What’s even better than a beautiful mehndi Design? Without doubt the mehndi colour. No matter, what design you choose it fails to impress without that rich chocolaty color. Just like chocolate?, darker the chocolate the better. Though there are two old school notions on mehndi color. Some suggest darker the mehndi color, the bride is blessed with a loving husband?.While other suggest darker the color , more affectionate and loving is the Mother-In –law.Whatever the case, darker the color happier the bride?. So here are some Full-Proof Brilliant Tips for Making Your Mehndi Color Darker.
Do Not Compromise on Mehndi
If you are preparing your own mehndi paste, make sure to use a fresh mehndi. The quality of mehndi does affect the color. Alternatively, if your mehndi artists bring the mehndi make sure to enquire the same from him/ her. If possible undergo a trial, before booking up one because some do mix chemicals. The natural color of henna is from orange to darker brown. If your mehndi goes black within first 6 to 8 hours it’s probably due to chemicals.
Timing is the Key
Mehndi takes its own time to leave its colour. The rich color stain often comes out between 24 to 48 hours?. So for that darkest shade on your wedding day, plan your mehndi 2 days prior. This also implies giving mehndi ample time⏰ to dry up that’s at least 4 to 6 hours, before you rub it off.
Clean hands and feet
No wonder how many times, you have washed your hands during the day, when it comes to wedding festivities, you may try your hands on many things. So clean your hands and feet with a good cleanser or soap. Do not apply any hand cream or moisturizer as it forms a covering over the hands and does not let the color seep in.
Mehndi Oil/ Eucalyptus Oil
Once you have made sure that hands and feet are clean and dry you can apply eucalyptus oil over them. You may also find Mehndi Oil in some stores that is basically a combination of various essential oils such as clove, eucalyptus, lavender etc.
Do not Dry it with Artificial Air
In the process of making it dry faster does not use hairdryer or in that case hand fans☢ to dry off the henna. Yes, it takes a lot of patience to sit down for 4 hours straight without any movement of hands, but that’s how you will attain good color. Henna usually takes out body heat, reason for the color and also which is why you may feel cold on applying the henna. If it’s a cold evening make sure to keep a medium of heat nearby in order to avoid falling sick. Also the trick is to keep your hands warm, it the warmth that works it’s magic.
Do not Fidget
Fidgeting is one thing that can ruin all your and your makeup artist’s effort. Eat whatever you want to before applying the henna on or ask your bff’s to stay by your side in case you want something to eat, they can feed you. You may be attempted to dance seeing everyone besides you dancing. No matter how tempting it looks it is a bad idea until the henna dries. No, not because it will affect the color, but you may end up smudging up the Mehndi.
Lemon and Sugar Syrup
Prepare a lemon and sugar syrup, dissolve the sugar in lemon juice,stir until the entire sugar dissolved, The concoction should be sticky and too watery. With the help of a cotton ball dab it to your hands and feet. While lemon helps henna to release its tint, sugar owing to it sticky property helps it to stick. Use this trick once the mehndi is a bit dry, do not use it on wet henna or just applied henna.
Keep it Overnight
If possible keep up the mehndi overnight and rub it off in the morning. For covering up the hand you can use tissue paper, do not use plastic wrap as it causes evaporation and droplets will fall over the henna making it wet and can spoil the entire design.
Use Vicks/ Vapourub
Vicks works by giving heat to the body, so it gives the desired heat required for mehndi to give its color. If you aren’t keeping on the mehndi overnight,rub it off without water apply vicks or any vapourub and leave it on till morning.
Clove Smoke
Cloves/ Laung are used in mehndi oils to impart color to henna. You can also smoke up your henna with clove. All you need to do is heat up some cloves in a pan or maybe a flat tawa once the smoke? start coming up just place your hands at a distance but near one for the smoke to reach your palms.
Stay Away From Water
It’s utmost important to keep away from water.Once you apply water or wash your hands you can never get the desired colour no matter how much you try. Do not wash off the henna either rub it off or peel it. Once done you can use mustard oil or pickle oil on the hands as it will let the color enrich and also you may not need to wash it even. While bathing or eating you can put on the gloves. So the rule is keep water away for as long as you can.
Emergency Trick
God-Forbid in case you don’t get the desired colour of the henna, you can use “ Chuna”/ Limestone powder. Mix water with a little powder and apply a thin paste over the henna. But this again should be done before you expose your hands to water. No trick will work, if you have already brought henna in contact with water.
Re-Apply or Not to Re-Apply
Some may suggest re-applying henna, and you may buy the idea as well. In practice it’s too risky because you will end up messing the design. It’s advisable only and only if an expert can do that again. But this is something that is easy said than done.
So these were the tried and tested tricks to work up your henna color.One may also suggest Ammonia for getting that black color henna stain, but that’s dangerous for skin and can leave harmful effects . Also refrain from any beauty treatments once you have applied henna such as exfoliation, manicure etc.
Do try them up and let us know if you too have some more secrets to darken up the henna.
You can also share with us pictures of your henna-stained hands and feet on Facebook and Instagram using #Wish N Wed