A Unique Prom Accent

The newest trend finding its way to the 2012 prom scene is both creative and amazingly unique. Many of you have probably already heard of henna tattoos. It is a temporary, plant-based ink that is painted onto the skin usually by hand. This art of Mehndi design stems from India. These elaborate designs are meant to awaken your 'inner light'. The designs can be as simple or as elaborate as you want but the end result is always jaw-dropping.

Henna ink has had a facelift over the past few years. The henna plant creates a natural red-brown color which is most often used when creating Mehndi designs but the cry for bolder colors has inspired companies like 'Hollywood Ink' to incorporate a rainbow of options in their henna products. This makes it easier to use henna as an accessory to your outfit.

It is recommended that you find a professional who works in designing henna tattoos. There are several websites that offer artist directories in your area. 'The Henna Page' (www.hennapage.com) is an infamous website used to find local, reliable henna artists. There is nothing more intriguing than an original henna design completed by a Mehndi artist. The quality of the design will be significantly higher than anything you could do on your own.

Go with a Pro

Although it is recommended that you find a professional henna artist there are alternatives. There are hundreds of companies that offer stencil designs made specifically for henna tattooing. The at-home process is a lot different than a professional setting so your own work will not likely last as long but the design, if applied properly, should still last for several days. It can be a little difficult to practice with a stencil due to the semi-permanent nature of the ink. You will want to be sure that you fully understand the removal process before attempting to practice. Your flaws may be semi-permanent as well. So be sure to practice at least two weeks prior to prom night so that any mistakes will have a natural fading time.

You will find that there are many available colors of henna. If you are choosing a color to specifically match your outfit then you may want to purchase a sample of the ink first. Do the same if you are planning to use black henna. Black henna has been linked to allergic reactions so try a sample before going all-out. No issues have been found in original and other colors of henna. If you plan to use a self-stencil then purchasing a sample will keep you from finding out too late that the color does not actually match the color of your dress.

If you are running behind and do not have time to purchase, receive and practice with a sample color then you may want to consider buying a complementary color. This way you do not have to worry about the ink matching exactly. A complementary color will brighten and bring focus to your dress without requiring an exact match. Just choose a color that will flatter your dress. Even a lighter shade of the same color would be more appropriate than trying to match a specific shade.