Henna Method

First of all, you need to prepare your henna paste for application. Many books and kits come with ready-filled cones or you can mix your own henna recipe.

Before applying your henna, it's important to prepare the skin and, if appropriate, use a transfer to outline the design.

Basic henna application is very simple. There are three techniques: dragging, dropping and block filling. With a bit of practice, these techniques should become second nature.

Start by using the drag or drop techniques to trace the main lines of the design. Carefully, follow the transfer lines or create your outline in free hand. When the outline is complete, you'll need to block fill the larger areas of the design.

Finally, check the design for any holes, smooth out the edges and sharpen any points. Some practicioners will apply a mixture of two parts lemon juice and one part sugar to the mehndi when it is first drying; this is to ensure a dark colour to the finished mehndi.

Now leave the henna until its dry (a few hours at least). The henna will crack and start to fall away from the skin. Gently brush it off (you could try using a butter knife or spatula) until all of the excess is removed. What's left behind should be a faint, orange colour. Rubbing in some mustard oil at this stage can help to develop a darker colour later on.

Leave the area uncovered for another hour and don't wash the area for twelve hours. The colour will slowly darken until it takes on a brown colour.