mam?

Reply 4

stephie.u3

yeaa she like helps out around the studio for one of (if not the) best in england as well :biggrin:

Reply 5

richardd

Original post by stephie.u3

yeaa she like helps out around the studio for one of (if not the) best in england as well :biggrin:

18-25=appre

Reply 6

stephie.u3

no it doesnt, she's a primary school teacher so she's learning at wkends and stuff...there's no bloody set age on being an apprentice it just means you're learning on the job

Reply 7

barrze

Original post by richardd

18-25=appre

There's no age limit, there are just schemes that help that age range gain apprenticeships.

Reply 8

stephie.u3

Original post by barrze

There's no age limit, there are just schemes that help that age range gain apprenticeships.

yes...thank youu :tongue:

Reply 9

raspberries

use a few drops of eucalyptus oil on your hands once the henna has dried a bit. try to leave this oil on for as long as possible (ie until you take the henna off). obviously only use a little so you don't end up sleeping with horribly greasy hands. you could even put the oil drops in the henna mix before you apply it actually.

also, try to rub off the henna the next day without using water on it if you want to preserve the colour for as long as possible. these are 'tips' i've always used and my henna always comes out a dark brown/almost black colour regardless of what brand i use (i go for the cheapest/most easily available one).

another thing you could do is apply a mixture of sugar and lemon juice (make sure the sugar is dissolved) a couple of times while the henna is drying.

hope this helps :smile:

Reply 10

Rosh_123

Yep let it dry for a while and apply lemon juice and sugar mixed together over it with cotton wool or something.

Reply 11

Indian_Prince

im a guy but seen my mum do lol, i think u mix alot of sugar into water and put ontop of the henna when uve finished it (use a brush to put it on)

Reply 12

zeezee06

What did you add to the henna?
Of course you should add sugar and water but you could also try adding clove oil, lavender oil and tea tree oil in your mix. Note that clove oil should e used less and NOT on sensitive skin. For sensitive skin use lavender oil only. using these oils and creating your own mix that is ideal for you is just a basic henna mix. There are other henna mixes that are more complex and experimental such as adding coffee to the mix.
It's all about finding your own recipe really but I would definitely recommend the three oils mentioned above. They worked for me!
Happy henna-ing :smile:

Reply 13

zeezee06

Be careful when buying henna online though, unless it has a list of ingredients.
People can put all kinds of random stuff into a mix and it may harm your skin (especially if you have sensitive skin). I (personally) would only ever buy henna online from a reputable source/ henna business.
The reason above is mainly why I started making my own henna.

Another henna tip:
Make sure you buy fine sift henna so it doesn't clump up and so it gives you a nice smooth, good quality mix.
If you cannot find fine sift henna, or if you have found a specific henna powder that you like, you can always fine sift it yourself by 'straining' it through opaque tights/ stockings.

Hope this helps :smile:

Reply 14

oHellno

I could be very wrong but I always find that the henna cones give a nice, darker colour than the powder ones.

Also applying sugar water (and lemon if you like) is supoed to bring out more colour. I've heard vicks helps too. I've tried this but can't remember if it actually did anything.

Reply 15

zeezee06

Original post by oHellno

Sugar water and lemon does work, yes.
Powdered henna is needed to make the henna in the cone! Like I said before, choose your powdered henna wisely!
:smile:

Reply 16

oHellno

Original post by zeezee06

Sugar water and lemon does work, yes.
Powdered henna is needed to make the henna in the cone! Like I said before, choose your powdered henna wisely!
:smile:

Lol I know, but sometimes the ones you prepare yourself just don't work as well. Maybe that's just me though :dontknow:

Reply 17

zeezee06

Original post by oHellno

Lol I know, but sometimes the ones you prepare yourself just don't work as well. Maybe that's just me though :dontknow:

Yes, the outcome of your henna stain can greatly vary when you make your own henna. Its all quite experimental really, finding your own recipe and what works best for you!
:smile:

Reply 18

blush.ox

apparently your henna turns out darker the more your hubby/partner/bf/whatever loves you
:teehee:

just thought i'd throw that in there.....

i've only ever used the cones, not the cheaper ones but the standard 'good' ones tend to do the trick :redface: