I found this beautiful poem dedicated to henna and just had to share it with you. I think I will have to start a page dedicated to henna and beauty. any one who has a lovely poem they would like to share please send it in to me and I will start a collection.

A KOKILA called from a henna-spray:
Lira! liree! Lira! liree!
Hasten, maidens, hasten away
To gather the leaves of the henna-tree.
Send your pitchers afloat on the tide,
Gather the leaves ere the dawn be old,
Grind them in mortars of amber and gold,
The fresh green leaves of the henna-tree.


A kokila called from a henna-spray:
Lira! liree! Lira! liree!
Hasten maidens, hasten away
To gather the leaves of the henna-tree.
The tilka's red for the brow of a bride,
And betel-nut's red for lips that are sweet;
But, for lily-like fingers and feet,
The red, the red of the henna-tree.

Sarojini Naidu

If you have a poem you would like to share please submit here

Did you know that you can make henna based nail polish?  Well you may not know but it has been around for centuries, in fact it can be traced right back to the egyptians and indeed is still used by many middle eastern women today.

So today I am going to let you into a little secret they have been keeping to themselves so that we can all have a little fun.

Add some water water to a small amount of henna powder. The mixture should be thick enough to spread on nails but should not be to runny or it will just run off your nails.

Taking care not to get the henna mixture on your skin (because it stains) spread the henna on nails with a nail polish brush or a nice small paint brush (pinch the kids)

Allow the henna to dry either naturally in the sun, difficult in this country so dry with a nail dryer or a small fan, or if you have the time just chill in front of the tv and let it dry on its own.

Once the henna mixture has dried completely on nails rinse under the tap.

The result will be a gorgeous soft pink colour which is not goint to chip. The colour will slowly fade over time.

Any remaining mixed henna can  be kept for a short time in plastic but cannot be kept for too long as the power of henna diminishes once mixed and exposed to air for any length of time.

Henna Herbals sells henna in several sizes 20g, 50g, 100g 500g & 1kg

Ancient History of Mascara

The Egyptians are first known peoples to use mascara. They use bone and ivory as applicators and made a concoction of kohl, crocodile dung, honey and water. Kohl was made with charcoal or soot, galena or malachite.

The kohl was used as eyeliner and the mascara to thicken the lashes

Egyptians used mascara to ward off evil spirits and bad energy as well being used in celebrations, war and in death.  It was worn by both men and women.

In Greece the women rubbed powdery black incense into their eyelashes & made their mascara from plants and minerals.

The Romans believed that over sexuality made eyelashes fall out and that long black eyelashes were would prove a woman’s chastity. They applied a mix of burnt rose petals, date stomes, soot and stibium to make their mascara and applied this on their eyelashes

The Babylonians also used black mascara whilst the anicient Persians tended to use henna to colour their face and hair.

Since those ancient times mascara and eyeliner has undergone many changes and of course we no longer use soot or crocodile dung phew!!! Unfortunately we most of these products now contain many potentially harmful chemicals and irritants.

But there are alternatives and you can now shop for mascara and eyeliner made from natural ingredients free from parabens & chemicals.Water based, sugar based, henna based, you name we got it, if you don't see what you would like please let us know.

How embarressing for poor Sarah Murdech when she inadvertently announced the wrong girl as the winner of  the Australian Next Top Model competition.

Red faced and almost in tears when she realised the gaff repeatedly apologising the runner up Martinovich was the one who diffused the situation with her  gracious understanding and quickly congratulated the correct winner Amanda Ware.

For compensation she will get £12,000 and a trip to New York.

Click on the link below for the  full story.

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Australias-Next-Top-Model-Wrong-Winner-Gaffe-Kelsey-Martinovich-Amanda-Ware-

The best natural eyebrow pencils and lip liners

 With a little bit of gorgeous natural henna added to the other natural gentle ingredients to make these super liners & brow pencils stay on just that little bit longer than the norm. No harsh chemicals to irritate skin, no nasty black or coloured artificial dyes, just pure natural kind ingredients to treat your skin the way it deserves.

3 colour choices for eyebrows. Lots of colours to choose for eyes and even more colours to complement lips. The only thing you have to worry about is which colour to choose!

Mineral Makeup - The alternative option 

First I start with some glorious pics

Mineral powder foundations and blushes are light, finely ground loose minerals based on  titanium and zinc oxide, which are both naturally occurring that are buffed into the skin using a wide, fluffy brush.

They do not clog your skins pores & will not irritate acne prone skin because it does not contain the additives that generally cause the problem so they are especially good for those with sensitive or problem skin. Especially good for young people due being chemical free & the light and natural look which can be obtained. Use more foundation if you want a heavier coverage.

No nano or micronized particles are used

100% natural - made from natural mined minerals with no added chemicals, no parabens, no bismuth oxychloride and no added perfumes or dyes.

Not tested on animals

Most of these products (all the powders) are suitable for vegans as they are carmine free (a red colourant used in cosmetics derived from crushed cochineal beetles) The lip and liner products are suitable for vegetarians but not vegans

Mineral makeup is suitable for rosacea sufferers - the foundations give great coverage so is beneficial to those with scars, birthmarks and spots

Brushes are 100% synthetic bristles making them 100% animal friendly

The powders are made in the UK and comply with EU regulations

Beautiful nails without chemicals

Are you like me always after the latest nail colour.  I adore nail polish and am always changing mine to fit my mood.

Why not try something from our great range of chemical free nail polishes.  If you are anything like me then you will understand my dislike of the smell that comes off regular nail polish, very chemically and unpleasant lingering in the air long after you have applied the polish.

Here there is a great range of water based varnish from Honeybee Gardens,   Suncoat and Zoya. All chemical odour free.

Who said you can't have it all?

I thought it was high time to chat a bit about these great new products.

Henna makeup may sound strange and perhaps a little scary but I can assure you that they are fabulous. I use my eyebrow pen every day to cover up my sparse eyebrows and add a some colour to my faded tired old brows.

The ingredients are all natural with no chemicals added.  A small amount of natural henna is added which is why it stays on for longer than the average brow or liner pencil.

Now when we say it's semi permanant one must be careful not to think in terms of permanat tattoos or henna colouring on hair which  lasts a whole lot longer than the makeup.  Henna makeup will last longer thanan average liner and may stay on to some degree over night but  the time it will take to wear off will be dependent on your skin & sweat glands. All I can say is that I adore mine, it's soft, easy to apply & if I make a mistake it is easy to take off with some ordinary cleanser. The colours are not harsh, will not irritate your eyes and look beautiful.

If you have purchased one of these henna makeup products let us know what you think of them