More Adventures with Henna

As promised, the color has settled and the red isn't as orange, instead it's richer and has tons of depth, dimension and shine.  The grays are totally blended in (they only look really orange if you don't allow your henna to cure properly or leave it on long enough, or use low quality stuff) and over-all I LOVE my hair. I cannot stress how silky soft it is, either.  I've always had a nervous habit of twirling my hair, but now I do it consciously sometimes just because I love touching it! 

Adventures with Henna

I have been asked on a number of ocassions what I use to color my hair and who does it. The answers are, "Henna" and "Me".

I have tried various hennas available in shops around here but, while acceptable, none of them have really been awesome until this time. I recently bought some Yemani henna from Henna Sooq. I LOVE it! The first difference I noticed from the henna that I've gotten from shops around here was when I started mixing it up. The powder is so finely sifted! There were no sticks or twigs that needed to be pulled out or anything like that. I let the henna "cure" for a little over 12 hours in the kitchen, then this morning I put it on and left it for about three hours. The texture of the paste was amazing; smooth as silk and putting it on my hair was so easy! I didn't have to struggle to get it to spread evenly down the locks of hair. I would have left it on longer if it hadn't started to drip down the side of my neck. I suppose I should try wrapping my hair tightly in plastic wrap next time around instead of just putting a plastic bag over it.

So, this is the result after I rinsed out the henna. I did not use shampoo, only conditioner to help the stuff rinse out easier. It's still slightly damp in the picture. Since henna takes a day or two for the color to settle, I'll post another picture in a couple of days so that you can see what the difference is. What I LOVE about henna is how soft and shiny my hair is, unlike when I would use hair coloring kits. Even after the most expensive ones, my hair would feel like straw. The gray hair is covered perfectly, and I absolutely love how natural it looks. Everyone assumes I am Irish -- which while I do have some Irish blood in me, is still a great compliment.

If you're curious about the recipe I used for my paste, let me know and I'll be happy to share it.