10 Do's and Don'ts for the day your Mehendi is applied !

So you just sat for 6 straight hours to get those intricate bits of henna on your arms , and all you want to do now is collapse and fall asleep! We don't blame ya.  But here are some quick things to keep in mind to ensure you have a stress free 'mehendi application' day .

Photograph by Picture Art Company. From the Album: Sukhna and Shammi

DO :

•  Apply your mehendi a day before / on the morning of your actual mehendi function. Applying it while the function is happening is a common mistake. You are stuck in a chair , unable to enjoy the festivities around you, and it takes way longer than it would if you do it peacefully

• Keep a straw and a water bottle (or mojito jar ;) ) next to you. You wont be able to drink much water on your own, and even once your mehendi is dry, it is preferable not to touch a glass which is slightly wet , so ensure there is a straw next to you to keep you hydrated

• Arrange 2 pillows (to put your arms on), newspapers, neembu and cheeni with cotton  before hand for the mehendi wala so they don't have to run around asking for items in between.

• Get a mani/ pedi done before your mehendi application. Everyone will be looking at your hands the next day and you don't want to get it done after with soap and water coming near you

• If you are someone obsessed with super dark mehendi, then do put cloves on a tawa and hover your hands over it . Supposedly  this gives a pretty darn deep color! You may also want to apply a balm over your mehendi once its off - as long as you can stand how the balms smell!

• Be clear about which patterns cost how much . For example: even though a mehendi artist may charge 11000 Rs for bridal mehendi, if you ask them to draw figures from the baarat onto your mehendi, the rate can double and they don't always tell you that. Choose a pattern, and ask the price accordingly

• Wear something fluid, and comfortable without a dupatta . Sleeveless is preferable!

  DONT:

• Don't moisturize your hands on the day of the mehendi. This acts like a screen between the henna and your skin and you may not get the desired effect you wanted

• Don't decide your seating arrangement at the last minute. We repeat it can take upto 6 hours people- don't leave that chair where you sit as a last minute choice. Get one with a high backrest and one that has enough room for you to manoeuver

• Don't call your photographer  when your mehendi has just started. Chances are your mehendi is one of those smaller events that's been thrown into the package where the photog only comes for 3-4 hours. You want pictures towards the end when its nearing completion , and when its complete. A lot of times, photographers reach at the same time as the mehendi guys and then can only stick around for an hour or two-missing the most important shots at the end!

• Schedule anything else on the day of your mehendi application. Trust us, its exhausting sitting in that chair and you don't want to pick yourself up and start to get ready for another function soon after.

• Dont keep your hair open if its longer than mid back length. The last thing you want is dealing with flyaways and sticky hair when you can't touch it