Photos courtesy of Hasina Mehndi & Body Art
Vendor Spotlight: Hasina Mehndi & Body Art
Mehndi, the application of Henna, is a temporary skin design practice that dates back over 5,000 years ago in places like South Asia, Southwest Asia, and parts of Africa. Today, we see it practiced mostly within Indian culture during wedding celebrations, but it is truly for all to enjoy.
The intricate design patterns take a lot of skill and today, Events by Emma would like to give spotlight to Hasina Mehndi & Body Art.
Kim Brennan (Owner & Artist) has almost twenty years experience as a henna artist. Since childhood she was interested in henna and as she grew so did her passion and mastery of the art. Today, Kim is the only certified Henna artist in Manitoba. Kim has also written two amazing books that have been sold worldwide and displays her talents as an artist and knowledge of this unique art form.
Her passion for mehndi is apparent in her work and I love getting lost in the beauty of her creations. Kim provides her henna services for all special occasions including sangeets, bridal henna, ladies parties, showers, birthdays, corporate events, festivals and more.
I highly recommend Kim’s services to all of my Indian Brides and clientele … and to everyone interested in this unique service.
Kim’s upcoming appearances include: Vegas Henna Conference April 20-23 and the Alaska Masala Cruise July 22-28.
Kim uses only pure natural henna directly imported from Middle Eastern manufacturers. She does not use "black henna" or any substance containing PPD. Please read on for "black henna" warnings.
What is Henna?
The henna plant is a hardy little tree that grows in hot climates such as northern Africa, the Middle East and southern Asia. The leaves of this plant are harvested, dried and ground into a fine powder. This powder is made into a paste and used to dye skin, hair and even your fingernails
Henna (also known as Mehndi) is an ancient Indian Body Art. It is used in creating designs and patterns on various parts of the body, though traditionally applied to the hands and feet of women preparing for special ceremonies like marriage. It is completely natural, non-permanent and painless.
This Body Art ( Henna Art) is a painless temporary tattoos unlike real tattoos as designs from Henna fade within 1 to 2 weeks.
Colour of Henna
Henna’s colour does not pass through into the dermis, it only stains the dead cells in the epidermis. Henna’s colour naturally makes the brick/red/brown stains, it usually takes 2-3 hours to get a good Henna stain (colour) on the skin, and that (colour) is quite harmless.
Pure Henna, with the help of heat, moisture and time, leaves a reddish brown stain on skin, first light, then darkening during the next 24 hours. The shade various according to the quality of Henna (paste) used, and the methods used when applying, and sometimes the colour can darken to almost black, but basically the colour is brown.
How to take Care of Henna
Your design should last at a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 4 weeks depending on the thickness of the epidermis of your skin and on where the design is located.
Leave the paste on as long as up to 2-3 hours (or more if you can stand it). The longer the paste is kept on, the darker the design will be. After you peel of the paste, dip a Q-tip in some olive or Avocado oil and take off the remainder of the dry paste. Do not expose your new design to water in the first 5 hours after the design has been applied as the colour is still in its darkening process. The less exposed to water, soap or rubbing, the longer the designs will linger
Warning – Black Mehndi
All products claiming to be "Black Henna" have other ingredients than Henna added in them. A chemical dye called Phenylenediamine, referred to as PPD, is often used to create a fast-taking, jetblack result. This is a very dangerous toxin and unfortunately is very harmful on skin, often causing a so-called chemical burn. This is much like a strong allergic reaction, many people get it and many don’t, but I advice you not to take the risk. Please avoid using these products and stick to pure Henna. Henna simply doesn’t penetrate far enough into healthy, adult unbroken skin to cause problems. Allergic reactions to Henna are very rare, it is safe to use and the result is wonderful.
