I always say bad henna paste is my enemy, oh! I hate bad henna paste. But, what is more? bad henna powder, i realized it is worse than bad henna paste. Let me tell you why?
You know that moment you are feeling so great and want to have a henna design on your hand for the next day outing, and you want the natural feel, you want to do away with all the chemical henna, and you are already fantasizing the smell of the fresh henna paste (I love the smell of fresh henna mix, Wait until you see me sniffing my fingers when I have natural henna on, and you will know how much I love it). Back to my story, so, In the spirit of wanting to get that natural henna for the next day, you couldn't concentrate on the work you were doing, so, you got up, took a shower, changed into a casual gown, pick up your purse and go out in this scorching Ilorin Sun to go buy henna powder at Oja Oba (Oja Oba is the only market you get natural henna powder and is about 6kms drive from my house), after going through all the buzzing and huzzing of the Oja Oba market, you got your henna powder and took a cab back home.
Because of that trouble, you needed to spend an extra naira on chilled water to cool off first, run into the bathroom to take a shower again, and then finally sit. Now time to mix the henna, first of all you have to sieve your henna because they won't sieve it in the market. So you take out your sieve and bowl and triple sift your henna, after sieving it three times, you still don't get that very powdery feel, so you double sift again, Yes, again! That makes it five times. You finish seiving and now want to mix the henna proper. let's say you are lucky enough to have all the other ingredients (sugar, lemon juice(distilled or rose water), ready made cone, and essential oils) at home, or if you are unlucky, you have to start looking for how to get those o. But being your lucky day, you have all, so you will just mix all the ingredients with the henna powder to give you your paste. As you are mixing your henna, you see that the paste is not creamy and stringy like you would want it to, but you were just hopeful that it will do the magic, so you finish mixing and put your henna into your ready made cone...........
*Let me take a glass of water o*
............. Now time to draw the henna design, you have this beautiful 'pepper dem' design you want to draw in your head, or you can browse through your phone to see the latest design rihanna did, so you starts to draw, you have not even finished that small spiral design, the henna paste begin craze, it isn't coming out well, it is all clogging, and it feels terrible. Do you know what I get when my henna paste is giving me such problem? Headache, instant headache, bad henna paste triggers headache for me (that is why it is my Enemy). Let's say that day, your sister was there with you, and she was encouraging you to finish that henna design, with all your possible best, you tried to finish the design..... THANK GOD, you finished...... THANK GOD O.
You think you are done? No o, that was just the part 1. Now it remains for your henna to dry, Natural henna have to stay on your hands for 6 hours before peeling off, then you don't allow contact with water for like another 24 hours so it stains can be maximized (but because I am muslim and I will pray, I did my henna after Ishai (1) and allowed it stay overnight. Peeled it off in the morning and apply coconut oil, because I wanted to pray fajr (2)). So let's say, you allowed your henna to stay for 18 hours before putting any water on it, What do you expect? I expect at least 80% stain but what did I get? The same stain (faint red stain) I got after peeling it off in the morning. If you were me, what will you do?
Because as it is, I am already crying, I can't rock my 'pepper dem' design to my today's outing after wasting time, energy and money.
You see why I said Bad henna powder is worst? it gives a bad henna paste, a bad henna stain and a whole lots of headache.
(1) last prayer of the day for the muslims. (2) first prayer of the fay for the muslims
