Krysteen got us some small sample packets of two different hennas to try out - neither of us are happy with Jamila this year, and thought perhaps we could try something different. Although it's long, I'm going to post my very in-detail assessment of these hennas. I enjoyed writing this up. I hope you enjoy reading it...
My assessment of the two hennas:
a) I mixed and applied the hennas at the same time, to do a side by side comparison.
b) I did aproximately the same recipe for both - adjusting as necessary.
Part one: The mixing.
Both hennas were mixed first with just lemon juice to slightly-dryer-then-preferred lumpy consistancy. I didn't sift the yemeni henna (I don't have a sifter). I started off this way because I wanted to be able to smell the henna after the dye release. After release I added about 10 drops of euc to each one, mixed it up and rolled-coned it.
Dye release: Both hennas started their noticable dye release aprox 24 hours after mixing. I let them sit another 12 hours, for a total of 36 hours. By that point, the side-streak effect was plenty strong, and the hennas were sufficiently ready. They both looked to release at aprox the same rate - neither was more or less ready then the other.
Raj: The henna was finely sifted, easy to mix, and acted like I expect henna to act while mixing. It smelled like grassy henna, nothing special. I didn't need to add any more lemon, although I thought it was still a little too dry before adding the terp. After terp it was fine, although at that point it became noticeably more stringy. This is consistent with any other Raj I've worked with before.
Yemen: I knew the powder was full of twigs, but without a sifter I figured I'd go ahead anyway. It was quite a dry mix, because I remembered how wet yours was and I didn't want a repeat of that. I figured I can always add more lemon later, right? After the release, when I took the plastic off the top, there was a PUDDLE of wet on the top of the henna, and mixing it in, the henna almost immediately was too wet. It was like it had sweat over night. The smell was pungent and off, not overwhelming, but not subtle. It didn't have the grassy smell, more like ass. So, assey.
I added the euc and after lots and lots of stirring the consistency of the henna went from wet and assey to butt-mucus. Because I didn't have a sifter, I thought I would strain it through the toe of a stocking. That was one of the most disgusting experiences I've ever had. And I work with body parts, and have changed plenty of diapers. Butt-mucus henna...I almost threw it out. I didn't think I could work with it after that. And the worst part? It somehow didn't get the goddamn micro-twigs out, which I discovered soon after in the...
Application:
I had to cut a hole in the Yemen cone the size of fucking Yemen. This after it snotted out a string of mucus for about 6 inches ("Oh," I thought "It will be easy to drape, it's so stringy"), clogged, and then projected a twig-booger across the paper towel. I never got it to string more then 6 millimeters after that first booger. I managed to put a shaky S vine down the top of my foot. I almost threw the cone away after that.
In contrast, the Raj was also very stringy (I mean, wow.) but reasonable to apply. I practically had to twist the tail off the top of all my dots. It makes it hard to work quickly without being sloppy - but straight lines are nice, and points are eeeeasy and fine. I put Rajistani leaves and dots on the Yemeni s-vine.
I then put my foot on a heating pad to keep warm, and for a lark, touched up my left hand fingernail roots with the raj cone. I quickly noticed that the raj turns matte VERY quickly - I mean, surprisingly quickly. So it gives the impression of drying faster then normal (I don't know why it would...)
This concludes the mixing and application part of my assessment. It will be continued tomorrow or possibly the next day with the stain assessment.
A
(The design, after it had dried, obviously.)
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