Frequently Asked Questions

Henna is a small flowering shrub/plant that grows in humid climates. The leaves of this plant contain a potent dye that, when dried, crushed, and mixed with other ingredients creates a smooth, silky paste. This paste is then put into an applicator and used to draw on the skin.

When the paste dries and flakes off, a beautiful stain is left behind. The stain continues to darken over the course of 2 to 3 days, and the mature stain can last up to 2 weeks with proper aftercare.

Many henna artists do not like to refer to a henna design as a tattoo, mostly because there is a different connotation attached with the word tattoo (namely needles and pain). Henna is totally painless and temporary body art.

In addition, tattoos are generally considered rebellious, a way of standing out from the crowd. Henna does not carry that connotation. It is common to see elderly grandmothers and women from all walks of life wearing henna designs. This is because henna is, first and foremost, an adornment, a way of beautifying oneself, especially in preparation for a special occasion such as a wedding or a holiday. The art of adorning the body with henna is a tradition that has been practised for thousands of years amongst different cultures and religions.

The henna plant grows in many places all over the world: Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, just to name a few. Many cultures and religions have traditions of henna, including but not limited to Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Zoroastrians, Buddhists and more.

Henna as a form of body art does not belong to any one culture or religion over another. It is a form of body adornment that holds special significance in many cultures around the world. Most popularly it is used in weddings (the bride, bridal party, and female guests), in celebration of holidays, to celebrate the birth of a baby, or other such happy occasions in a woman's life.

Our henna is completely organic and safe for the skin. We mix our own henna from dried ground leaves from the plant Lawsonia inermis, lemon juice, and essential oils.

This paste is then inserted into a cellophane cone that becomes the artist's tool.

Leave it on! Henna should be kept on the skin for a good 6 to 8 hours. Dried henna pieces will fall off periodically and that is okay.

Keep it dry! Stay away from water on the henna'd skin for as long as possible. 18 to 24 hours is ideal. This will give you the best possible stain.

Keep it warm. Henna loves heat, so whatever you can do to stay warm is a great idea. Take a stroll in the sun, sit by a fireplace or space heater, or use a hairdryer to warm your hands.

Wait, henna takes time to bloom on your skin. The stain starts off bright orange and steadily deepens to a rich chocolate brown over 1 to 2 days after you remove the paste.

Black henna is a paste made by mixing a little bit of henna and a whole lot of things that are really bad for your skin, namely PPD (a chemical found in black hair dye), charcoal, kerosene, and other chemicals. These chemicals can very easily seep into your bloodstream and cause painful sores and permanent scarring.

It is not safe. Henna is not black and will always stain in shades of red and brown. We do not use or condone the use of black henna.

One to two weeks on most people. The stain reaches its darkest colour 24 to 48 hours after the paste is removed, holds for several days, then fades gradually as your skin exfoliates.

Placement matters more than anything else. Hands and feet stain darkest and last longest because the skin there is thickest. Designs on the upper arm, shoulder, back or belly are naturally lighter and fade sooner.

Natural henna is a plant paste that sits on the surface of the skin, and we mix ours ourselves so we know exactly what is in it. Belly henna for baby showers is one of the things we are booked for most often.

What is never safe, pregnant or not, is black henna containing PPD. As with anything during pregnancy, check with your midwife or doctor if you have any concerns.

Rates depend on the type of event, how many guests need henna, how long you need an artist and where you are. Party and event work is normally priced by the hour. Bridal work is quoted per booking.

Send us your date, guest count and location through the quote form and we will come back with a firm price.

We are based in West Hartford and cover all of Connecticut plus Southern Massachusetts, including the Springfield area. We regularly work in Hartford, Farmington, Simsbury, Glastonbury, Manchester, Middletown, Bristol and New Britain.

We come to you, whether that is a home, a hotel, a banquet hall, an office or a festival field.

As early as you can, particularly for summer weekends, which are the busiest time of year. Bridal henna books out furthest ahead because it takes a longer session and often more than one artist.

That said, it is always worth asking about short-notice dates. We can sometimes cover them.

Glitter henna is hand-drawn work finished with cosmetic-grade glitter, so the design shows in full colour straight away rather than developing over a day or two.

It is very popular with children and at festivals, where people want to see the effect immediately. It washes off sooner than a traditional henna stain.