The Henna Community has been abuzz for a month since Beyoncé debuted her Bollywood-styled self in Coldplay's Hymn for the Weekend video. I spent ages trying to get a good look at the artistry in the video, but we never got a good look at her henna. Well, this week Queen Bey posted her mehndi on Instagram, and we all finally got a good look at the simple mandalas and palm designs featured in the video.

And what's better, the artist herself shared the inside scoop!

Sumita Batra has been a blessing to the henna community, helping catapult mehndi into the mainstream back in the mid-90s. She was known for her exquisite bindi work, and only practiced mehndi on the side of her beauty business. When she had the opportunity to work with Madonna and Gwen Stefani, Sumita didn't think much about how her artwork would affect thousands of artists in the world. She was just creating a beautiful look for her client, and we all benefitted from the explosion in popularity in henna because of her enthusiasm.

When Sumita was brought on to the Beyoncé shoot, she suggested adding natural henna paste and letting the fresh stain show through the shoot. Of course, a Bollywood star isn't complete without her mehndi, so we were thrilled to see the whole package. Sumita directed the styling for the mehndi, and her associate Prabhuti Patel brought the vision to life. After nearly 30 years in the beauty industry and developing carpel tunnel syndrome, Sumita works in collaboration with her team at Ziba Beauty, teaching the next generations of beauty professionals.

In fact, it was a teaching opportunity that brought Henna Caravan and Ziba Beauty together in the fall of 2014. Carissa McQueen, along with Neeta Sharma, was asked to travel with Sumita Batra to Cambodia, where we taught henna and threading to 40 women. In conjunction with Shinta Mani Foundation and Senhoa, the week long course helped to provide a safe and reliable industry for young women, many of whom came from very challenging backgrounds or were survivors of trafficking.

This entire experience embodies what we love most about henna. Henna brings women together, provides safe and fulfilling job opportunities from the farmer to the artist, and helps create more beauty in the world.

Cheers to Beyoncé, Sumita, Prabhuti, and all the women who help bring the world together through a shared love of beautiful henna art.

Happy Valentine's Day!

A couple weeks ago we had the THRILL of working with some of LA's hottest event professionals. Our "bride" met us on a Wednesday evening, where Jessica then spent the next 4 hours hanging out and creating these beautiful full arm and leg floral pieces. They knew they wanted something gorgeous and romantic, but otherwise had no constraints. How fun is that? It's not often an artist gets to do exactly what she wants, so this was especially fun for the HC team.

The shoot itself took place on Sunday, which meant that the all natural henna had plenty of time to get super dark! Remember, if you want henna for a special event, make your appointment at least 2-3 days beforehand for peak color. That means your Valentine's Henna should be done on Feb 10 for best effect!

Keep an eye out for these gorgeous shots on instagram. It was a team effort and everybody had so much fun creating this look.

Photo by@thisischarliet
hair by me @missrockabillyruby 

makeup by@erikareno_artistry 

coordination by@artandsoulevents 

flowers by @insta_kategilbert 

model @cinemansugar

henna by Jessica at @hennacaravan

And just for some extra giggles, here's some simple heart designs for your valentine's day inspiration!

Designs we LOVE to LOVE!

Love is in the air... And just like everybody else, February makes us all twitterpated. But you don't need to put little love hearts in your henna designs to make them "romantic". Henna is a beautiful art that evokes romance in its own right. Femininity and sensuality are natural aspects of henna, regardless of what type of design elements you are using.

Here's just a few of our inspirations this month, from some of our favorite global artists!



This is a design by @anoushka_irukandji, one of our favorite antipodean artists. She creates structured and symmetrical pieces that recreate motifs found in nature as well as recalling ancient bronze metalworks. Her Australian roots show, too, in the patters and fills she uses.

This amazing design is by Fatima Oulad Thami, and you can follow her work at @hand.of.fatima She is an incredible Moroccan artist who lives in the Netherlands. She uses glass syringes to make these awesome geometric pieces. And just check out her stain! We love how red this design looks and how sweetly it plays with the hand. 

This collaboration was by Veronica Lilu and Levgeniia Fyokla out in Ukraine! We absolutely love these open and light styles. They are so romantic and simple, and can make your hand look so beautiful. Thanks for the fantastic share! You can find more  at @fyoklamehndi

Know any artists we should check out? We love seeing the work of henna artists, and seeing women connecting all over the world. Its incredible how henna brings so many people together in celebration and love. Let us know your favorites so they can be our favorites too!

How did the Henna Caravan girls get started, anyway?

Jessica and Carissa, Festival ~2006

People are always asking us "How did you get started in henna?" My answer: "My sister made me!" It's true, but not many people know how Jessica McQueen first came to henna, and how we started Henna Caravan as a family project.

I've known Jessica my whole life, after all she is my big sister. When I was born, she couldn't wait to play with my hair, share shoes, and go on tons of adventures. Wouldn't you know I always hated people doing my hair and I have weird tiny feet? So options 1 and 2 were right out. But option 3? We have had many adventures together, and Henna Caravan is just one of them.

When I began working with Jessica, I was only 12. My mom, Flavia, told me I had to go help. There wasn't even an "or else", I just had to. I was doing the sisterly duty, keeping her company at weekend festivals, whining when I got bored, and basically being a nuisance. She didn't mind, though. She was discovering how to turn her passion and talent into a business. She was making her living as an artist!

Jessica at Cajun Festival, 2010

Jessica studied painting at the prestigious California College of Arts in Oakland, Ca. She immersed herself in the vibrant cross-cultural melting pot that is the Bay Area, and through her studies learned about myriad forms of beauty and traditional arts. Henna was one of these arts. At the time, information on henna in the western world was very limited. The internet was shiny and new and slow. The books on henna were nonexistent. The only way to learn was to talk face to face with the people who knew.

Jessica McQueen, 1999

And so my big sister started her quest to find out everything about henna. She would talk to shop owners in Little India, who shared their henna powder, much of it sifted for hair use. Pakistani immigrants would clasp her hand and say how she reminded them of their family members who were still back in the old country. North African women would nod and drop a bit of family knowledge - "You use lemon sugar on top, right?".

Jessica McQueen, 1999

With all these different people, learning about henna was like a treasure hunt. Recipes back then were like Grandma's secret marinara sauce; you never quite got the whole picture. But it was fun to piece all the puzzles together, and Jessica soon became nearly obsessed with henna as an art, a women's craft, and a beauty practice.

Ask her now and she'll gladly say how ugly and messy her first designs were. I only wish I had a picture to show you all of those very first attempts. We could all smile together and remember our early goes at swirls and humps and fills, all a bit sideways and wibbly, but filled with joy. In my opinion, Jessica always made something beautiful and elegant, right from the very start.

Henna was just starting to make headway into western consciousness at this time- mid/late 90s. Those early festivals, Jessica would take a book and a chair and sit all day, giving henna to 5 or 10 customers, answering questions for a lot more. Then Madonna and Gwen Stefani and a half dozen other pop stars were sporting hennaed hands and anklets, and suddenly every teenage girl worth her crop top and platform flip flops needed henna!

Filming "David Tutera" ~ 2011 

This was where my mom and I came in. The festivals went from slow, to steady, to frenetic. People waited in line for an hour for a little anklet or an arm band. My mom and I would talk to customers. We'd explain to anybody who would listen what henna is. We would show them designs and help put on lemon-sugar sealant. One day,  the line was particularly long, so my sister threw me a bottle and said "Get to work sister!"

And that, more or less, is the story of how Henna Caravan got started. Mom, Jess, and me! There's nothing better than getting to spend every day hanging out with your best friends, sharing art around the world, and playing in glitter. We're very lucky ladies.

Mixing henna during Winter

This past month has been unbearably cold in the Henna Caravan office. We have radiators going all day to keep our toes and noses warm. How cold is it, you ask? We won't tell you. Our midwest and east coast friends will make fun of us for being wimps. Suffice it to say that the adhesive has come home for a sleepover until the warm weather returns.

You may not know this, but adhesive isn't the only thing here that dislikes the cold. Henna is not a fan either, and mixing paste when the weather gets chilly can be frustrating and confounding if you don't account for the few degree difference.


Why does heat this matter? Here's a quick visual of what henna molecules do in different temperatures. (totally scientific examples, we swear!)

When henna is warm, its Joan dancing at the holiday party!

When henna is cold, it has this face.

So, what is the best way to mix henna when the birds fly south for the winter? Our advice is pretty simple- keep it cozy.

You need:

incandescent light source
digital thermometer


When its in the 20s and 30s outside, your home temperatures are a little less predictable. You may keep your heat or radiator on low overnight but blast it in the morning and evening. You may like it to be a bit more roasty toasty with the temperature set up near 75, but there's a draft through that old door. Its important that your henna have a steady, warm temperature to sit at.

Here's a few tricks to help find a nice place for your henna bowl to sit no matter what the weather is doing outside.

1. Stove Light - we make a tower of bowls and canned goods to make sure our henna has a steady temp during chilly nights. 
2. Oven Light - a cool oven with the light on will make just enough warmth for your henna to process consistently even if your house is very cold. 
3. Gooseneck Lamp - this kind of lamp can be positioned easily, and as long as you have an incandescent bulb it will provide a steady source of heat to keep your henna from becoming too cold.
4. Next to your electronics or appliances - many people have a cozy spot on top of or near their refrigerator or other appliances that stay on all the time. 

These places all give off a bit of steady heat. That will ensure the molecules in your henna are doing their business, and not just sitting around.


Places that are NOT good to warm your henna, even though they seem like a good idea the first time your try.

1. Oven on "warm"- that's about 200 degrees and will cook your henna!
2. Microwave- don't nuke your henna!
3. In a double boiler- it will cook your henna!
4. By a window- the window will by much cooler than any other part of your house, and the temperature will fluctuate more as the sun comes and goes.
5. Your Car - in the summer your car gets way too hot, in the winter it gets way too cold. brrrr!

So, snow bunnies, what other challenges can winter weather bring? 

Pure henna over salt'n'pepper grey

Last year when I posted our Henna over Grey tutorial, I completely forgot to include pictures. I was scrolling through some photos and came across these three from a dear friend in Australia. She dyed her hair using only pure henna, and documented the result. If pure henna is too "bright" for you, try adding a bit of indigo, or doing a 2-step process to get darker color. I love this color on her, though, and love the natural highlights her grey streaks create!

Elizabeth's Before:

Immediately after application:

And 48 Hours after application!

Henna permanently dyes the hair follicle, so after you reach your desired depth of color, you can do easy keep up with your roots! Tone down the reds with amla, mix with cassia for more strawberry hues, or use indigo to get a range of browns and even black.


To see some of Elizabeth's henna work, visit her facebook page Henna Oasis. She is located on the Gold Coast.

For video tutorials of how to apply henna to hair, visit HennaCaravanTV  or click the links in the side bar.

Keep up your skills!

We all "know" how important it is to practice, but do we really *know*? When you've been doing something as long as the HC team has been doing henna, you can get comfortable and forget that your basics still need constant training. Just like an athlete trains everyday, we as Henna Artists have to train every day to keep our skills up.

Last fall, we waived goodbye to the youngest McQueen sister as she jetted off to London to start a Master of Arts in Children's Literature. She's been an important team member since Henna Caravan was founded and worked full time in the warehouse from 2010 to 2012. She is infamous among our professional friends for never wanting to wear henna herself, but has a gorgeous style in her work and loves to create new designs. You may have seen her Sudanese or Art Deco-inspired design books. However, after not touching a cone for over 6 months, she was surprised to find out her muscles just did NOT remember how to do the work!

Take a look at some of her designs from the last year, and her latest attempts after an extended break from the medium.

New Orleans Jazz Fest 2012 ©CMcQueen

Spring 2012 ©CMcQueen

Custom Design, ©CMcQueen

Art Nouveau Thistle Design ©CMcQueen 2012

One year later, and after a full 7 months of NO henna at all:

Mandala, April 2013 ©CMcQueen
    

Lines and balance are off and Carissa struggled to do even this small simple design. We forgive her, though, as she has dedicated the fall and winter to her education and fabulous life in London, England.

We know a lot of you like to take the winter slow, and may not be ready for the henna season. So, here's a little 4 day bootcamp for all of you getting back into the swing of things this May!

Day 1) Basic Shapes

Dots, s-swirls, small leaves/sprouts, spirals and basic M-shaped petals. Do 50 of each of the basic 5 shapes by themselves. Then do 10 one-minute designs that combine two elements.

Day 2)

Start with doing 10 each of the basic 5 shapes. Then do 10 one-minute designs that combine 2 elements. Finally, do 10 three-minute designs that use 3-5 of the basic shapes.



Day 3)

Start again with 10 each of the basic 5 shapes as warm up. Do 5 one-minute designs using 3 elements. Now that you're warmed up, it is time to go over the larger foundational shapes.

Paisley, Mandala, Hearts, 5-Petal Flower and basic Arabesque. Practice one page of each of these 5 foundational elements.


Day 4)

Warm up with your 5 basic shapes. Then start with your foundational elements (Paisley, etc) and spend 5 minutes with each reviewing their shape ad formation. Last, choose 3 elements and create 3 less-than-five-minute designs with them.


This should take less than an hour each day, and will jumpstart your muscle memory and your creativity. By limiting your shapes and elements, you'll become a more resourceful artist. By working on the VERY basics, you'll remind your muscles how to work with the medium and you will gain speed and confidence. Pick up these exercises anytime you think you're getting rusty, or just want a little direction in your henna journey.

Henna weather is here, so let's get the season started off right!


UPDATE: After we posted this, we thought "Why not create a tutorial for you  all to download?" Well, here it is. Scroll down to Boot Camp Basics for your free PDF and get your henna on!