Handful of Henna

Day One of Henna after scraping the paste 

Day Two of the Henna after applying oil

Henna is a natural dye that is applied on the hands in a paste form. After the paste hardens you scrape it off and it leaves an orange-ish stain that gets darker as it oxidizes and the lighter as it fades away.

I got mine done at Dakshinachithra by some lady. It's not amazing by any standards, but it's really fun to get done. It doesn't have to look amazing. Plus, it's a fun way to get a non permanent tattoo. A lot of people get them done in India for special functions like weddings but they can go out and do it for fun too. There's always some people on the streets willing to do it for you in the city. 

Haha, don't laugh. As you can see I blotted out my face because I'm a paranoid freak. But yes, this is me getting henna (mehendi as we call it in South India). She took about twelve minutes--not very long at all. I waited about two hours before scraping the paste off, but really you can take it off in about half an hour.