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Monday, February 6, 2017

Glitter and Henna: To Use or Not to Use?

Glitter makes everything better!
Let's just say it...Glitter makes everything better even body art! Well most everything. Adding glitter to henna has it's pros and cons so let's go over them so you can decide if glittering up your henna tattoos is right for you.

If you are doing henna in a festival setting, I think glitter is a must! It attracts people to your booth and encourages people to keep the henna paste on longer. When they remove the henna, they also remove the glitter so they are more likely to keep the henna on the skin. Let's face it, teens LOVE it glitter!

If you are doing one-on-one henna or parties, glitter is not as necessary, and can be either an advantage or a detriment. Adding glitter can be fun for guests!

If you are hired for a party, I suggest you clear it with the person hiring you about glitter. Glitter gets EVERYWHERE and the host may not want a fairy-dusted house for the next month. Next, you need to figure out if you have the time to do glitter. If you need to henna 15 people in an hour, it means the maximum amount of time you can spend on henna is 4 minutes a person. If you are also doing glitter, you need to adjust the amount of henna you do accordingly. This may not be a big deal if you are only doing henna on 5 or 10 people an hour, but if you are doing 30 people (only 2 minutes a person), that 10-30 seconds to add glitter is a big deal. Be realistic about how much time you have and how much time you need.

If you do decide to offer glitter, I suggest limiting the numbers of colors you have until you are experienced and have worked out the kinks in your henna business. If you offer too many choices, it takes more time for people to choose. Considering only having one color for your first event with glitter. Slowly offer more glitter colors until you get to a point that you are comfortable with the amount of glitter you offer.

Why Beachcombers Does Not Carry Glitter
(Spoiler: WE DO!)

I was recently asked why we don't carry glitter even though we happen to love it. I try to only carry products that I can offer a value or a convenience. Currently I don't feel I can offer a good enough value/convenience to offer loose glitter for use on henna.

The requirements for a glitter to be considered body safe is that the glitter should be polyester (NOT metal) and should have no sharp edges. The shape of the individual glitter pieces cannot be triangles, squares, or rectangles but can be hexagons, octagons, or circles. Many easy-to-access scrap book glitters meet these requirements, including the Stampendous brand and the Martha Stewart brand. These are both fairly inexpensive and easy to get. Until we can offer something that is a good value to you, we won't offer glitter.

Want us to offer glitter? Let us know! Every single request we get is written down and our request list is constantly reviewed to see what we can make a reality.

Loose Cosmetic Body Glitter for henna
Loose Body Safe Glitter for Henna!

UPDATE! 2/6/2017

Guess who offers glitter now, AND at a great price! Our new cosmetic grade body safe glitter comes in a soft squeeze bottle with a number 19 metal tip. We offer both 10 gram and 20 gram containers AND if you order 4 glitter, you get one free!

Applying glitter with the precision metal tips allows you to poof glitter or use a controlled pour for more precision.

Check out our new loose body safe glitter for henna today!

Didn't I tell you requests work?! Some of the things we carry that are directly a result of requests...
  • Spray Bandage Sealer
    Clients were repeatedly letting us know they were having trouble finding spray bandage sealer at a reasonable price. When they could find it, it was a very small bottle (about 1/2 the size of the bottle we offer) for about $12. We searched until we found an off brand that we could offer to you at a great price!
     
  • Nylons for Staining Henna
    Who has panty hose these days? We kept hearing that clients couldn't find stockings without a reinforced toe at a good price, so we found some!
     
  • Carrot Bags for Filling Henna Applicator Bottles and Henna Cones
    These made sense to put into our beginners henna kits, as the only way to get them was from a specialty shop or craft store. Even then, the smallest package was generally a pack of 12, when you only need one carrot bag.
     
  • Cellophane Triangles to Roll Henna Cones
    We started offering these because I HATE to cut cello for myself. No matter what I would do, it seemed to attract every little bit of dust or hair in the house to the cello. Frustrating. I find cutting cello a pain in the butt, and our clients do too. I also heard regularly how difficult it was to find the right thickness. I finally decided to offer pre-cut cello triangles. Best thing I ever did, lol! I no longer have to cut my own cello! It's worth every cent, especially since it's so inexpensive. You can get 100 sheets of triangle for less than $10! Niiiiice!
We are open to more requests, so keep them coming! We can't honor every request we get, but when we can...we do!

Glitter On!
Jody

Thursday, February 2, 2017

Must-Know Info About Essential Oils and Henna Paste

Sara used ORa henna and 10mL oil

Need the down-low on essential oils and henna?
Need it in easy-to-understand English? Got it!

Are essential oils needed to mix henna? Technically, no, they aren't, but if you want great henna stains, the right essential oils are necessary. Essential oils (EOs) can make henna stains substantially darker, but only the right EOs will help your henna paste.

Essential oils need monoterpene alcohols to create darker henna stains. These terpenes are hydrocarbon solvents and that is what releases more of the dye in henna. Safe terpenes include terpineol, geraniol, cineol, cedrol, and linalool.

Don't worry about all these technical names. Below is a list of oils that work well and are safe for the skin. Yes, there are others, but these are the high-performance mehndi oils.
  • Tea Tree 
  • Lavender (Lavandula Angustifolia)
  • Cajeput
  • Ravensara
  • Geranium


Are there additional reasons to add essential mehndi oils to henna powder?

Yes! Essential oils change the texture of henna paste and add scent to henna paste. Essential oils thin henna paste and create a smooth silky paste. A paste that smells good is always a plus!


How much oil do I mix into henna powder?

Great question! Use the least amount of oils you need to get good color.

Essential oils are the most expensive part of your henna paste so using the least amount you need saves you money. Essential oils are also VERY powerful and are the ingredient in your henna paste that is most likely to cause a reaction. Having the mildest possible henna mix is best for your customers.

Generally you need 10-30mL (1/3-1 ounce) of oil per 100 grams of henna powder. Do not use more than 30mL (1 ounce) of oil per 100 grams of henna powder. The better the henna powder the less oil you need to get great color.

For the hobbiest, 10mL is normally just fine, but for professional artists, 20-30mL is needed.


When do I mix the essential oils into the henna?

You can mix the oils in using a one step method or a two step method. The one step method is adding the powder, liquid, oils, and sugar all at the same time. The two step method lets you add your liquid in first then wait for 4-12 hours (depending on dye release time of the henna powder you are using) then add the oils into the paste. Which method you use depends on what type of henna you use, what liquid you mix with your powder, and personal preference.

- Type of Henna Powder
The essential oils need time to do the job of drawing out more dye from the henna. Different henna powders have different dye release times. Henna with short dye release times (less than 6 hours), should use the one step method, adding the oils into the paste at the beginning. Henna with longer dye release times, like Jamila, can use either the one step method or the two step method.

- Liquid in the Henna Mix
If you use lemon juice to mix henna, you can use either the one-step method or the two step method. If you are mixing henna powder with water, use the one step method. Water will allow the henna to release dye much quicker than lemon juice.

- Personal Preference
If you are new to henna, make it easy on yourself and use the one step method. If you like the idea of really focusing on controlling your henna mix, try the two step method. I personally use the one step method for both our ORa henna powder (my preferred henna powder) and Jamila henna powder.


What do oils do you use in your henna paste?

I use equal amounts of tea tree and lavender oil and I use 30 mL of oil per 100 grams of henna. The smell is positively divine and I get superb color. I use ORa henna powder, lemon juice, a bit of sugar, and tea tree/lavender oil in my henna paste.

You can buy a henna refill kit here that includes 100 grams of ORa henna powder, 15 mL EACH of lavender and tea tree oils, and 25 cello triangles so you can roll your own henna cones. If you want to try more essential oil or the same recipe I use, you can double the oil.

I hope this gives you a clear understanding of essential oils for henna paste!
Jody

Friday, July 17, 2015

What is White Henna? How Do I Make White Henna?

White henna?! DIY white henna, here I come!

I'm sure you've seen plenty of pictures on Pintrest, Instagram, and Facebook of a lovely body art that is being called white henna. Actually it's not henna at all. This is an important distinction and can cause confusion and disappointment. Not worry; you're about to learn the ins and outs of henna and "white henna" and tell you how to make white henna!

Henna (real henna) is a paste made from a plant that stains the top layer of skin. This stain generally has good color 5-10 day but can last 1-3 weeks. Henna can not be washed off.

"White henna" is body art done in white that is a topical color and wears away in 1-5 days, depending on the product used to create it. It contains no actual henna at all. People call it white henna because the designs are often henna-like.

There are a number of ways to create this lovely white-henna-look!


How to Make White Henna-Look Body Art


White Body Paint

The most straight forward is to use white body paint, such as Temptu, that be purchased at costume stores. Use a fine brush to draw henna designs.

This style of design will be a non-shiny matte texture like any body paint and will be flat against the skin.  Depending on the type of body paint you use and how you care for the design, this can last 1-5 days.

Guilding or Gilding Paste

This is an easy-to-make paste that you put into henna cones and apply it in the same way as henna.

To make white-henna-gilding-paste, you'll need very hard hold hair gel such as Got 2 Be Glued Hair Glue. You can use this alone or mix it with a little Elmer's glue. Add white mica powder. Loose eye shadow or crushed up hard eye shadow will work fine if you don't have access to pure mica. You can also add very fine body safe glitter if you'd like. Put it in a henna cone and use the white henna gilding paste in the same way.

This style can be flat against the skin or slightly raised. The color can be rather shimmery depending on what micas and glitters you use. Depending on the gel you use and how you care for the design, this can last 1-3 days.

Pros -Aide Medical Adhesive Glue and White Mica


This is the stuff! This is what gives you the very best white henna look. Apply Pros-Aide cream or liquid (or a combination of the two) to the skin using a henna cone. Allow it to dry completely. I mean COMPLETELY, then use a soft bristle make up brush and brush the most sparkly white mica powder you can find!

If you use the Pros-Aide cream the white henna body art will have a raised look. If you use the Pros Aide liquid (original) the white henna body art will be flat. The liquid is a bit harder to work with, but you can mix a bit of the cream into it to get a product that is easy to use and still dries flat. Flat white henna art will last longer than raiser white henna art. Depending on the Pros-Aide glue you use and how you care for the design, this can last 3-6 days.

There you have it! Now you can create your own white henna body art in three different ways! Remember it's not actually henna and is a surface application. White henna body art will not actually stain the skin like real henna. If you want to learn about real henna check out The Henna Learning Center.

Have fun and send pictures of your work!
Jody





Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Fake Spiral Gauge Earrings are 'da Bomb!

Get the awesome look of taper earrings withOUT gauging your ears!

Check out these amazing fake spiral gauges from Beachcombers! These are massive 3" spiral fake gauges for normally pierced ears. The fab earrings in this picture are made of wood.

Fake gauges are made as actual gauges then they are cut and a regular earring post is added.


Spiral faux gauges are available in all different sizes from tiny 1" spirals to extra large 3" spirals. Most sizes are available in wood, horn, and bone.

The spiral bone earrings look great with black hair, but you can't really do wrong with any of the materials.

Shop Fake Spiral Gauges Here







Tuesday, January 13, 2015

How To Make Henna

Learn how to make henna paste with ease. Only a few simple ingredients are needed.
  • High Quality Henna Powder (50 grams)
  • Lemon Juice (or water) (1/8-1/2 cup)
  • Lavender and/or Tea Tree Essential Oil (1/4-1/2 ounce)
  • Sugar (optional)
If you want good henna color, don't use henna powder from a dusty old grocery store. Use a high quality powder that has been stored properly such as ORa henna or Jamila henna.

  1. Mix henna powder and lemon juice or water to the consistency of thick mashed potatoes.
    Mixing henna with lemon juice leads to stable easy-to-use henna. If you make henna with water, the henna will lose it's dying capacity quicker, so lemon juice is preferred.
  2. Add equal amounts of lavender and tea tree oil.
    If you'd like you can also add a touch of sugar (1/2 teaspoon-1 tablespoon). Sugar will make the henna paste stickier and take a bit longer to dry. This can lead to darker henna stains because it makes it easier to keep the henna paste on the skin on longer.
  3. Set henna aside to await dye release.
    Dye release can be tricky. Different hennas release dye at different times, lemon juice has a longer dye release time than water, and colder temperatures lead to longer dye release times. Most henna will achieve dye release in 6-24 hours, but it can be as early as 4 hours or as long as 3 days in unusual circumstances.
    Check for dye release by placing a dot of henna on the palm of the hand. Leave the henna on for 5 minutes, then scrape it off. You should see a fairly bright orange stain on the skin.   
  4. Once dye release has occurred tweak the consistency to your personal tastes.
    The henna paste has to be thin enough to work with, but not so thin that it's melty. Generally a texture somewhere between toothpaste and thick yogurt or even thick cake batter works well.
  5. The henna is now ready to use!
    Strain the henna if you'd like and place it in individual cones. Freeze whatever henna you are not using.
 See? Making henna is easy!

Complete printable instructions are here at The Henna Learning Center.

Friday, January 9, 2015

What is Henna Ink?

Henna is actually not ink at all! Henna is a paste that is made from ground up leaves of the henna plant. This paste releases henna dye that stains the skin a red/brown color.

There is no such thing as henna ink that is squeezed form the leaves of the henna plant. Because henna stains the skin, many people confuse henna as in ink. Real henna is not available in liquid form or in a pen form.

The henna plant (lawsonia inermis) is a shrub with small flowers. The leaves of the henna plant are dried and ground into talcum fine powder.

  • The finer the powder, the easier the henna is to apply. 
  • The fresher the powder the higher the dye content in the henna.
  • Henna powder must be stored properly to maintain it's freshness. It needs to be vacuum packed and stored in a cool dry place. 
  • The more pure the powder, the better the henna stain. Some manufactures add chemicals dyes to make their henna appear fresh, even though it is not. 
This is why where you get your henna from is important. Only buy henna from a supplier that knows henna well and takes care of their product.

Want to learn how to mix henna to get dark henna stains? Check out The Henna Learning Center!

For high quality henna powder try Beachcombers Bazaar and Henna Studio.




Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Become a Professional Henna Artist: Go Pro Henna eBook Pack

Learn Henna as a Business...Go Pro!
Are you at the point that you want to turn your henna hobby into a henna business? Great!

There is so much to becoming a business that one can't learn it all at once. Don't worry, you don't have to wait until you've learned everything to get started. In fact, the best thing you can do is take the first steps to get started so you can learn and grow! To help, I've created the Henna Go Pro Pack to allow you to take the first big step in your henna journey to becoming a professional henna artist.


This group of 3 henna eBooks doesn't bother to go through heavy accounting principles or anything along those lines. Instead it focuses on the foundation of satisfying customers to make your first events and parties go smoothly along with tons of advice to help you avoid common mistakes and stumbling blocks of creating a henna business.

They contain 133 beautiful henna designs are specifically high-impact designs that are fairly quick to accomplish, there for perfect for parties and festivals.



"First Henna Gig...eBook"


This eBook is specially designed to support you through your first henna gig, event, or party. Be prepared and professional at your very first henna event. 
  • Business basics to set yourself up for success
  • How to price henna (both per design and by the hour)
  • How to select designs for the event
  • Create a design book
  • Area/event set-up tips
  • Sample contract
  • Basic signage
  • and more...
A selection of 40 crowd-pleasing henna designs are priced at $10, $15, and $20 levels. All henna designs can be accomplished by beginning henna artists with a bit of practice.



"Festival & Fundraiser Henna eBook"


This eBook is specially designed to be used for events such as fundraisers or festivals, with the beginning henna artist in mind. The henna designs in this design book are quick and easy to create. It's packed full of information to help the henna newbie through their first few events.
  • Henna basics
  • Tips for event setting henna and set-up for festival/fundraiser style events
  • 66 easy-to-do henna designs

"Marvelous Sangeet Strips"

This eBook is filled with 27 crowd-pleasing henna designs that are perfect for parties and festivals.
  • Basic placement for sangeet strip style henna
  • 27 easy-to-do crowd-pleasing sangeet strip designs


Get all three henna eBooks in one for only 23.97! This is your chance to get started with your henna business!

Have fun!
Jody 





Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Did You Procrastinate? It's Not Too Late!



You DID procrastinate, didn't you?
That's ok, we've got your back!


All domestic orders between today and December 19 will be upgraded to expedited shipping for no extra charge.


We guarantee delivery before Christmas or we'll refund your shipping!

Being last minute doesn't mean you have to settle for boring cliche gifts like scented lotion baskets or hot chocolate gift boxes.

We've highlighted some extra popular gifts from Beachcombers. There is something for everyone from fake taper earrings to henna tattoo kits in every budget.

http://www.shopbeachcombers.com/Bindi-Body-Sticker-Jewels-s/69.htm


Be sure to take advantage of 25% off bindi body stickers for stocking stuffers. They make great festive handouts on Christmas day.

http://www.shopbeachcombers.com/Organic-Earrings-Fake-Tapers-s/83.htm
Buy one pair of our spectacular organic earrings and get one pair 50% off!

Spend over $50 and get FREE shipping too! Didn't I tell you we've got your back?

Happy Holidays!
Jody

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Huge Holiday Earring Sale

This is your chance to get our spectacular organic earrings for regularly pierced ears at a discount.

Buy one pair of earrings, get the second pair for 50% off!

Our hand carved earrings are made for us in Bali by our master carver Wayan. He is a real artist and I love wearing his work.

Though our earrings look like gauged or expander style earrings, they are all for normally pierced ears. Woop!

Combine with our great free shipping offers and our bindi sale for an even bigger value!

Shop Tribal Earrings Today!

Monday, December 8, 2014

Big Holiday Discounts: Bindi Body Stickers for Stocking Stuffers


A great discount on a great stocking stuffer!

TODAY, buy 5 bindi packs and get a 25% discount!

Bindi body stickers are also terrific for tucking into Christmas cards or holiday gift certificates. I like to have a few packs in my purse so I can give out bindi at Holiday gatherings. Everyone loves a little sparkly to wear for a night...especially little girls!

Buy Sparkly Bindi Body Stickers Here!

Have fun during this season of joy!
Jody

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Holiday Shipping Deadline Calender for Online Orders


It's not too late to get items for Christmas delivery.
If you have any questions about delivery, contact us via email or phone.


Guaranteed Christmas Delivery or your shipping refunded!*
Christmas
Shipping Schedule
Standard Shipping
(I'm in No Hurry)
Expedited Shipping
(Sooner Rather Than Later)
Express Shipping
(Needed It Yesterday!)
Domestic USA Thursday, Dec 18 Friday, Dec 19 Monday, Dec 22
International Monday, Dec 8 Friday, Dec 12 Tuesday, Dec 16

*Guaranteed delivery applies to domestic USA orders only. Cleared payment must be received by 1:00 EST on stated dates. Delivery confirmation and tracking included. Not responsible for unclaimed packages or packages awaiting pick-up at your local post office due to attempted delivery.

Monday, December 1, 2014

Best Henna Tattoo Kits for Gifts

Anyone Can Create Henna Tattoos!
Doing henna tattoos yourself is easy and fun! Mehndi or the art of henna has been practiced for thousands of years by people that were not formally trained. In fact, the vast majority of henna artists are self taught! Anyone can do henna!

Who Does Henna?

Everyone! Henna is done by women, of course, but also by men. Some of the best henna artists I know are men. I know henna artists of all ages, 9-81 and all cultures, American, Latin, Indian, Swiss, and German, among others.

This means henna makes a great gift for any interested in henna or anyone crafty!

What is the best henna tattoo kit for a gift?

When selecting a henna tattoo kit for a gift, there are multiple things to consider.

  1. Is the kit SAFE, body-art-quality henna?
    This is the most important part of buying henna. Only buy henna from a good reputable supplier that knows their stuff and stores their henna properly. Many times, things are called henna and sold as henna but are not henna at all or they may contain henna along with very dangerous chemicals.

    Do not buy a generic kit from Big Box stores. These are kits that contain very little henna, poor instructions, and stale henna product. Many also have chemical additives.

    Beachcombers Bazaar's henna products are always high quality, fresh, BAQ that are stored properly. Whatever henna kit you decide on from Beachcombers will be absolutely safe and high quality.
  2. Are there good instructions to do henna?
    Most henna products come with no instructions, poor instructions, or just plain wrong instructions. To have a good experience doing henna, especially for the first time, you need good clear instructions.

    All henna kits at Beachcombers come with a instructional and design booklet that contains everything you need to know about doing henna. These aren't translated instructions. The entire booklet and all the henna designs were created by me, Jody.

    We also offer our online free Henna Learning Center, packed with tons of great henna information. Most instructions can be printed to make it even more useful!
    The henna learning center contains henna instructions and information
    The Henna Learning Center is a FREE online Resource
  3. Is the henna kit a good value (do you get plenty of actual henna product)?
    Many henna kits give you fancy packaging, cotton balls and other useless "accessories", but little actual henna product.

    Beachcombers henna kits have tons of actual henna. This allows you to play around and make a mistake or two without wasting all your henna. I don't bother including things that you already have at home, so your money goes to quality henna product.
  4. What does the giftee want to accomplish using henna?
    Is this just for doing some henna tattoos once or twice? Will henna become an ongoing personal hobby? Do they want to eventually do henna on others for money?

    A smaller henna kit, such as our Fun & Easy Henna Kit, with ready-made henna is just fine for the newbie that just wants to do henna a couple of times. If someone wants to make henna an ongoing hobby or do henna on a professional level, a henna kit that includes powder henna or a combination of ready-made henna and powder henna is better.
  5. What is your budget?
    This is an important question too! Purchase the best henna kit in your budget from Beachcombers and know that you are getting a great value that includes high quality henna and high quality henna accessories.
     

The Best Henna Kits for Gifts


   Fun & Easy Henna Kit - $14.99
This is perfect for the henna newbie that is just doing henna for fun. At only $14.99 it's priced at a great level for gifts for teenagers. Give a teenager the Fun & Easy Henna kit, and you will have given the most exciting unique gift at the party!

   Essential Starter Kit - $24.99
Perfect for anyone that may make henna an ongoing hobby or want to do henna on a professional level. Mixing your own henna is one of the most important parts of learning about henna. Including 100 grams of henna and all the basic henna tools you need, this easy henna kit will let the giftee practice and play while learning the art of henna. No worries about running out of product soon, because you can get 100-300 henna designs from this henna kit!

Big Bad Henna Starter Kit - $42.99
Ahhh! This kit is just what is says it is...big and bad! It has both powder henna and ready-made henna along with even more henna accessories than the Essential Starter kit. It even has transfer paper for those that are worried they are not artistic enough to do henna. This is a high impact gift!

Questions? Contact me! I'm happy to help you decide what henna kit you need.

Henna On!
Jody

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Beachcombers One-Day Only Door Busters!

We are no Best Buy or Target, but we've got you covered for big discounts this holiday season!

Each day from Thanksgiving until Cyber Monday you can take advantage of huge discounts.


ONE DAY ONLY DOOR BUSTERS!!!
These deals can be combined with our Free Shipping specials and our other discounts and deals!

 

Thanksgiving
Nov 27
Black Friday
Nov 28
Small Business Sat
Nov 29
Sunday
Nov 30
Cyber Monday
Dec 1

 Inlay Bangle Stand

Buy One Get One
One for a Gift
One for You!

Bangle Gift Pack
5 Bangle Sets

49.95 - 19.99

Our Most Popular Earrings

29.99 - 19.99
Henna eBook
Gift Pack
26.97 - 9.99



Big Bad Henna Kit

42.99  - 29.99


Go to Beachcombers Bazaar and 

Click on "Deal Of the Day" to take advantage of these deals.

These great deals can be combined with our FREE shipping deals to save you even more money. Each deal is shown only on it's day with all details about the deal. There are no substitutions.

Peace to you during this CRAZY weekend!
Jody

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Pre-Holiday Sale: Save Money with Eclectic Gifts

Until November 26!

Thanksgiving is late this year and leaves only 3 weeks before Christmas. This means we need to get on the shopping ball!

I know that Thanksgiving weekend and Cyber Monday typically has everyone tied up with the big stores and all those crazy sales, so I've decided to offer you a pre-sale to avoid the rush!

Today through November 26...

  • FREE shipping on domestic orders over $50!
  • FREE shipping to Military addresses
  • FREE shipping for Florida orders over $40
  • Buy 4 Glass Bangle Sets, Get 1 Free!
  • Select Highlighted Products
  • Extended Return Policy until January 31

Indian glass bangle holiday sale
Glass Bangle Sale

Shop Our Holiday Specials Page for Great Gift Ideas!


I've selected some of our most popular gifts to highlight including easy-to-use henna kits in every budget, some fantastic glass bangle specials, our most popular fake taper earrings, and stocking stuffer bindi body stickers.

Happy Holidays to YOU!
Jody

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Must Have Henna Tool! ORa Henna Specs LED Reading Glasses

Your henna world is about to be rocked!

You can never have too much light when doing delicate henna designs, yet it seems we are always in the darkest part of a booth or party doing henna on others. Though our event contracts specifically spell out the need for adequate lighting, we seldom get it.

These awesome reading glasses have two medium powered LED to help alleviate eye stain and headaches. Plus the lights aren't so bright that they will blind your clients when you look up...a plus I think! Turn off the light and they look like regular reading glasses.

Our awesome ORa Henna Specs are a 1.00 magnification so they give just a touch of magnification with medium strength LED lights. The best part? They are only $9.99!

How, I ask, did we as henna artists ever live without them?

Buy ORa Henna Spec LED Glasses Here

Friday, November 7, 2014

New Hand Rolled Cello Cones for Henna

Hand rolled cello cones for henna paste.

sharp point rolled henna cones for henna paste.
You asked for it and we have it! You've requested hand rolled cones that had cute prints on clear cellophane so that it makes it easier for you to fill your cones. Done!

Buy our new empty cello cones here!


Tuesday, October 14, 2014

How to Break-In Khussa Indian Shoes for Comfort and Fit

Pretty Comfy Beaded Khussa Indian Shoes
My Khussa Story
Let me tell you about my first experience with khussa Indian shoes. Asad's sister gave me a pair of the most gorgeous flat shoes I had ever seen. I was so excited! I put them on and was quite horrified at how uncomfortable they felt.

Not knowing much about the culture yet, I assumed they were for parties where you put them on as decoration as opposed to actually wearing them around.

One day, Asad's sister asked me about them as she'd never seen me wear the shoes. I confessed that they were so uncomfortable I couldn't stand to wear them. She laughed and said, "well you have to break them in silly!" Asad had not told me that! He didn't even know that they needed to be broken in.

Notice the shoe on the left is formed to the shape of the foot?
I learned that khussa shoes start off stiff and hard with no left and right foot. When you first put them on you often feel like you have them on the wrong foot. Awkward!!!

Once you break them in, they form to the shape of your feet giving you a custom right and left foot. Every time you wear khussa shoes, they get softer and more comfortable.

I have shoes that are so soft, I can fold them up and stick them in the back pocket of my jeans! REALLY!

So, How Do You Break In Indian Shoes?
This will sound odd, and it will feel a odd the first time you do it, but wet your feet and wear them around the house for a couple of hours. Occasionally re-wet your feet, if needed. If there are any spots that rub, put half of a cotton ball under a band aid and if stretch the leather in that spot so you don't get blisters the first time you wear them. Easy!

For extra break-in or a quick break in, you can wear them with damp socks for an hour or so.

Keep in mind, that once shoes are broken-in they can not be resold and can not be returned or exchanged. If you have questions about break in for Beachcombers khussa, send me an email or give me a call. I'm happy to help!

Welcome to the fabulous world of comfy khussa shoes!
Jody

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Online Shipping Times: What is a Realistic Shipping Time?

I was at dinner with a group of people the other day and we started talking about shopping online and about actual shipping times verses expected shipping times.

Color me an expert at shipping! I've run an eCommerce business full time since 2004 and a couple of years before that part time.

It started with a story from, we'll call him Bob, who placed an order from a major retailer on Saturday evening. He paid for overnight shipping and was furious when his order arrived on Tuesday. He had expected it on Sunday.

Understanding how shipping works will allow you to plan better when you shop online.

Think of the day you actually order as a pre-shipping day.
Your purchase will most likely be processed the next day, unless you placed your order very early in the day (normally noon of the shippers time zone). If you place your order on a Friday, assume it will not physically ship until Monday.

Here at Beachcombers, orders received before noon will ship the same day. This saves you one day of ship time!

The day of actual physical shipping (rather than the day the order is placed) is day zero (shipping day).

The day after the order has physically shipped is day one.

I'll give a couple of examples using the USPS...


Shipping Example #1

Order Placed 2:00pm Tuesday

Tuesday - Pre-Shipping Day
Wednesday - Actual Ship Day (Day Zero)
Thursday - Day One
Friday - Day Two
Saturday - Day Three
Sunday - Delivery Not Available
Monday - Day Four
Tuesday - Day Five

If you ordered overnight shipping (1 day) you should get your package on Thursday.
If you ordered 2 day shipping you should get your package on Friday.
Most domestic packages will arrive Friday, Saturday, or Monday depending on how far the order travels.


Shipping Example #2

Order Placed 3:30pm Friday

Friday - Pre-Shipping Day
Saturday - Pre-Shipping Day
Sunday - Pre-Shipping Day
Monday - Actual Ship Day (Day Zero)
Tuesday - Day One
Wednesday - Day Two
Thursday - Day Three
Friday - Day Four
Saturday - Day Five

If you ordered overnight shipping (1 day) you should get your package on Tuesday.
If you ordered 2 day shipping you should get your package on Wednesday.
Most domestic packages will arrive Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday depending on how far the order travels.


Shipping Example #3 (with EARLY order time)

Order Placed 9:30am Tuesday

Tuesday - Actual Ship Day (Day Zero)
Wednesday - Day One
Thursday - Day Two
Friday - Day Three
Saturday - Day Four
Sunday - Delivery Not Available
Monday - Day Five

If you ordered overnight shipping (1 day) you should get your package on Wednesday.
If you ordered 2 day shipping you should get your package on Thursday.
Most domestic packages will arrive Thursday, Friday, or Saturday depending on how far the order travels.


UPS and FedEx Shipping
Make note, if using UPS or FedEx, they do not offer weekend delivery (except with a very high extra charge), so Saturdays work like Sundays for both UPS and FedEx deliveries. Their expedited services offer the same basic delivery times (1 and 2 day), but standard ground shipping can be 5-10 days.

If you absolutely NEED something by a specific day or time I suggest sending and email or calling the business you are placing the order from to verify their shipping policies.

I hope you found this useful!
Jody

Thursday, October 2, 2014

Learn to Henna with Hands-on Workshops/Classes

Last chance to learn how to henna in 2014 with Beachcombers Henna University extension classes!  

Fall Quarter Henna U Extension Workshops

The Fall Henna U extension classes are scheduled and available for registration! This spring we are offering our basic henna class, Simply Henna 101, and a henna technique lab, Adding Texture to Henna Design with Shading and Two-Tone.

Both henna workshops are offered on Saturday, November 8, 2014 at Beachcombers Bazaar in Orlando, FL.

Each henna class is limited to only 14 people, so get your ticket fast!

Simply Henna 101 is at 1:00-4:00.

Henna Texture Lab is at 5:00-6:30.


Simply Henna 101 Workshop:
The Science & Art of Mehndi

Henna Level: Beginner to Moderate
Only $40 and contains a complete henna kit with over $30 worth of product.

An in-depth introduction to the basics of henna tattoos. Both the science and the art of henna will give you everything you need to be comfortable doing henna. You will learn the science of henna and how to mix your own henna. We also cover the art of henna and spend nearly 2 hours doing hands-on practice.


Adding Texture with Shading and Two-Tone Lab:

Henna Level: All Levels
*If you are a beginner, you should take the Simply Henna 101 Workshop first. Basic henna information will NOT be taught. Only $20 and all supplies are included.

This class teaches various two tone and shading techniques in henna design. We will physically practice techniques and explore ways to add depth and texture to a henna design.

You can register for both henna workshops here.

Can't make it to this one? I do a set of henna classes once a quarter, so keep an eye out for henna classes in 2015.

I hope to see you there!
Jody

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Khussa Indian Shoes...Last Beaded Flats of the Year!

They are finally here! Our last order of khussa Indian shoes until 2015. If you need khussa for the holidays, fall weddings, or anytime before February 2015 (the hopefully date of arrival of the next shoe order) get them now while we have a full selection of sizes!

I love love love our new blue khussa shoes with purple sequins. Fantastic combination!
Pretty Bright Blue Beaded Flats

A close second is the dark red wine beaded flats. I think these would be perfect for a holiday party.
Dark Red Wine Beaded Flats

We also have a great olive green, teal, and of course silver and white flats.

Shop our New Khussa Indian Shoes Today!


I'll keep you updated on the next arrival of new khussa shoes.
Jody

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

The Foundation for Learning Henna Designs: Elemental Henna

Want to learn how to create henna designs?

I am here to help! All of our henna tattoo kits now come with a brand new instruction and design book called Elemental Henna.  this 40 page physical booklet is packed with clear instructions and fantastic henna designs.

Elemental Henna teaches the art of henna design by using the basic henna elements such as bumps, spirals, heart tops/bottoms, and zig zags. Designs are specifically made to focus on each basic element so you can get-to-know that henna element up-close and personal. Combining these easy-to-do henna elements is what creates beautiful henna designs.

All designs can be accomplished by the beginning henna artist and range from easy to moderately detailed. With over 90 henna designs to practice, Elemental Henna will help you build a solid artistic foundation.

Instruction include the basics of henna, henna safety, the science of henna, how to mix powder, storage and sealing, henna applicator bottles, festival tips, straining henna, and more!

This book comes standard with all our henna kits and can be purchased separately as well.

Elemental Henna is offered in eReader friendly eBook format too. The eBook allows you to use design pages in your personal Festival/Design Books or to use with transfer paper. It's also great to print out instructions on a flat sheet of paper.

The eBook version of Elemental Henna is available at a discount when you purchase any of our henna kits that come with the physical book. Add it to your henna kit for only .99!

Learn how to do henna easily!

Henna on!
Jody

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

New Henna Ingredients: New Henna Wrappers



We have settled on new henna wrappers for our ready made henna cones!

I like the thickness and the way our new henna paste cones are wrapped. They are easy on the hands to use, and they are strong.  I'm finding very little leakage, even when shipping frozen henna cones. WIN!

Currently the cones are in a bright pink wrapper with a picture of a women on them, but we are working on getting them printed specifically for us. Hopefully within a year we can have custom wrappers! For now I'm happy to use these generic wrappers.

We've also slightly changed our henna paste recipe. It's a bit more mild, but still leaves nice henna color.

Henna Paste Ingredients:

Pure Henna Powder

Mineral Water
Eucalyptus Oil
Clove Bud Oil
Xantham Gum (Sugar)


Changing from clove oil to clove bud oil is nice. Adding Xantham Gum as a sugar is also great. The henna paste is more flexible than ever!

In my testing, I'm getting good color and nice longevity. The xanthan gum also allows me to leave the paste on longer.

Though I'd love it if everyone mixed their own henna from our fresh henna powder, these are the next best thing!

Enjoy!
Jody


Friday, September 5, 2014

Bulk Henna Powder Discounts

Quality BAQ Henna Powder by Beachcombers

Discounts on henna? Yes, please!

We have updated our henna powder pricing to reflect larger discounts for bulk orders.

Discounts apply to both ORa henna (oranginc Rajasthani) and Jamila henna AND you can mix and match to get the discounts. Both henna powders are body art quality (BAQ) and professional grade.

All henna powder comes in 100 gram packs.

Henna Discounts

1-4 packs: $7.99
5-9 packs: $6.80
10-49 (1-4 Kilos): $5.99
50 or more (5+ Kilos): $4.99


No need to do anything special, as our system automatically will give you the discounts during checkout.

Henna on!
Jody

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

How To Create the Perfect Sangeet Henna Strip

The ubiquitous sangeet henna strip henna design is likely the most popular henna style around. You
Sangeet Strip Henna Design
know it...a combination of gorgeous paisleys and flowers starting at the wrist and going up one finger. They are so pretty and elegant, but how exactly do you create a sangeet strip?It's actually quite simple. The key is to keep it simple and use repeating henna elements.
  • Don't use too many different henna elements.
    Sangeet strips are rather small and if you use too many different elements they start to look cluttered. For example, if you are creating a strip that consists of flower-paisley, flower-paisley, flower-paisley, use one type of flower and only one or possibly two types of fillers for the paisleys.
  • Make use of vines as transitional elements.
    Use a vine to wrap around a paisley or flower so that the next element can be positioned anywhere along that vine. This can help keep a nice straight line for the henna strip.
  • Start big and get small.
    Don't make all the henna elements the same size. Start with the larger flowers or paisleys near the wrist where you have more room. As you get closer to the fingers, make every element a little smaller than the last.
  • Create small finishing details at the top and bottom of the henna strip.
    Starting the sangeet strip with a large flower and leave the bottom of the flower looking naked or unfinished. A swirl with a leaf or a couple of squiggly lines and a trail of dots may be all you need to create a "finished" look to your piece.
  • Add pretty henna finger accents.
    Adding small accents to the fingers will make a design look fuller. It's an easy way to add a lot of bang for a small amount of work. This is a must for the special Aunties at parties!
Changing up details of the same basic sangeet henna strip can create an entirely "new" henna piece! Try new fillers or different flower petals to make everyone's henna design unique and special.

The Marvelous Sangeet Strip eBook contains 27 different henna designs in the sangeet style. It includes both traditional and fun modern henna strips.

Henna On!
Jody

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

The New Bling of Indian Bindi Jewelry


Large silver bindi with real jewelry accents
Bindi body stickers have come a long way baby! Far from the plain red or black dots of yore, Bollywood (and Hollywood) are helping push bindi in fresh new directions far outside the traditional bindi dot box.

Today you can find Indian bindi jewelry with real jewelry pieces dangling from the body sticker, and large bindi over 2 inches long! Tikka are no longer confined to actual jewelry pieces. You can now get tikka binidi that will stick to the face and part in the hair. Large bindi that are designed to be worn as arm bands are available too.

Indian bindi on metal jewelry base
Not only are the bindi themselves becoming more and more unique, but so is bindi placement. Small bindi stickers are often used as fake nose pins. Small bindi are also worn in groups at the corner of the eyes...super cute! Large bindi are fantastic when worn on the chest as a floating "necklace" or even on the hand. Today, you can even find bindi body stickers decorating the belly button.

Now that bindi jewelry have been embraced throughout the world by women, there is no limit what you can do with bindi!

However you decide to wear bindi, have FUN!
Jody