My recipe is constantly changing. It's fun to play the chef, always experimenting and creating wonderfully smelly mixtures; the anticipation to see the result is one reason why my hands are always covered in henna. The tips from other artists on the Henna Page Discussion Forum are extremely helpful. One recipe I found to produce a dark espresso color involved making a doughy ball of henna powder and lemon juice, covering it and refridgerating it over night, then mixing in the special mordant the next day. My results are always better when I leave the paste to rest at least 24 hours. I have found no difference between refridgerated and unrefridgerated henna.
Your recipe depends upon your own skin type. My own skin does not need the extra oil (clove, mustard, eucalyptus, or mehlabiya) applied on the surface, or in the paste itself; some mehndi artists, however, swear by the oils. I have used lemons, limes (both fresh and dried), tamarind, cloves, espresso, coffee, and tea at one time or another in my mordants. They give the paste a nice scent, but something as simple as lemon juice and the powder would work just as well. Try Catherine Cartwright Jones' wonderfully easy recipe at the tapdancinglizard.com. All sorts of other spices can be found at Indian grocery stores (like Shriji Enterprises)--experiment and develop your own recipe. Trial and error is a must. Just remember--fresh, sifted henna is very important. The powder should be a bright springy green, never dark or olive colored. Many mehndi artists recommend castlearts.com henna; I have not tried it myself, but it is next on my list. Shriji's henna is a beautiful bright green, but I have found it still needs to be sifted a few times before using. I prefer plastic bottle applicators to cones and toothpicks. I have better control with these bottles; they are quick and my hand does not cramp up at all.
After you have completed your design, remember to wrap it with toilet paper and cover with a plastic bag or Reynold's cling wrap, to keep the paste hot and moist. If the henna dries out, it will flake off, and you can kiss your beautiful work bye-bye! The plastic bag also forms a sort of mini sauna for your hand (or whatever body part you have chosen to decorate), opening the pores and letting the henna dye in.
