Snober Beauty Tips
Source:- Google.com.pk
Henna is a small shrub native to West Asia and North
Africa, called Lawsonia Inermis in Botanical terms. The leaves are picked,
dried, and pulverized to a fine powder. It is a natural base for hair coloring
and cosmetic use and an alternative to the chemical tints which may have
side-effects. It has been in use in India for hundreds of years as a hair dye
& conditioner.
When used for hair coloring, Henna plates and protects
the hair shaft, allowing the color chosen
to be reflected through the hair, while enhancing the natural color.
Henna is also a conditioner.
Regular use of Henna texturizes hair, giving it body
which becomes more evident on each application. “Neutral” Henna deposits no
color on hair. It can be used as a conditioner once a month. It adds body and
shine to fine, dull lifeless hair. Your hair color seems brighter because the
hair has more shine. Henna has no lifting action, so the color you choose will
depend on the natural or tinted hair color that you have.
Mehendi…
Mehendi originated in Egypt and in Middle Eastern
countries during ancient times, and it was spread to India by the Muslims.
Since the twelfth century, Mehendi has been used all over
India. Mehendi came into use because of its cooling therapeutic effect in a hot
climate and, in India, it was also a way for a bride and groom to get to know
one another before an arranged marriage.
Recently, Mehendi has become popularized in the West by
musicians and Hollywood personalities and is now a quickly rising trend among
women and men alike in world culture.
The art varies from country to country, spanning
different cultures and religious traditions, and making it possible to
recognize distinctions in cultural style. Other tribes or people that use
Mehendi are: Arabs, Africans (North Africa), Asian and Middle Eastern.
Before the wedding the bride and many other women would
gather together for a bonding ritual.
In this ritual the women would cover the bride’ hands and
arms up to her elbows and feet and legs up to her knees in Mehendi designs.
After the wedding, while the Mehendi is still present on
her body, the bride does not have to do any housework. Because women do such
hard work as house wives in these countries, it is very important that the
Mehendi stays for a long period of time. The decoration period can take up to
five hours making the design very intricate and beautiful. The amount of time
spent on the Mehendi is also used to teach the new bride patience. Arranged
marriages were and are still often used in India and the Middle East. Because
of this, the bride and groom aren’t usually familiar with each other.
The women hide the name of the groom in the bride’s
Mehendi. Before the marriage the bride and groom meet to get to know each other
better. To do this, the groom has to find his name in the bride’s Mehendi. This
is also for good luck. If the groom finds his name in the bride’s Mehendi it is
a sign that they will have a long and happy marriage. Mehendi contains magic.
According to a nomadic Moroccan tribe called the Berbers, henna has been known
in the East from ancient times to the present day for its power to protect, to
bring luck and to provide material as well as spiritual wealth, most especially
when used in ceremonies having to do with rites of passage.
In general, henna is thought of as a lucky charm or
blessing. It wards off the evil eye, guards against black magic, harmful
genies, and all other dangerous supernatural forces or entities.
Mehendi Ceremonies: Mehendi is used during these times to
celebrate a very important event.
This ceremony can be strictly for the individual, for a
family, or for a large number of people.
Cultural events and gatherings where Mehendi is used are:
childbirth, a girl’s first menstrual period & weddings. These are extremely
important events according to Middle Eastern and Indian cultures. Mehendi is
very cooling: Mehendi art started because of a need to cool down under the hot
sun.
The practice of Mehendi started out as a means of
air-conditioning in the desert. Among its mystical and medicinal properties,
the henna plant’s (Lawsonia Inermis is its botanical name) chief ability is to
cool down the human body.
Eventually, they found one large dot in the palm of hand
had the same effect. Other small dots were placed around it which gradually
gave way to artistic designs. From this they decided to get extremely creative
with extravagant lacy lines, flowers, and birds particularly peacocks.
Henna/Mehendi Enhances Beauty: Women will stain their
nails, skin, and hair with henna.
Henna cosmetics are made from the Egyptian evergreen
plant, Lawsonia inermis (henna).
There are four main types of Mehendi styles according to
different cultures. Although Mehendi exists all over the East through different
tribes and people, they each fall under one of these categories: Arabic,
Indian, African (North Africa), and Asian and Middle Eastern. Arabic Mehendi
features large, floral patterns on hands and feet, while Indian Mehendi uses
fine line, lacy, floral and paisley patterns covering entire hands, forearms,
feet and shins.
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