Bajidoo Holiday Ornaments

I was lucky enough to have a short visit from Brenda of Bajidoo, just before Christmas.  What a treat!

One evening I had my own little arts & crafts lesson from Brenda.  She shared with me some of her charcoal drawing techniques, which is an art medium I've never used before.  We used water color pencils.  We painted and tried out a new dimensional paint!

Using some of Bajidoo's ultra cool decals we made these cool holiday ornaments...

We also decorated a wood bangle box with Bajidoo's fab Steam Punk design.

So beautiful and I can't believe how easy and quick it was to make such gorgeous things!

A HUGE thank you to Brenda for the education and the good times!

Jody - a big Bajidoo fan!

"Baby, It's Cold Outside!" says your henna

Baby it's cold outside!

Henna can be picky about temperature and winter is a different set of challenges than summer.

In summer, we have to be careful that we don't "cook" our henna. We have to keep it out of sunlight and not let it get too warm. When mixing henna powder in the summer dye release is often much quicker (often a just a few hours will yield good dye release). This also means that the henna paste can lose it's dying abilities quickly, so you need to keep your henna cool.

Mixing Henna in the Cold

In the winter (even here in Florida) we have to be more patient with our henna. The same henna that would obtain full dye release in a few hours can take a full day or more in a cooler environment. I find that if my house is less than 70 degrees I need to let my Jamila henna powder mix sit 48 hours or more. I do this in stages. I mix my powder with my liquid (lemon, tea mix, or whatever I am using that day) and let it sit overnight. The next morning I add sugar, essential oils, and any additional liquid if needed. I let that sit again overnight and the next day I put the henna in applicators and cones for freezing. Sometimes I don't freeze the cones until the next day, giving the henna a full 3 days to sit.

Applying Henna in the Cold

I am always cold, so I have to work extra hard to get a good stain in the winter. I get all my supplies together along with a candle, blanket, and cup of hot tea or glass of wine. I do my henna while I am all wrapped up in my blanket and seal it with lemon sugar. When my hands (or feet) get cold, I hold them over the candle.

Here in the store, if it is too cold, I have clients sit beside a space heater to make sure they stay warm while we apply their henna.

Another great way to raise your body temperature for good henna color is to do a traditional henna wrap.  After your henna has set, seal it with lemon sugar.  Try doing 2 or 3 thin coats of sealer.  Once the sealer is completely dry, wrap the henna in bathroom paper.  This will absorb sweat.  Be sure to wrap a couple of layers.  Wrap your mummified henna in plastic wrap.  This will seal in your body heat.  I often follow up with a sock or other piece of clothing over the plastic wrap so the wrap doesn't stick to everything around it.

This winter, keep temperature in mind while mixing and applying your henna. Remember, body temperature is nearly 99 degrees. Even 70 degrees is a significant difference in temperature.

A fellow Floridain henna artist, Michael, gave me this tip to share...

"I have this thing called a "ThermiPaq"... basically it's a sand bag that you use for sore muscles and you can heat in the microwave or put in the freezer. I heated mine up for about 1.5 minutes and put that in the bottom of a cooler. I then covered it with a small towel and then laid my bottles of henna on top. This way, the henna was gently heated overnight even though the house was cold. I did that for 2 nights and the henna started turning a dark green/brownish color. I tried it after that and it works wonderfully."

Stay Warm!

Jody

Christmas & Holiday Hours

Happy Holidays to EVERYONE!

Good news!  We have received a HUGE order of glass bangles.  It will take weeks to organize the bangles so that we can make them available to you.

Due to this, we are closing the store the week between Christmas and New Years.  The store will be closed Dec 24 - January 3. 

If you have a special need during this time, feel free to email me direct, Jody@BeachcombersBazaar.com.  If I can make special arrangements for you I will!

Happy Holidays!
Jody

NEW Indian Bindi Body Stickers!

Just got a TON of new bindi body stickers in!  Seriously, like 40 new styles!

 Ultra sparkle with tons of crystals on each bindi.

There is also a really nice selection of large show bindi.

 Bindi make great stocking stuffers or additions to envelope gifts such as cash or gift certificates.

 Remember bindi can be worn anywhere or on anything!  Try them on your cheekbone or on your shoes!

 

Time to decorate your body!

Shop Bindi at our website or our Orlando store!

Jody

Organic Earrings for Normally Pireced Ears

Woo Hoo!  They have arrived, and they are GORGEOUS!

Our newest products are these fab new tribal earrings, Beachcombers Organics.  They are handmade in Bali of wood, horn, bone, and Mother-Of-Pearl.

Stretched lobes and gauged ears not needed!  These cool tribal earrings are for normally pierced ears. 

We have split expander styles that look like they've been threaded right through your ear hole.  These are known as cheaters or fakers.

Fatastic that you don't have to lose all your jewelry as you move up in gauge sizes, yes?

 See!  They look like real expanders when they are worn!

 We also have these cool organic pin style earrings.  These use a horn or wood stick for the earring post.

How did we move from Indian shoes, glass bangles, and henna to organic earrings? 
Glad you asked!  A little while back a good friend was dealing with some health issues.  To help in her healing process I did quite a bit of healing henna tattoos for her.  As a thank you gift, she gave me the coolest earrings I had ever seen!

That's them in the picture...

I wore them EVERY day until she bought me another pair for my birthday.  Then I started swapping out my fabulous organic earrings.

I got so many compliments on them, that I thought I had better start sharing the wealth (not to mention keep myself in good supply!).  Our tag line for Beachcombers Bazaar is "Be Noticed..."  These earrings certainly fit the bill!  I started looking around for a good family source for the earrings.

That's when I found Wayan.  What an amazing person!  He and his wife started a small art business in Bali in the 80's focusing on his lifelong passion of carving and wood sculpting.  These hand carved earrings are now part of his art.  That little business is continuing to grow as new family members and other artists from the community are added.

Like most Indonesians, the environment and natural resources are important to Wayan.  All materials used are harvested responsibly.  Wood is from renewable tree farms planted specifically for the purpose.  Horn and bone are left over material from farm animals and animals are never killed for their horn or bone.  Indonesians (much like native Americans)  try to use every part of an animal or plant and waste very little.

I'm proud and honored to have added another small family business to our own business family!


Give them a try!  They make a fabulous unique gift, and you'll be supporting our local USA small family business AND Wayan's local small family business in Bali.

Jody

Henna Candles

This post is for you, Mariem!

I was asked a couple of days ago to henna a Unity candle for a fantastic couple I had done some pre-wedding henna on a couple of weeks ago.   Amy and Robyn, you are AWESOME!

I have never hennaed a candle before, so this required some research.

I am certainly no expert so take this advice with a grain of salt and please post any comments, suggestions, or corrections you may have.

I was given a standard white pillar candle.  Since I have never applied henna to a candle before, we decided that I would first draw the design with a Sharpie so that if the henna flaked off in the future, the couple could re-henna by tracing the Sharpie drawing.

Drawing with the sharpie on the candle...Easy.

Drawing with henna on the the candle...Challenging!

You have to be quite careful about where you can touch without smearing your henna.  Takes a little getting used to, but not so bad.

The issue is how to avoid having the henna flake off the candle.  Upon doing research I found two main ways to do this.  Applying a spray candle gloss such as Candle Kote or Candle Luster, or dipping the candle in a candle sealer.

Having never made candles before or dipped candles in wax, I opted to not try it for my first attempt with one one day to figure it out and get it done.  The gloss sprays were not available at local craft store and we didn't have time to order it online, so a clear hard-coat acrylic spray is what we decided to use.

I sprayed 5 very light coats of the spray over the entire candle after the henna was completely dry.  Super easy and the henna seem fairly strong on the candle...for now.  I don't think the clear acrylic will be a good long term solution.

The next time, I will use one of the other sealing methods.  You know, Modge Podge  may work as well. Hmmm...

I toyed with the idea of not using henna, but I love the energy of henna and felt is was more important to have the positive energy part of the wedding than a perfect candle.

I won't have time to henna more candles anytime soon, but I plan on learning the ins and outs of this when I do have time. I will, of course, share!

Beachcombers Holiday Calender

With so many holidays coming up, our hours are going to be a bit erratic.  So you can plan in advance this is what you can expect of the store and shipping delays...

Thanksgiving
Closed November 24-29

Christmas
Closed December 24-27

New Years
Closed December 31-January 3

I'm sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.  We are a small family business.  For the most part it is just myself and Asad so we need some family time!

Thanks for understanding!
Jody

Life of a Henna Tattoo: Good and Bad

I just finished a beginning henna workshop and what a GREAT class! I had an amazing group of women!

Two of the women in class are regular henna customers of mine and allowed me to demonstrate an important fact about henna color.  Two days before I gave both Stacy and Shanon henna tattoos.  Stacy didn't put any lotion on that day so I hennaed her without cleaning the area first.  I used witch hazel to clean Stacy's skin since she had lotion.

Stacy's henna was brilliantly dark and lovely.  Shanon's was rather lack-luster.  The exact same henna, the exact same day, and both designs done on the foot and ankle area.

I constantly tout that henna takes best on clean dry skin.  A quick cleaning can't remove all lotion since lotion seeps into the skin cells, but it's better than nothing.  Clean open cells allow a better bond with henna.  Think of your skin cells as a glass.  If part of the glass is filled with lotion (or water or anything else), not as much henna can fit in the glass.

For the best possible henna tattoo stain, you need clean dry skin!

Another thing brought up was how the henna tattoo stain on my hand was so dark.  The full answer to that is here http://shophenna.com/new_henna_tips.htm, but though my henna was very dark, it wasn't going to be a long lasting stain.  I only left my henna on for less than 2 hours, just long enough to do the design and finish a movie I was watching.

Henna paste still on the skin.

Henna stain just after paste removal (paste on less than 2 hours).

Henna stain the next morning.

Henna tattoo stain 3 days after paste removal.

Though I still got nice dark color from my henna it started fading MUCH quicker than normal.  By the 4th or 5th day the henna was starting to fade.  Granted I was also in the process of installing drywall and mudding and sanding the drywall.  This meant plenty of hand scrubbing through out the day. Typically I can expect at least a week of nice deep color from my henna.

Henna stain 7 days old after poor care and not leaving the paste on the skin very long.

The lesson from this?  Take good care of your henna for a lasting stain.  Leave it on for 4 hours or more and avoid any type of exfoliation.

Consider this your October henna reminder!

Happy hennaing!

Karwa Chauth, Diwali, Eid-al-Adha Gift Shipping

Hey is that English?  Don't worry if those words are unfamiliar to you, I'll tell you about them!  Karwa Chauth, Diwali, Eid-al-Adha are Hindu and Muslim holidays coming up.

Karwa Chauth (October 26)
The Hindu custom of celebrating your god-sister and celebrating a good marriage.
Gifts of glass bangles, henna, and sweets are given to friends, sisters, daughter-in-laws, and wives.

Diwali (November 5)
The Hindu Festival of Lights celebrating the triumph of good over evil.
Glass bangles as gifts or to get for yourself are custom on this holiday.  Think of this as a giant New Year's Eve party!

Eid-al-Adha (November 16)
The Islamic Festival of Sacrifice, a day to give thanks for all that you have and share with those who do not.
This is a day for charity and spending time with friends and family.  It is custom to wear new clothes and bangles, and to have henna on your hands.

These holidays are closely followed by Jewish and Christian holidays, Hanukkah and Christmas in December.

'Tis the season for giving!

If you need to get gifts for these holidays you can find our
shipping schedule on our Specials page.


Happy Karawali-eidmaskah!

Light Scarring from Henna Mixed with Chemicals

I had a customer come in a couple of days ago who had some light scarring from chemical laced henna she had gotten while on vacation, TEN MONTHS ago!  Though I called this light scarring, I don't think she considers the scarring light.

The henna that produced these scars 10 months after application was mixed with benzene, kerosene, or gasoline.

She said the henna had a painful burning sensation while it was on the skin.  It left a nice deep brown color even though she only left it on for a half hour or so because of the burning.

Henna should not burn.  It may feel a little itchy on the skin because as it dries it shrinks.  It may make your skin feel cold, but natural henna will NOT burn.

Henna should have a natural scent and you will likely smell the essential oils mixed in the henna.

• It should NOT smell like chemicals.
• It should NOT burn.
• Any artist worth getting henna from, WILL be able to tell you the ingredients in their henna paste.

Be Smart!  Be Safe!

There aren't as may warnings or pictures of damage from henna with additives like benzene, kerosene, and gasoline as there are for black henna.  The real danger with these additives is that they are carcinogens (cancer causing and cancer spreading agents), and they build up in your blood stream and liver.  They don't just go away when your henna tattoo goes away.

The fact that they can leave a color similar to natural henna is tricky.  Look for tip-offs such as only needing to leave the henna on for a short period of time, really long lasting henna, or an artist being vague about the ingredients in their henna.

ONLY use safe natural henna!

Learn more about henna safety on my henna help site.

Hands On Henna Workshop October 16

Fall Simply Henna Workshop: Learn the art of Mehndi

Mehndi Class Henna 101: An in depth introduction to the basics of henna tattoos. Everything you need to be comfortable and confident doing henna. A hands on "how to" henna class for henna beginners to intermediate henna artists. Taught by Jody of Beachcombers Bazaar.

The only thing you need to bring is yourself and a smile. A comprehensive henna kit is provided.

When: Saturday October 16, 2010
5:30 - 8:00pm (doors open at 5:00)
Where: Beachcombers Bazaar
2525 Edgewater Dr, Orlando, FL 32804

The workshop will cover...

• Henna history & traditions
• Different kinds of henna
• Henna tattoo safety
• How henna works (color & longevity)
• Mixing henna basics
• Try different application techniques
• Henna art techniques
• Includes complete henna workshop kit
• and more!
  

Cost: ONLY $35 per person
Cost includes workshop and complete henna workshop kit (no substitutions for kit products). Additional product will be available for purchase after the workshop at discounted prices. Payment must be made before the workshop by Visa, MasterCard or cash.

Space is limited!  This workshop will sell out, so don't delay.

Sorry no coupons or discounts are accepted for workshop registrations. No refunds due to limited seating.

How To Register:

• Online Registration and Payment
  
• Phone Registration: 407-236-7878
• In Person Registration: Beachcombers Bazaar Store
  

Questions? Email Jody

Karwa Chuth Indian Celebration

This traditional Indian holiday is a yearly celebration that honors husbands and god-sisters of Indian women.

The celebration has changed over the years, but I love the original meaning behind the holiday.  Karwa Chuth orginally celebrated the relationship between women bonded during a traditional male and female marriage ceremony.  Let me explain...

Many years ago before telephones, cars, and trains, when Indian women married, they went to live with their new husband and their in-laws.  This often meant leaving their friends and family far behind, leaving the girl without a confidant to talk to and help work out issues with her new family.  To ease this transition, during the marriage ceremony another bond was sanctified between the bride and another women who would become the bride's life long god-sister or god-friend.

The ceremony during the wedding bonds the women as sisters and best friends, giving the new bride a means to have someone close to confide her worries and hopes in privacy and confidence.  Karwa Chuth originally was a celebration of this relationship between women and the marriage that brought them together.  They would exchange gifts of food, glass bangles, henna, and bindi body stickers, and enjoy each other's company.  They would celbrate the marraige of the husband and wife as what brought the women together as god-sisters.

The bride's in-laws would also give her gifts (glass bangles being a must) on this day to celebrate the good fortune of having a kind and loving daughter-in-law, and to show how much they love her.

As the necessity of god-sisters has waned, the Karwa Chuth celebration has gravitated more towards celebrating the well-being, prosperity, and longevity of a woman's husband.  A day long fast, from sun up to sun down, and prayer accompany the tradition of gifts. 

The fast comes from the Story of Queen Veeravati who both accidentally cursed and revived her husband with the help of Goddess Parvati.

Karwa Chuth 2010 is October 26, so celebrate the special women in your life!

For much more information on the Karwa Chuth celebration visit the official website.

Be sure to get your bangles, bindi and henna today from the website, www.ShopBeachcombers.com.

Celebrate!
Jody

Best Bindi Body Stickers Yet!

How psyched am I about our newest bindi body stickers?  They are PACKED with crystals and are some of our best bindi ever!

 

We even have a great Trishula bindi (trident style) bindi for you Yogis and Yoginis out there!

 Check these out!  NINE large bindi with white crystals and colored crystals.

I really love these bindi body stickers.  They have lovely iridescent beads covering them.

Check out all the new bindi styles here!

Sketchbook Project 2011

Have you heard of this?  It's the coolest thing ever!

The Art House Co-Op offers this interactive art exhibit and ANYONE can be a part of it!  Even me!  That's right, I've signed up to be part of the Sketchbook Project 2011.

So what exact is it, you want to know?

It's like a concert tour but with sketchbooks.

Here's how it works.  You purchase a blank sketchbook (by October 31st) and fill it with ANYTHING you want; drawings, paintings, stories, pictures, collages, stickers, ANYTHING!  You sent it back to the Art House Co-Op (by January 15th) and then in March 2011, the tour of 6 American cities begins that includes ALL of the Sketchbooks on display!

After the tour is over all the sketchbooks become part of the permanent display at the Brooklyn Art Library.

The really cool thing (as if this isn't cool enough) is you can track your sketchbook through the entire process.  You can see how many people have looked at your specific book.

Learn more about The Sketchbook Project 2011 and get started at the project website!

I've completed the first page of my sketchbook doing what I know best...henna!  Who knows what will fill the rest of those pages? 

What will fill your Sketchbook pages?

Become part of this interactive art exhibit at The Sketchbook Project 2011.

Happy Sketching!
Jody

Eid Mubark!

To all of our Muslim friends and customers, Eid Mubarak! 
Many Eid blessings to you and your family.

To all our non-Muslim friends and customers we hope you will take this opportunity to wish your Islamic friends and neighbors a happy Eid.

We are all American and we celebrate our differences!  Our differences are what sets us apart and makes us strong!

Eid Mubarak!
Jody

Positive Henna Energy

I know many people do not believe in the power of henna energy.  I am here to tell you it exists and is powerful!

Healing Henna

This henna design uses sprouts for growth and life, peacocks for luck and blessings, open style flowers to accept and attract positive energies.

When I create a henna design on someone I try to work with their energy to create a design especially suited to them.  When possible, I try to attract the kind of energy that they currently need in their lives.  Diane of the YOU Health Center here in Orlando coined my henna, "Henna with Intention", and I think that's perfect! 

Violet's Beautiful Soul Henna

Violet is one of my favorite people to henna.  She is simply the best canvas!  Every design comes out gorgeous on her!

Sometimes that energy needed is healing either physically or emotionally.  Other times someone needs the courage to make a change or to take on new challenges in their lives.  Sometimes a woman wants to have a baby and needs fertility henna.  It doesn't matter the reason for the henna, the point is henna can be part of creating your own reality!

Celia's GREAT karma!

Every design I do on Celia is different!  She is just layers and layers of energy goodness!

You can feel the positive energy flowing when henna is being done!  As long as you have color, you should still be able to reconnect with that great henna energy.

Nina's Life Balance

 Nina needed some balance and perspective to help her with big changes in her life.  This henna is ripe for tackling new opportunities and staying calm while doing so.

When you do henna or have henna done on you, take a moment to reflect about what you need.  Concentrate on infusing those energies into your design.

Connecting henna and woman power!

These two women had a wonderful bond and I was happy to be able to pull connecting elements in their henna.  The woman on the right needed some courage and fortitude so we did plenty of spirals.

Have fun and happy henna'ing!

Jody

Eid Mehndi: Henna Tattoos for Eid

New clothes, check.  New jewelry, check.  Have you thought about your Eid Henna yet?

You can't allow Eid to pass without henna on your hands!  You can do your Eid henna yourself, get together with friends and do henna on each other, or you can have henna applied professionally.

Eid mehndi is best done on the palms of the hands, but you can have your henna applied wherever you'd like. 

For the best possible color on Eid morning, your henna should be done on the 7th or the 8th at the latest.  Your henna tattoo needs time to cure and oxidize for full color. Even Monday the 6th is a good day to have your henna done for Eid.

If you plan on doing henna yourself, Friday September 3 is the last day to order henna from Beachcombers Bazaar for priority shipping.

There are still slots open to have your Eid henna applied by Jody of Beachcombers on both Tuesday the 6th and Wednesday the 8th.  If you want a slot, schedule your henna appointment today!

Eid Henna Appoinments

Eid Mubarak!
Jody

Guild of Henna Artists of Orlando

Guild of Henna Artists of Orlando
Bonding, Supporting, & Strengthening Our Orlando Henna Community

    Guild (gild) noun
    1. An association of people for mutual aid and the promotion of common interests
    2. A medieval association of merchants or craftsmen
    3. An association for sharing the arts and mysteries of a common craft

We have an amazing talented community of henna artists here in Orlando, and in central Florida in general.  It's time to band together!  Let's support each other and spread the energy and the art of mehndi to all!

Our next Guild meeting is...

When:
Wednesday August 18 6:30 - 8:00
Where:
Beachcombers Bazaar
2525 Edgewater Dr Orlando FL 32804
Directions Here

We welcome aspiring henna artists of all levels!
This isn't an exclusive club, it's a community of henna-loving artists that want to share.  Join us! 

RSVP with Jody at jody@beachcombersbazaar.com

See you there!
Jody

Geting Dark Color Tattoos from Henna

Everyone seems to want super dark color from their henna tattoos.  I want to help you achieve this, but keep in mind henna isn't all about color.  It's about connecting (with others or just yourself) and contributing to a positive energy within and around us.  Henna can be as powerful as you let it!

Back to dark color henna!  There are so many factors that contribute to the color you ultimately get from your henna, we're going to address most of them.

The Henna Product Itself
Mixing your own henna from powder is capable of giving you the the darkest longest lasting color.  I suggest Jamila professional body art quality henna and the Beachcombers Favorite recipe.  Here is a rundown of the recipe I personally use...

1. Mix Jamila henna powder and lemon juice in a glass bowl.  I use lemon juice from the bottle, not fresh lemons.  I find I get more consistent results that way and I don't have to worry about clogging.  I don't mix exact amounts of henna powder and lemon juice, instead I go for a specific consistency.  I add lemon juice until the paste resembles thick mashed potatoes.  If you need a general reference for how much lemon juice to add start with approximately equal amounts of each.  Reserve a tiny bit of powder in case you need it later to thicken your mix.
   
   The acid in the lemon juice helps release the dye in the henna (lawsone).
   
   
2. I place plastic wrap over the henna paste and press it down so it is actually touch the paste.  I place the bowl in a warm (but not too warm) dry place overnight.
   
   
3. The next morning, I can see that I've had some dye release.  If you are looking at the side of the glass bowl you will see a darker brown ring around the top of the henna.  If you take a spoon and scrape a layer of the top henna off you will see a nice brown top layer with fresh green henna paste below. 
   
   I add regular white table sugar to the henna  and mix it in.  I use about 1 part sugar to about 4 parts henna.  You will find the sugar melts in the henna as you mix it in smoothing out your henna and adding "liquid".
   
   The sugar makes the henna stay wet against the skin longer and stick to the skin better, thus helping you achieve a darker stain.
   
   
4. I add equal amounts of lavender oil and tea tree oil.  Everyone uses a different amount of oil.  I use about 25-35 drops of each oil for one box (100 grams) of Jamila henna powder.
   
   Both lavender and tea tree oils have monoterpene alcohols which will help release more of the lawsone dye in your henna resulting in a darker stain.  You can get a great combo pack of Jamila henna powder, lavender oil, and tea tree oil here.
   
   
5. I put the same plastic wrap over the henna and let it sit until either later that day or even the next day.  I mix it up again and my henna is ready to use!

Here's a couple of additional convenience tips for you...

• This is a good point for your to strain your henna if you like.
• Put your henna in individual sized cones and then freeze them.  Anytime you need fresh henna, you are an hour of thawing away from fresh individual sized cones away!

What Part of the Body you Henna

Henna takes best on the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet.  The further away from the feet and hands you get, the lighter the stain.  The thinner the skin, the few layers of skin cells there are for the henna to stain.  That's ok, you can still do henna on the back or even the face, just know that it will be lighter and not last as long.

The Skin Itself
Henna takes best to clean dry skin.  Lotions, sunblock or even water will be a barrier between the henna and the skin.  The more base (opposite of acidic) your skin is the darker your henna stain.

How Long You Leave the Moist Henna in Contact with the Skin
The longer you leave the wet henna paste in contact with the skin, the darker and longer lasting the color.  Ideally I like to see people shoot for 4-6 hours.  Overnight is even better!

Use a sealer such as a lemon sugar sealer.  This will help you develop a nice crust on top of the henna while keeping the underside (that's in contact with your skin) of the henna moist.

How Warm You are With the Paste on the Skin
The warmer your skin the darker your henna stain.  I have low blood pressure and I'm always cold.  It's much harder for me to get good henna color than it is for most people.  Don't crank your air conditioning, and try to keep your body temperature up.  Sit in the sun, have a glass of wine or hot tea, wrap up in a blanket if you are like me, lol!

The best thing you can do to keep the henna area warm is to seal and wrap your henna design.  Dab on a lemon sugar solution to the henna as soon as it's dry enough to touch.  Wrap the design in plenty of toilet paper to absorb sweat and then wrap Saran Wrap around the toilet paper.  This can yield crazy-good color!

How You Remove the Henna Paste

Don't use water to remove the henna from your skin.  Either gently scrape it off with your fingers or a spatula or use a little olive oil or mehndi oil to remove the henna paste.  I suggest avoiding water on the henna for the rest of the day if possible.

How Well You Care For the Henna Tattoo
Henna is a permanent stain.  It doesn't fade away, your skin cells exfoliate off.  Anything you do to avoid exfoliating the skin where your henna is will help your henna last longer.  Avoid water, cleaners, and anything else that may exfoliate the skin as much as possible (within good hygiene limits).

For a ton of other useful henna info and hundreds of pictures see our henna help site...

www.ShopHenna.com

BTW, remember your henna will start off light, but will come up to full color over a couple of days.  Be patient!

Hope this helps!

Jody

Joy Wire Wrap Bracelets

Ahhh...Joy, one of my favorite local Orlando artists!  Joy makes these FABULOUS wire wrap bracelets, wrap necklaces, and pendent necklaces.  She has a wonderful eye for color and texture and that is why her jewelry stands out.

Joy is a beautiful person as well.  She always has a bright smile and kind word when she drops in the shop for re-stocking.  She is, well, a joy! 

You can feel her personality shining through her work when you wear a piece of Joy Jewelry.  Makes them a GREAT gift!

Stop in and see what one-of-a-kind jewelry in stock today at Beachcombers Bazaar.

Jody