Henna Tattoo is not offered during downpours! We can be rained out.

Spirit Vision Henna will not be offering henna tattoo today. It was just raining in Murray Hill and various weather forecast services promise rain, severe weather, or more rain for henna time in Five Points. Rain is not good for a happy henna day. 

Many people do not know that henna is a heat activated body art and that the preparation of a good henna paste requires heat and dry weather. 

Our henna is cured outside on a lovely porch. I leave it on the ledge the first day. I will bring it in to rest, and essential oils and put it out to release the dye again the next day.

Just as we were putting the fresh paste into a henna cone, down comes the rain! 

At Spirit Vision Henna we want you to have the best possible outcome. We feel that  applying henna tattoo during a rainstorm is a waste of your money. 

If you are new to henna, you may not know that you have to wait 10 - 20 minutes for your paste to dry. (Humid days the paste takes longer to dry than on the bright sunny ones.) 

Applying henna paste in humid weather really doesn’t work as well as applying henna  in the Summer Sun. The paste seems to absorb water from the air regardless and this results in a poor quality stain. 

If you come in for a henna tattoo, spend time and money to buy a lovely design, Spirit Vision Henna wants you get the best color possible. We want you to take your henna tattoo out in to the sunshine and allow it to cure for several hours.  

Drying your henna in the sun helps you get good color. The hotter you get, the more you perspire, the more your pores will open. This allows the paste to penetrate deeper into your skin. 

Spirit Vision Henna artists do not want to send your new henna tattoo (paste on the skin) out into the rain! Henna will smudge when it is wet. Rain is wet. Getting rain on your new henna can cause the paste to run, and this paste will leave stains we don’t want! 

Henna designs will take 48 hours to develop. After you scrape the paste off your skin you will keep a light layer of oil on the design area to keep henna in and water out. 

To get a good stain there are steps you can take to keep your henna hot while you stay cool:

1. After you scrape the paste from your skin, you may choose to wear a glove to keep your henna warm.
2. Please keep oil on your henna tattoo to keep the heat in and water out. 
3. You may choose to use a blow dryer to heat your henna up from time to time.
4. If you got henna on your wrist or inner arm, you may also use a plastic film to trap heat and help the color develop. 
5. I am hoping next week we will have good weather!

We look forward to a bright Sunny Saturday next week. 

See you soon. 

Spirit Vision Henna.

Jagua or Henna • Which to Choose

Jagua does offer some advantages that henna tattoo just can't. Because Jagua is not a heat activated paste an artist can apply it most anywhere on your body. 

For those who want temporary tattoos on the shoulders, back, side, thigh or other areas where henna is not use, this product will stain your skin. 

I do see that stencils are often sold with the kits, so if you are a beginner to this kind of art, you are in luck! You can transfer the pattern and trace it using  a squeeze bottle with a needle style tip. 

I kept doing research and have decided I will not take up the art form for the following reasons:

Cost: 
Henna Paste: I can make a several cones of first class henna paste with fresh powder and premium oils for less than $5.00 a cone.  

A 2 oz squeeze applicator of Jagua at retail costs $25.95. The kits are about the same price. I would have to charge far more for Jagua tattoos than I do for henna. 

Texture: 
Henna: I can mix the henna to be just as I like it. A more liquid paste penetrates your skin and dries more slowly (10 t0 15 minutes) so that you get a great color. 

Jagua: It is sold as a gel if I buy a pre-mix, so I have little control of the way it flows. If I buy a mix it up kit, then I can have more control but spend 3 to 5 times as much as I do for a henna cone. 

Dry Time:  
Henna: Henna paste will dry in 15 minutes. I will spray it with a lemon/sugar mixture (touch of clove oil) to help the paste stay on your skin as long as possible. You can then go out an enjoy the day. 

Jagua: Instructions suggest your remain still and allow 30 minutes to 1 hour for jagua to completely dry. There are additional instructions that indicate that getting a Jagua tattoo will define your day!

Placement:

Henna stains best on hands, feet, arms below the elbow and legs to the knee. I also offer belly tattoo for pregnancy and henna art for the head for chemo patients. 

Jaugau sites show photos of Jauga tattoo in many places I cannot place henna. Jagua vendors offer the same suggestions about placement for best color as I have listed above. 

Aftercare

Henna: You have control over the finished color. The longer you leave the paste on the skin, the hotter you get (sweating is good), the deeper the henna stain can  penetrate your skin.  

As well, after you have taken the paste off if you keep a light coat of coconut, olive, or other natural oil on the skin. If you keep the area warm over the next 48 hours you can help your design darken and last longer. 

Jagua: The final result seems to depend on leaving the paste undisturbed on your skin for as long as possible. Just as with henna, it takes 48 hours for the final color to appear. 

I think I like the idea of henna best. Each person will get their own unique finished color. Henna paste can give a wide range of tattoo shades. I make a fragrant paste that many find refreshing to wear. 

I hope you find this post helpful. If you are having good experiences getting  Jagua, please send a note and I will reconsider. 

Henna Tattoo or Jagua? What are you seeing?

I had a few disappointed customers at the shop last Saturday. They brought in samples of Jauga body art and were hoping that I could do a henna tattoo similar to the ones they found online.  Most often the answer is no. 

Jagua is more of an ink.

Henna is a paste. 

Jagua stains the skin a blue/black color and is made from a plant found in the Amazon. 

Henna stains the skin a red to reddish brown (or black cherry red if we are lucky). 

Jagua is shown on the back, thighs, the neck, and the upper arms. 

Henna is for hands, arms, feet and legs! 

I will no longer try to accomodate those who want a henna on the thigh, back or neck. I will do an upper arm band with the statement that you will not get the same rich stain as you would if you put henna on the palms of the hands or the inner wrist. 

Even if I bring the best paste possible to the event, if you do not follow the aftercare tips, then you may not get as dark a design as is possible. 

Please be sure you have No lotion, No sunscreen and No hand sanitizer on your skin. To work, henna has to actually come in contact with your skin! 

Notice the henna is darkest at the fingers. Lighter on the arm.

Please put the henna where you are going to be able to keep an eye on it through out the day. The best color happens when people leave the paste on 4 to 8 hours. 

To get really good color, please sweat?? If you go home to an air conditioned room set at 72 degrees you will not get the same dark stain as someone who wanders about the arts markets or walks by the river for a few hours. 

Henna is a heat activated body art! Heat is good. 

Things that are not good for henna: 

Washing the paste off. ( Scrape off & then apply a natural oil.) 

Removing the paste in less than four hours. 

Cholrine water. 

Swimming pools. 

So, most of the photos you see on my pages are photos of the henna paste on the skin. Sometimes people send me the “affter” photos.  

The best after photos /best color designs are from those women who really work to get the best color. Here are some tricks they use to get good color:

They have the design applied to their hands!
They stay warm.

They may dab the design (or spray it) with their own lemon juice/sugar/water mix through the day. 

They may sleep with a sport sock on their hand. 

They might oil the design and then blow dry it for 5 minutes off an on through out the first day. 

It takes 48 hours for the finished color to appear on the skin. This gives lots of time for you to help the process along. 

Of course many people get great color without doing anything extra at all. 

I write this because I want  you to have the best, darkest, longest lasting henna tattoo possible. Also to emphasize I do not do Jagua. 

Shant!! 

How to Get the Best Henna Tattoo

In Jacksonville, Florida, you have the opportunity to be decorated in the “color of love” by an artist with 20 years experience in the art of henna tattoo. 

Henna tattoo is a body art that stains the skin leaving a red to reddish brown design that can last 7 to 10 days if you take good care of your canvas.       

Fresh and fragrant henna paste is made using food grade tea & spices. First quality essential oils and fresh henna powder are combined to make a calming paste that flows easily onto your skin.     

Traditionally applied to the hands and feet, the purpose of henna is to compliment the natural beauty of the client. Every one has different hands!  Some are more square, some long and thing, some are oval and some are rugged. 

Every design will not look good on you. In fact, if you are a tiny person, some of the designs you see online may not fit as pictured on your hand.  

It is good to tell your artist the style of henna you like, or to have a few images in your phone of designs you prefer. Please note that a $15 design will give you a simple, yet lovelyhenna design.

If you would like a full backhand henna design with cuff, then that pattern choice will cost more. Henna pricing is determined by the amount of time it takes to accomplish your pattern. 

Some hennas that take up a lot of room on the hand may cost $15 as the art is open and bold.   Other henna tattoos that cover the backhand with a cuff may cost $30. (Pricing is per hand - or foot. )

If you do choose to have henna applied to your feet here are few tips:

• Wear shoes that do not cover the area where you want the design. 

• Please come when it is not raining! 

• Please exfoliate and do not apply any lotion to your feet at all! 

So, to get the best henna tattoo, tell your artist the styles you like and how much you want to spend. Then, relax and enjoy the experience. 

Spirit Vision Henna has a large portfolio of images to look at when you come to the shop. As well there are many photos on this blog. Like us on Facebook to see even more patterns. 

You can walk in most Saturdays between 12:30 & 5:00 pm to get a henna tattoo at Midnight Sun in Five Points, Jacksonville. We are pleased to work in one of the loveliest shops in town.

If you have a bit of a wait, there is so much to see! 

Henna Art • Relax & Be Decorated!

Many first time henna clients in Jacksonville, Florida are new to the idea of henna, or mehandi which is a temporary “tattoo”. 

There are no needles used. A fragrant paste is created by your artist to stain your skin. The finished color depends on you! 

The goal of a true henna artist is to make you look beautiful! Every woman has a different hand shape and therefore I design a custom tattoo to make your hand, wrist, arm, foot or ankle as lovely as possible. 

Henna is a freehand art form, and as I have been practicing this art for 20 years, I just need a little bit of direction from you. I need to know if you like “Tribal”, “Floral” or “Traditional” henna patterns. 

While it is fine to bring along a photo from the Internet to give me an idea of the style you like, on a “Walk In” henna day the goal is for everyone who wants some art to enjoy the process and receive a lovely design. 

Complex designs that look great on Pinterest usually take a good while to apply, cost much more than $15 or $20, and may or may not make your hand look lovely. 

Many designs from the web that I am seeing these days are very symmetric! Henna hands don’t match. The beauty of the art lies between the chaos and the negative space. 

I have a portfolio of over 300 designs for you to review. I have pattern books as well, and you are welcome to browse through them to give me an idea of what you like. 

What works best is for you to tell me how much you want to spend and the style you like. Then, please allow me to give you the best henna tattoo for your hand shape and budget!

Please come with oil free, product free skin. (Henna cannot penetrate body oils & lotions.) Please put the henna some where you can allow the paste to be exposed to the Sun. Henna is a heat activated body art. 

This Saturday we should have a nice warm day, and no rain. Although a sunny day is best, partly cloudy will do just fine. Cash preferred. Debit & Credit accepted. Please visit my blog for more information. 

Henna day begins at 12:30 this Saturday, June 24, 2017 at Midnight Sun. This is one of the loveliest import stores I have ever seen. There are wonderful clothes, jewels, stones, soaps, incense.... I am sure you will enjoy the shop if there is a wait for your henna. 

For more information you may visit my Facebook page or call 904-993-7466.

Henna Tattoo & The Rainy Season in Jacksonville

Spirit Vision Henna will not be offering henna tattoo this Saturday, June 17, 2017 due to the long week of rainy weather. 

It has been raining every day for the last four or perhaps five days in Jacksonville, Florida. 

Although the forecast for Saturday promises 90 degrees and no rain, I am skeptical. 

I prefer to make henna paste when it is at least 80 degrees Farenheit and the weather is sunny. 

If it is 90 degrees, the henna powder will release good color in a day. 

At 80 degrees, I prefer to allow two days for the paste to develop. (I have always made my own henna paste with fresh, first quality ingredients.) 

As a henna artist who has been offering mehandi for 20 years, most often on Saturday, I can tell you that it seems that the weather is conspiring against me. Four or five years ago, henna season began in late February or early March.

As the weather stays cool longer, henna season starts later & later. This year I could not get a really offer first quality henna until early May. 

Many people do not know that henna is a heat activated body art and that the preparation of a good henna paste is required heat and dry weather. 

I cure my henna outside on my porch. I leave it on the ledge the first day. I will bring it in to rest, and essential oils and put it out to release the dye again the next day.

have not been able to make a fresh paste this week. The weather has been humid and overcast. Making henna paste in humid weater really doesn’t work well. The powder seems to absorb water from the air regardless of the protection I take to keep the paste dry. This results in a poor quality stain. 

If you come in for a henna tattoo, spend time and money to buy a lovley desing, I want you get the best color possible. 

If you take your henna tattoo out in to the sunshine and allow it to cure for several hours this really helps you get good color.  The hotter you get, the more you perspire, the more your pores will open. This allows the paste to penetrate deeper into your skin. 

The henna will take 48 hours to develop. Again, after you scrape the paste off your skin, if you will stay warm you will get a better stain. In short - the hotter you get, the better your finished color. 

72 degrees is too “cold” to get the best color.  80 or 90 degrees is just fine for a good stain. I realize that many people keep their homes in the low 70s in Summer. To get a good stain there are steps you can take to keep your henna hot while you stay cool:

• After you scrape the paste from your skin, you may choose to wear a glove to keep your henna warm.
• Please keep oil on your henna tattoo to keep the heat in and water out. 
• You may choose to use a blow dryer to heat your henna up from time to time.
• If you got henna on your wrist or inner arm, you may also use a plastic film to trap heat and help the color devleop. 

I am hoping next week we will have good weather! 

Henna Tattoo Patterns • Simple, Elegant Body Art in Jacksonville, Florida.

Here are a few photos from the Spirit Vision Henna event at Midnight Sun, 1055 Park Street, Jacksonville, Florida. Walk in for henna most every Saturday 12:30 - 5:00 pm. 

Henna Tattoo in Jacksonville, Florida

The artist of Spirit Vision Henna has 18 years experience in this temporary body art. She is able to do traditional, tribal and other styles of henna tattoo. 


These are a few samples of the kinds of styles of henna art you can get every Saturday from 12:30 - 5:00 pm at Midnight Sun, 1055 Park Street, Jacksonville, Florida, 32204. 

Henna tattoo is not at all like ink. It is an herbal dye. Each artist will make her own special blend to give you the longest lasting stain possible 

Henna tattoo is a hot weather art form! When you get your henna, be sure to walk around and enjoy some sun. When you are warm, your pores open and the henna can penetrate the skin to stain it. 

The first pattern is an original design. It is a cuff and one finger style.... this is a very popular style this year and there are many samples on line on our Facebook Page.

The second pattern is that of another artist. My client brought it in from the web. in general, I prefer to do my own designs, and I am able to do art in this pattern style. 

The last is another original. Usually clients will look at photos of art I have done and pick a few they like. I will make a special design for them based on their style choices. 

It is very important that you do not have any body lotion or antibacterial soap on your skin when you come to get a design, the henna cannot penetrate that chemical, and you will not get a good outcome.
  
Many people think that these pictures show the final tattoo. In fact these are photos of the paste on the skin. 

The finished color is always an reddish color. If you take good care of your henna you may get a dark red, ruby red or black cherry red. 

It is up to you. The longer you leave the paste on the skin, the hotter you get, the deeper the paste will stain. 

It is important to read the aftercare tips on this blog so that you will have the best color. 

You can also see photos of henna on and off the skin on this blog. Prices start at $15 and go up. Some of these designs were $15 and one may have cost a bit more. 

I will be sure to work with your budget. If you find a very complex design then it  is best to make a private appointment. Walk-in henna day is a day for everyone to get a taste! I am able to complete a simple henna tattoo in 10 minutes. More complex patterns take longer...... but the Midnight Sun is full of wonderful imported treasures!! 

Henna Time!! Finally it's hot enough to get a good paste & dark stain!

Here are a few photos from henna this season. Many people do not know:

1. Henna is a heat activated body art. 
2. The dark paste you see on the skin is Not the finished tattoo.
3. Henna stains darkest on the hands and feet.
4. Henna paste must stay on the skin at least 3 hours to give a dark stain.
5. Real henna is always a shade of reddish brown. 
6. Henna stains all skin colors. 
7. Everyone will have a different finished color. 
8. It takes 48 hours for your final color to show.
9. If you keep vegetable oil on your finished tattoo your color lasts longer.
10. Natural henna will last 7 to 10 days.     
11. An experienced artist can apply a good design in 10 minutes. 
12. Lemon sugar spray helps the paste stay on the skin.