Henna. A traditional body art that dates way way back to the ancient Egyptians (It's said that Cleopatra was a big fan of Henna...Go Cleo!) It is so pretty and such a lovely addition to a cute outfit.
Growing up, any time I was exposed to Henna (I was lucky enough to have Indian neighbours who would always invite me round during Diwali to get some Henna done with them!) it was the traditional style of brown dye that once dried would peel off and leave an orange like stain in a beautiful design. I remember always looking at the women how precise & quick they would be and how freely designs would come to them. It really is a cultural talent and a unique art piece.
In April I attended a event called Table Bay (look out for details of the next one for sure an event I would recommend you attend!) where different business owners and service providers all come together under one roof to promote their brands and services for a discounted prices for attendees.
Thats where I met Asma - she was doing a beautiful free hand henna design on a lady and it was with white ink which I had never seen before! I didn't have time to get a design done but took her details and decided I wanted to host my own girly Henna night! (As an event planner, I adore putting on little events for my friends and I love doing things we have never done before - so this for me was a perfect excuse for a get together, some wine, snacks and some to die for Henna!)
Asma was great to liaise with - she knows what she's talking about and theres no uncertainty with any questions I had to ask her. After a bit of back and forth with questions, designs and dates - we were scheduled in for a all white henna party!
The evening was so fun - the girls were getting creative with the designs they had in mind, we were in deep discussions - frequently bursting into fits of laughter and Asma fitted right in with the evening - a lovely, down to earth and bubbly character which was great. There was 16 of us and Asma managed to do great in detail designs in just over 2 hours (I even managed to squeeze in both of my hands which was great!)
We all loved it and had a great time and were very happy with our designs. With festival/wedding/party season aka summer fast approaching I would for sure recommend some henna as a perfect addition to your outfit. White henna especially is such a head turner and I had so many compliments on my design from various different people. I would say if your going on holiday for longer than a 2-3 day trip I would maybe recommend you get the darker traditional henna as it lasts a bit longer due to the henna staining your hand where as the white henna is just on the surface so doesn't last as long - so for me its perfect for a wedding day, festival, date night or cultural events.
Asma is also really reasonably priced and travels to you - which is always handy. Here are a few pictures of the henna she did for us - but be sure to check out her instagram for all type of henna and various designs (you'll peep some celebrity hands on there too!) @henna_by_asmaali
