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Wednesday, January 15, 2014

How To Find Your Indian Khussa Shoe Size

Never worn khussa Indian shoes before? Wondering about sizing? Well, call me KhussaGirl...here to save the day for Indian-style-loving-Gothamites everywhere!

OK, so I'm no super hero, but I do know a thing or two about Indian shoes, at least Beachcombers khussa Indian shoes.

You see, Indian shoes have no right and left when they are new, and they tend to be hard and uncomfortable when first put on your feet. Not to worry, as they break in to be CRAZY comfortable!

Just wet your feet and wear them around the house for a couple of hours, and the break-in process is well on its way. The more you wear them, the more comfortable they become. Seriously, I have khussa shoes that are so soft, I can fold them up and stick them in the back pocket of my jeans. That's comfort!

I got off topic there...I'm supposed to be telling you about khussa sizing. I just help it, I LOVE Indian shoes!

For the most part, Beachcombers khussa are true-to-size, but there are some exceptions. The shoes are so flexible and moldable, that they only come in whole sizes.

If you are a US size 8, you should be a Beachcombers khussa size 8.

If you have wide width feet, a wide toe box, or are a size 8.5, you would be a size 9. When sizing up, add one of our double thick foam cut-to-size insoles to give you a perfect fit.


Extra wide? It's perfectly acceptable to size up two sizes.

Still not sure of your Indian shoe size? Contact me, Jody@BeachcombersBazaar.com and answer all the below questions. I can normally help you get the correct size the first time you order! Make note, that I only check my email during business hours, so if you email in the evening or on the weekend, my response will be delayed.

  1. What size shoes do you normally wear?
  2. Do you ever size up or down a half a size?
  3. More than a half a size?
  4. Are your feet wide, average, or narrow width?
  5. Do you like to wear your shoes tight or do you like extra room in the toes?
  6. Is there anything else about your feet to consider when sizing for shoes (previous surgery or other issues that can make sizing difficult)?
  7. What is the item number of the shoes you are interested in?  Certain styles can run a little differently, so it is important to know the specific shoes you want.
Now that you know what size you are going to be, it's time to join me in my khussa addiction!

Start shopping our FABULOUS selection
of Khussa Indian shoes now!

Bwwwahahaha! I think I've snagged another fellow khussa addict!
Jody

Monday, January 13, 2014

Khussa Beaded Shoes: Comfort & Elegance for Any Occasion

Khussa beaded shoes are gorgeous flats with a lush, cultural history. During the Mughal Empire, khussa Indian shoes were made from real gems threaded with real gold! Throughout history, these intricate shoes have been worn for special occasions such as weddings and dances. While the beauty of khussa shoes hasn’t changed, the price tag and availability thankfully has. Now anyone can enjoy these fabulous beaded shoes!
Khussa Indian Shoes

I love these shoes for their comfort and their elegance. These shoes add style to any outfit. While they look great when paired with jeans and a nice top, I especially love them for weddings. A bridal party can easily afford matching khussa shoes for a unified look or even as a bridal gift. For a great look, the bridal party should choose a contrasting or complementary color to the bride. They’re especially great for beachside or outdoor weddings – any place where you’ll be standing for a long period of time on a potentially uneven or soft surface. Thanks to khussa shoes, a lady doesn’t need to wear high heels to look and feel great.

The extensive beadwork is the most alluring feature of these unique shoes. The beads seem to create a magical effect when light reflects off them. They’re ornate without being overpowering or cliché. The best part about modern khussa shoes is that you get these beautiful beads and sequins at an affordable price tag!

Khussa flats are an experience unto itself, good equally for an elegant gala as it is for an outdoor event. You’ll be shocked how comfortable these shoes look without sacrificing any of their style. These shoes become more comfortable as you wear them, shaping themselves around your unique foot shape.

Give khussa shoes in your favorite color a try today! You’ll love having these as part of your wardrobe whether wearing them casually or out on the dance floor.

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Choosing a Bindi Sticker Style


When celebrating holidays, festivals and celebrations, many women wear a bindi, a small jewel dot applied to the body. The term derives from the Sanskrit word for dot. Typically, bindi are worn by Indian women as part of Hindi culture and it is often worn on the forehead. However, bindi can be worn by anyone and anywhere. Choosing the right bindi depends on several factors including the place where the sticker will be placed as well as the kind of occasion the wearer is attending. Different occasions will call for different kinds of bindi use. Many women like to wear bindis with elaborate patterns and colors that help express their inner style.
bindi body stickers
Most bindi stickers come in highly varied colors and shapes. Here’s how to choose a bindi style that’s right for you.

 

Traditional Bindi Colors or a Rainbow of Choices

The first thing to consider when choosing a bindi sticker is the type of color you want. Bindi stickers are available in a whole rainbow of colors. Red and black bindi are common for a more traditional look. A single red dot worn on the forehead signifies a woman is married whereas a black dot is worn by a single woman that is available for marriage. Colorful rainbow patterns of blues, greens, and purples are worn all over the body for Bollywood fashion, dances and special occasions. Of course, regardless of the occasion, you can choose any bindi color that you feel comfortable with and love. Coordinate the colors available with your overall look or consider a jewel that contrasts the color of your clothes to help the bindi sticker stand out. Bindi body stickers are the perfect choice when you want to add a temporary dose of color. Have fun!

 

Bindi Patterns and Shapes

Consider using different patterns for different occasions. Bindi stickers with a tribal modern look will add a subtle, yet elegant sense of your heritage to your overall look. A bindi with a long tail at one end and a stone at the other is perfect for attending a wedding. The soft color and simple shape can help indicate to other guests if you are part of the bridal party. Consider coordinating the bindi with other members of the bridal party. Several people wearing a specific style of bindis can help provide a unified look for a bride's attendants.

If you are intending to dance Bollywood style, the right bindi can help highlight the shape of your movement. A bindi with an elaborate pattern may remind people in the audience of the intricate movements you intend to convey during your dance.

By using bindi stickers to adorn your body, you can have a perfect dot shape arranged into an intricate pattern that securely adheres to you. At Beachcombers, we carry high quality body stickers that look like real jewel piercings. They also have a more streamlined shape than hand-drawn designs. Rest assured that no matter what bindi pattern you choose, you’ll have an elegant look of unmatched quality.

 

Bindi Body Placement

When choosing a bindi, think about where you want to place your design. There are longer curved patterns to follow the arc of your brow, smaller spirals that move as you move and make a great body sticker for dancers and, of course, there are simple single dot stickers for traditional forehead placement as well.

When worn on the forehead, bindis can be a great way to get in touch with your inner eye or 6th chakra, which is said to help improve focus. Bindis such as this are common and face placement is typical, but they can also be placed along your elbows, belly and arms.

Bindi stickers are a highly useful addition to any wardrobe. Use them carefully to help create the kind of finished look that is perfect for any occasion. Browse Beachcombers’ wide selection of tribal and traditional bindi stickers to find the perfect bindi for your needs.

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Henna Dye Release in Winter & Cold Weather

Did you know henna takes longer to release dye when it's cold?

Yup! In fact, henna can take substantially longer to release dye even in temperatures as high as 70 degrees. Long release hennas such as Jamila powder can take 48 hours or more. When mixing henna this winter, keep this in mind so you continue to get great stains from your henna.

If you find this difficult, I have an easy trick for you...

When you allow henna to sit and release it's dye, put it in a cold oven with the oven light turned on. Do NOT turn on the actual oven, even to the warm setting! Putting just the light on, will keep your henna at a constant temperature. If you use this trick year round, you will find your henna dye release time will remain pretty consistent, no matter what the temperature is outside or in your house.

If you use the oven light method, make a sign and place it on the oven controls to remind you (and everyone else in the household) to NOT turn on the oven!


Henna Stains in the Cold

Along with delayed dye release, the cold weather will make your body cold and that leads to poor henna stains. The warmer your body is, the darker your henna will stain.

When doing henna in the cold, raise your body temperature as much as possible. Drink hot tea, wrap yourself in a blanket, sit by a heater or a fire... Be sure to seal and wrap your henna to ensure great henna stains.

Stay Warm and Hennaed this Winter!
Jody

Friday, January 3, 2014

My First Experience with Henna as Hair Dye

When it comes to henna tattoos, the art of mehndi, I am an expert. Since 1999, I have spent years educating myself about henna: both the science and the art of henna. I teach henna classes at our studio and at henna conferences throughout the country. I host Guild meetings for local Orlando henna artists, and I'm constantly educating others about henna. Henna is a huge part of my life!

All this time of being immersed in henna, I had never used henna as a hair dye, until recently. I knew HOW to use it, but not from personal experience.

This past September, 14 years after my first experience with henna, I decided to dye my hair with henna. This was no light decision for me. Henna leaves hair a gorgeous natural-looking color, yet I am the girl of a million hair colors! Blue, purple, fire engine red, lime green, platinum blond (often with black roots)... I've been every color of the rainbow! I like crazy unnatural colors, so going to something as natural looking as henna was a stretch for me.

First Time Henna Hair Color Process

I decided to use the hair henna recipe that I suggest to others (obviously). Normally, I would use our ORa Rajasthani henna, but I had a box of Jamila that had come back as incorrect address. I couldn't re-sell it or use it on my henna tattoo clients, as the henna had not been stored properly and had been bouncing around the postal system for a month, but for the hair... I could use that henna for my hair!

You can print Hair Henna Instructions here.

I mixed the 100 gram box of Jamila BAQ henna with water and added a couple pumps of conditioner to it. I made it thinner than what I use for body art henna, about pancake-batter-thin. I let the henna paste sit for about 6 hours, because that's what worked best into my schedule and then applied the henna to my hair.

Being a henna artist, my biggest worry was getting the henna on my skin and having stained skin for a week or more. Despite that worry, I wanted to have the same experience than any newbie would have so I kind-of slopped the henna all over my head (while wearing gloves - VERY important!). It wasn't nearly as messy as I expected! Once I had a helmet of henna on my head (quite attractive), I put on a plastic hair cover and set to cleaning up.

First, I wiped all henna away from my skin. I was delighted to see only a very faint yellowish stain that came off easily with a little scrubbing from a wash cloth! Yip!

Then I cleaned any drops of henna I found in the sink, on the floor, and on the wall. Very little! MUCH less than the craziness I tend to see when I'm doing purple or blue on my hair.

I put all the leftover henna paste in a ziplock bag, which was about 2/3 of the paste left from the box (enough to do my hair with henna 2 more times!) and put the bag in the freezer.

I settled down to watch a 2 hour movie, and watched it with my crazy looking plastic covered hennaed head.

Next was the part I was dreading; washing out the henna. Everything I've read had talked about what a pain it is to wash the henna out of the hair. This is why I added a bit of conditioner to the henna, to make the henna paste a bit easier to wash out. I stepped into a piping hot shower and started rinsing out my hair. Compared to washing out bleach or vibrant purple, washing out the henna was a piece of cake!

Normally, when I wash hair dye out of my hair it looks like I've murdered Barney or a Smurf in my tub, but the henna rinsed right off the tub and shower walls with absolutely NO scrubbing! WIN!

The fact that hennaing my hair was so easy got me pretty excited, even though I knew it was not the kind of look I normally sport.

Henna Hair Color Results

Before dyeing my hair with henna, my hair was dark violet purple with dark brown roots. The roots were scattered with gray (I have quite a bit of gray, though having not seen my natural hair color in more than roots for years, I can only guess at how much, lol!). The dark parts of my hair were a dark auburn brown. You couldn't see where the roots ended and the purple began. Wherever I had gray is was a bright golden-orange-red. It was very fiery and fun.

Knowing that the color would substantially settle over the next couple of days, I withheld judgment.

By 3 days later, my hair had settled to a brown with reddish highlights. It was soft and silky (definitely the most healthy my hair has been as an adult) and beautifully natural looking. I was getting compliments left and right and my other half kept touching it!

That being said...it's not me... I don't quite feel like myself with this lovely natural-looking hair that compliments my skin tone beautifully, lol!

I am committed, however, to doing henna on my hair 3 times so I can see the effects, so around Thanksgiving, I did round 2 of henna.

Round 2 of Hair Henna

I thawed the henna in the baggie and dumped it into a bowl. This time I didn't need to mix henna though I did add a teaspoon of ground ginger to the henna. Ginger neutralizes the scent of henna. Though I loved the smell, Asad did not.

Knowing I didn't have to worry much about staining my face and neck, I slopped the henna on, put on my plastic hair cover, and cleaned the house. About an hour and a half later, I showered the henna out of my hair and round 2 was complete.

This made my color much deeper and richer. I think the 3rd henna treatment will allow my hair to reach a saturation point that will be a lovely color. Hennaed hair is still not my thing but gorgeous none-the-less!

I may have to try bleaching my hair and then hennaing it...or combine henna with crazy colors...I like hair henna so much, I have to find a way to make the look more Jodified!

If you want to try to henna your own hair, you can buy high quality henna powder here.

I hope this helps you with your own hair henna journey!
Jody

UPDATE!

Round 3 of Hair Henna

So round 1 of henna was in September, round 2 in November, and round 3 was in January. I'm going 6-8 weeks in between henna treatments. Round 3 happened just like round 2, I thawed out the henna from the freezer, applied it to my hair, left it on for about 2.5 hours, and washed it out. This henna thing is EASY!

The color has really come to a head after round 3! People are stopping me on the street to say how pretty the color looks. The red is MUCH richer and the highlights more distinct. It really is lovely.

I think it's time to start adding some fun colors, bleaching bits out, or maybe adding indigo!

Official Final Impressions

  • Henna makes my hair feel awesome! My partner loves touching it.
  • Henna is much less messy than my normal bleach and crazy colors.
  • Henna is an easier clean up from both the skin and the bathtub.
  • The color is exceptionally natural and beautiful with stunning natural highlights.
  • The cost of henna is a bargain compared to what I have to buy for my normal color adventures.
  • It's worth trying henna out at least 3 times to reach that saturation point for ultra rich color.

Have fun and henna on!!!!!
Jody