Well, first things first, it's exceedingly green. I read on mehandi.com that Mangal has green dye in it, but this is crazy. Two of the other hennas I've used have contained green dye, but the colour difference is very noticeable. I'm used to a pale green, this is almost forest-green. Observe ;)

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee68/trippywallpaper/DSCN2548.jpg

-- Natalie

Oh, I'm a redhead! My hair is still damp but I think it is going to be just the color I wanted.

I sectioned out a little silver streak at my temple, coated it with eucerin cream (closest thing to vaseline I had) and kept it out of the mudpile. It really pops against the red! I'm so glad I bothered to do this.

Thank you, Nightshade, for the great recipe and instructions in your henna article!

You're so very welcome! I'm glad you love your hair color and the silver streak sounds divine! :flowers:



Well, first things first, it's exceedingly green. I read on mehandi.com that Mangal has green dye in it, but this is crazy. Two of the other hennas I've used have contained green dye, but the colour difference is very noticeable. I'm used to a pale green, this is almost forest-green. Observe ;)

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee68/trippywallpaper/DSCN2548.jpg

-- Natalie

Woah, that's.... strange.

Thanks! Well, its just uncomfortable. I guess I'm some kind of neat freak but its just driving me crazy sitting here with this mess. I have an hour and a half to go.

I think I deserve some chocolate.

sednia,

To bad it is uncomfortable, I know leaks when I do it to thin is a pain, other then that a hood and a towel around my neck and a good book or a TV show, is a great way to force myself to just be.

I am glad you like it. Remember it will keep on changing.

Go ahead and nom some. That could be a totally legit component of a personal henna-ritual.

LOL Riot Crrl

Well, first things first, it's exceedingly green. I read on mehandi.com that Mangal has green dye in it, but this is crazy. Two of the other hennas I've used have contained green dye, but the colour difference is very noticeable. I'm used to a pale green, this is almost forest-green. Observe ;)

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee68/trippywallpaper/DSCN2548.jpg

-- Natalie

WOW, yes that looks way to green to me.

Natalie,

have you thought of using some amla for a cooler henna. Even a very little amount will take out a lot of red. I used amla with out indigo. I found it took to much red out.

Oh man, that is some serious green.

Well, first things first, it's exceedingly green. I read on mehandi.com that Mangal has green dye in it, but this is crazy. Two of the other hennas I've used have contained green dye, but the colour difference is very noticeable. I'm used to a pale green, this is almost forest-green. Observe ;)

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee68/trippywallpaper/DSCN2548.jpg

-- Natalie

You'd better strand test it. Also try a bit on your skin. What is on the ingredients list? It almost has a slight indigo look...

MeMyselfI - Thanks for the tip, but I don't want to make the colour more brown - rather, I want to make it more red, less orange.

Celebrian - No such luck, there's no ingredients list. I left it to dye release overnight, and it's a bit darker now, but not the brownish colour I normally see in dye-releasing henna. I tested some on the inside of my wrist and got a slight yellow/orange stain in 30 seconds, but it's already faded completely. I put some shed hair in the mix this morning, and will check it when I get home this evening.

I'm thinking I'll go back to my old henna - this stuff is weird.

Thanks to Nightshade and Riot Crrl too for confirming that it's not just me, that colour is WRONG ;)

-- Natalie

I think I am jumping on the henna bandwagon! Now, I am just waiting for my shipment of henna to come in (went with the BAQ2 from blackcatredcat). It's taken me a long time to get to this step because I have been collecting plenty of hair in preparation. I had a box of Jamilla in the freezer that I used with henna body art, so I was able to do some tests on it just to see if the result was going to be worth the cost. I divided my shed hair into 7 parts. One for the control, three to use with the Jamilla, and three to use with whatever I ended up purchasing.

Last weekend I mixed up my henna, waited for dye release overnight, then applied it to three sections of hair. Each one went in its own plastic bag. One I rinsed at 2 hours, one at 4 hours, and the other at 6 hours. The control was simply rinsed in the same manner. My hair is naturally dark brown and I haven't even had a semi on it in probably a year. The henna seemed to make my hair a bit richer looking, with a hint of auburn. I liked the color. I could tell no difference in the samples left for 2, 4, or 6 hours. Since then, I have checked the samples each day to see if there will be any effect from oxidation. After 5 days now, I am sure the color probably changed slightly, but nothing I could really see. I guess with my hair being so dark to start with, the change isn't as noticable.

Now I am just waiting on my new batch of henna to come in. Once it does, I'll repeat the strand test with the 3 other samples I have set aside. I needed to do the strand test with the jamilla to see if I wanted to purchase more henna, but now I will need to do the test with the actual crop I will be using to make sure I am still happy with the result. Maybe I will be ready to go in a week or so. I'd love to do it this weekend, but I don't think my henna will arrive in time.

I may have to rethink what I am mixing the henna with. The first time I used half lemon juice, half tap water (from a well). My sampled hair seemed a bit dryer, but I couldn't tell if that was due to the lemon juice or due to me scrunching up the samples to get a good idea of the color. Maybe I will consider the chamomile tea (never looked for that in the store before, but hopefully I can find it) or just cutting way down on the lemon juice.

Allison- you should be able to find chamomile tea at a grocery store, it's pretty common :) Otherwise, check a local health food store.

I would really reccomend cutting out the lemon. The chamomile tea is just a titch acidic, and it's a natural hair conditioner so it won't dry your hair.

Smart girl for doing so many tests!

Thanks for the suggestion.

I did a lot of research on various boards (henna for hair, here, etc.) before deciding to do this. I not only paid attention to how to do it, but how to remove it... as in not going to happen at all, or if it does, not easily!!

Truthfully, even though my hair is about waist length now, I have no real attachment to it. I've spent my life chopping it off to chin length and growing it back out. I try to get a few inches cut off every time I go to the salon. If I tire of the henna upkeep and a line of demarkation really starts to show, I'll just chop off most of the length and use some semi or demi dyes in a dark brown or black.

I'm really not too worried about it since I am doing to strand tests first and I have a plan for what to do when I no longer want to henna if it looks weird. Sometimes I am just shocked by the people that really know nothing at all about henna and just jump in... especially the blondes! Seems like there have been some tragic stories with that subject...

MeMyselfI - Thanks for the tip, but I don't want to make the colour more brown - rather, I want to make it more red, less orange.

Celebrian - No such luck, there's no ingredients list. I left it to dye release overnight, and it's a bit darker now, but not the brownish colour I normally see in dye-releasing henna. I tested some on the inside of my wrist and got a slight yellow/orange stain in 30 seconds, but it's already faded completely. I put some shed hair in the mix this morning, and will check it when I get home this evening.

I'm thinking I'll go back to my old henna - this stuff is weird.

Thanks to Nightshade and Riot Crrl too for confirming that it's not just me, that colour is WRONG ;)

-- Natalie

I understand now, when you said cooler I thought less red.

I found that the Jamila left my hair the reddest after oxidation. Just a thought.

I still love your hair colour. That is the colour I want.

I once read that adding a bit of vinergar (1/2 cup to 2-3 cup water) will produce a redder colour. I have not done this since I want more orange with a hint of red.

repeated post

I thought I would post the results of my first strand test. Very subtle, but I think it looks richer. Unfortunately, it's a bit hard to capture that in a photo.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c316/allisonandrews/Henna/Henna-Hair.jpg

Very pretty! It looks like mahagony :)

allison,

I notice a major difference.

Remember that the colour will oxidize for up to 3-4 days.

Thanks. I thought I might post some pics of my hair currently.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c316/allisonandrews/Henna/Hair3.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c316/allisonandrews/Hair2.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c316/allisonandrews/Hair.jpg

allison,

that looks like thee different colours.

I agree. Mostly it's just due to the different lighting and color of my shirt.... (And also the crappy camera at work.)

Sort of reminds me of some of those optical illusions where teh same colors appear different depending on what colors they are next to.

http://www.optillusions.com/dp/1-64.htm
http://www.optillusions.com/dp/1-20.htm

I agree. Mostly it's just due to the different lighting and color of my shirt.... (And also the crappy camera at work.)

Sort of reminds me of some of those optical illusions where teh same colors appear different depending on what colors they are next to.

http://www.optillusions.com/dp/1-64.htm
http://www.optillusions.com/dp/1-20.htm

LOL at the optical illusions, but how true.

I like the middle picture. ;)

Hi all,

Since the new forum I have not participated in this henna thread. I am still using it though and loving it.

Today I prepared two mixes. First: a handful of dried lavender and a handful of AASSE (some herb used around here people claim it is good for the hair, this is the Arabic name, sorry for that I will try to find the English one) boiled for 15 minutes and then kept worm. When I wanted to use it I drained the leaves and buds, then mixed with a cup and 1/3 of Indigo. I don't know if anyone tried lavender tea before but it turned out very purplish. I used this mix today, I applied mainly to the front part of my hair and no length application, that is why I made so little, I did not want to apply it to the back of my head and did not want to touch the length. I only left if for 30 minutes because I did not want it to get so dark. I have to wait till tomorrow to judge the color.....

The second mix which I will use tomorrow or the day after: a handful of rose buds and a handful of chamomile boiled for 15 minutes. The result was 12/3 of cups of liquid I first added some rose water to have two full cups then started mixing with 2 cups of yemeni henna. I needed more liquid so I added some rose water till I had a good consistency. Now it is covered in my kitchen waiting for application.

Now I don't know if I will use indigo alone again. It turned my bath tub blue and I have blue stains all over my body. If I like the color so much I have to find another way to apply it. But it is much messier than henna. I usually apply my henna in the bathtub so any drip is easy to rinse both from the tub and from my body, with indigo that did not work so well.

Here are the results of my first henna application, using Nightshade's copper mix. I also switched to a shampoo bar, which combined with the henna has made my hair really big! The one pic also shows my first ficcare that I purchased on ebay.

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=1453&pictureid=17219

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=1453&pictureid=17220

Wow Sedonia, that looks awesome! And the shade really works with your colouring!! Congratulations :)

It does look awesome. Whoo!

wow sedonia, that's an awesome colour! You nearly had me fall off my chair when I saw that hair;)

Thanks for the compliments! The color has toned down a bit but is still plenty red.

Sedonia, I just want to say the color is beautiful, but you are stunning! :smile: I'm glad the henna worked so well for you.

Can I still get as much color build up from henna if I don't let settle and keep dying it? Or will I get a lighter color than if I henna'd, let it settle, then henna'd again?

Can I still get as much color build up from henna if I don't let settle and keep dying it? Or will I get a lighter color than if I henna'd, let it settle, then henna'd again?

I have dyed it once right after another at times. In my experience it deposits more each time. Each application still oxidizes in its own good time, hennaing some more just adds more to oxidize later.

Thanks Riot Crrl that's good to know since I'm a bit impatient at the moment from wanting my hair to be as saturated as possible.

Thanks Riot Crrl that's good to know since I'm a bit impatient at the moment from wanting my hair to be as saturated as possible.

That is totally how I was at first.

Here's a post on nc.com with all my henna colors, starting with tangerine Popsicle. http://www.naturallycurly.com/curltalk/showpost.php?p=551384&postcount=19

The pictures are even more reassuring because I'm really trying to blend in some very light blonde bits.

And have people had their henna to release dye in ridiculous short amounts of time; I'm talking about 3 hours with very minimal acid? So far it's dying well enough, but I am sleeping in it.

Mine starts trying to dye the bowl before I get done stirring it, and that's with only tapwater. It might be the kind of henna that I have though.

Result turned out very subtle.

I ended up using BAQ2. I mixed up 300g with a bit of lemon juice, some tap water, some distilled water, and a tiny bit of coconut oil. I was going to go the tea route, but I didn't expect it to arrive Saturday morning and I didn't have any at the house. I just couldn't pass up a free weekend though, so I just went with a lot LESS lemon juice than before. I let it sit on the counter for about 8 hours and then I stuck it in the fridge overnight. I did another strand test with this batch.

To apply, I filled up the garden tub a few inches and sat down facing the mirror. I worked from the back of my head forward, twisting each section over to the side when done. After every few sections, I rinsed off my neck and shoulders to avoid staining. I covered with a few layers of press and seal and then a layer of foil. I only ended up using about half of the mix, so I stuck the rest in the freezer for next time.

I ended up leaving it on for about 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Occasionally I opened up the foil and exposed the press and seal layer and then blasted it with a blow dryer for a few minutes. Then I wrapped back up with the foil to hold in some of the heat. I kept a packet of baby wipes next to me and occasionally wiped the back of my neck where a bit would leak out occasionally due to shifting.

To rinse, I just layed in the tub and swished it around some. Then I used shampoo once. The bath water was the color of very strong tea! I drained that, layed in the water stream for a few minutes to rinse a bit more of the residue and then filled the tub again. I added a bit of water to a bottle of Suave coconut conditioner and applied all over. I massaged it in for a few minutes and then layed back in the tub and did another swished session. It rinsed out very easily.

Today, the texture is very soft and the henna smell has faded considerably. Only in certain lights do I feel the color is noticeable.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c316/allisonandrews/Henna/Henna---Hair---1-day-after-.jpg

ok so i heard that marigold is a herb that can be mixed with henna to get a more golden red.. so does that mean that i can plant a whole lot of marigold flowers in my yard and harvest them to make the yellow dye? or do i have to buy it.. or is my info totally wrong on marigold producing a golden dye.. i cant afford cassia.. right now if i henna my hair every month it costs less than a dollar.. cassia it would be more.. i cant afford more than like 3$

i am going to henna my hair today.. i think ill make it into more of a gloss.. i want a lighter red.. right now its sitting inside the broken down car in our driveway.. its like an oven in there.. it shouldnt be too long before i get dye release..

The pictures are even more reassuring because I'm really trying to blend in some very light blonde bits.

And have people had their henna to release dye in ridiculous short amounts of time; I'm talking about 3 hours with very minimal acid? So far it's dying well enough, but I am sleeping in it.

I've used henna that releases dye immediately, and/or within half an hour. The stuff I have now takes about twelve hours. It depends on the henna - I never use acid in my henna, only strong chamomile tea.

-- Natalie

The pictures are even more reassuring because I'm really trying to blend in some very light blonde bits.

And have people had their henna to release dye in ridiculous short amounts of time; I'm talking about 3 hours with very minimal acid? So far it's dying well enough, but I am sleeping in it.
i use only a tiny amount of ACV (it makes the henna smell better to me) i can get dye release in 2 hours or less if i stick the henna in a car on a hot summer day.. today i only waited like an hour and a half because it worked so fast.. the car was like an oven because of all the sun.. im going to leave it on my head for 45 minutes..

It's not quite that hot here. lol And right now I smell like Christmas or gingerbread because of all the ground clove and cinnamon I added. At least I don't smell like hay.

I tried to get some pics of my hair in the sun. I don't know if you can see the color any better in these or not.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c316/allisonandrews/Henna/DSCF3616.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c316/allisonandrews/Henna/DSCF3617.jpg

sedonia- Beautiful color! I'm glad it worked for you! :flowers:

Squiggy- I've done tests with marigold (though for the life of me I can't find the damn pic of the strand test on mohair) and it's stain is VERY very weak. It's not even as strong as the gold dye in cassia, and it's not nearly enough to impact the henna.

If you want something more golden, perhaps rhubarb root (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=1142&pictureid=15398) or turmeric (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=1142&pictureid=15399)? Turmeric wasn't permanent on me, and I've never used rhubarb root in a mix on my own hair, but it stained well on mohair and seemed more colorfast than the turmeric.

Tonight I attempted a root touch up. The rest of the mix I used as a gloss.

I got some manic panic, and I was hoping to tint my hair to a more true red.

Has anyone used MP in henna? Or is there a way I could dilute the MP so I get a lighter tint or red?

You can add conditioner to MP and SFX dyes to get them a lighter color.

I tried to get some pics of my hair in the sun. I don't know if you can see the color any better in these or not.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c316/allisonandrews/Henna/DSCF3616.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c316/allisonandrews/Henna/DSCF3617.jpg

That's a beautiful reddish brown! It looks absolutely natural.

If you want a deeper red (as in redder and darker..you won't get fiery red w/ your base color) keep doing your whole head. But it'll likely lose the warm tones and turn burgundy.

To keep the color you have (which I would, I prefer the subtler, warmer henna results) just touch up your roots, and do a very occasional gloss on the length!

Thanks, Velouria. My plan this afternoon is to do one more full head application. Last time I started at the back and worked my way to the front. This time I am going to start at the front and work my way to the back. I think this will help me feel more confident that I have done a thorough job and will be a better foundation for root touchups and glosses.

I don't really care as much about the color as I do about the henna benefits, so after this full application tonight, I really see me going to the root touch ups and glosses with perhaps an occasional full application... afterall, I've still got about 700g of henna powder in the freezer!

Luckily, the color change is very difficult to see at the root level, which will bode well for my low maintenance lifestyle!

Hello!

A few months ago, I mentioned I was going to dye over my hair with a chemical dye to cover the red I got from my henna, and I'm proud to say I'm back to my natural (or close to it) color for the first time since my sophomore year of high school, I think. ^_^ : D Yay.

IN any case, I did so using a standard box of color. My mother advised me to dye over it with a medium brown, so that it would darken up, but it wouldn't be black. I decided 'what the hell' and listened to her. Turns out she was right. After some fading, it turned into my natural color, onlyl with a deeper red tone. So yes, chemically dyeing over henna does work, in case anyone wanted to know for future reference.

Picture:

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b170/PaulCarroll/DSCF1221.jpg

Looks great, GlassEyes! You know what they say: Mother knows best. (Isn't it annoying how that's ALWAYS TRUE?)

It does look nice. Dye over henna fell out immediately for me, but I don't think it's henna's fault since it always did that on my hair anyway.

Your curls are looking shiny and fab.

I finally got a picture and it shows very well how the color changes in different light, all in one picture!

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=44&pictureid=17540


It's not very visible on the picture, but if you look carefully you see the lenghts are chemically dyed and slightly darker. My virgin hair turned out nicer with henna then the dyed parts. But how do I get a color something like this, or is my hair too dark for that?

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh17/ilovelonghair/colorsample2-1.jpghttp://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh17/ilovelonghair/colorsample-1.jpghttp://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh17/ilovelonghair/colorsample3-1.jpg

I really don't want to end up with cherry tones!

I am having a problem. I made up a batch of Nightshade's copper recipe last night and this afternoon when I tested the henna on my wrist there was no orange stain :rolleyes:. I bought my henna from H4H and I chose the Pakistani henna because I didn't want that much red this time. I would rather have to do multiple applications than have the too dark henna again. I didn't put the henna on (it's in the freezer) because I didn't want to go through the process if it wasn't going to work. I have more henna- should I add more henna to the batch to try and get a stain? or should I try this batch on my hair? Maybe put it in the car for a couple of hours so that heat can help with the dye release? Please help, I am at a loss here!

Unless it's EXTREMELY hot in your house, I would consider it very unlikely to have demised. If it's just being slow, it should release on your head if you leave it on a few hours. Your head is hot.

If you don't want to get it too dark, you can dilute it some more, but you already used Nightshade's recipe which is pretty diluted.

This stuff is really pretty hard to break in my experience, with the exception of going too dark.

Unless it's EXTREMELY hot in your house, I would consider it very unlikely to have demised. If it's just being slow, it should release on your head if you leave it on a few hours. Your head is hot.

If you don't want to get it too dark, you can dilute it some more, but you already used Nightshade's recipe which is pretty diluted.

This stuff is really pretty hard to break in my experience, with the exception of going too dark.

Will just the chamomile tea give enough acid to cause dye release? Could that be the problem?

No, my house is at a comfortable temp...

Did you use your tapwater? Do you have any idea what your tapwater might be like?

I think that unless your tapwater is quite alkaline, it may still reach the acidity needed for best henna dying with only henna itself. Distilled water can certainly do this.

I recently did some pH testing where my tapwater was 8.3, mixed it with henna, the henna went immediately to 4.7 and stayed there for hours. Then I made some strong green tea with my 8.3 tapwater, and two teabags. The tea was 5.6. Then I mixed it with henna, and guess what, the henna went to 4.7 and stayed there. So I'm not sure brewing tea helps, but I don't think it will hurt, if you like it.

Will just the chamomile tea give enough acid to cause dye release? Could that be the problem?

No, my house is at a comfortable temp...
Bazaar--- I wonder why it has not had dye release? I use Jamila, also from h4h, and it is supposed to be the longest as far as dye release goes. I have let it release for 2 hours and had minimal staining, then at 6-8 hours it is REALLY staining. I have even used it after two days (whoops- I got too busy...) and it stained fine.

The acid or lack of acid will not cause the due release or non-release. Many people, me included at times, do not use ANY acid in the henna and have fine dye release and stain.

If I were you, I would either just make up a new batch, and use this mix (which you say you have already frozen) for some future henna glosses.
I still wonder why it did not give you a stain. .... ?

NurseMama, how hot was the chamomile tea when you added it to the henna? If it cooled down too much and your house is not overheated (was the heating off overnight?) perhaps you hadn't yet reached dye release.

Bear in mind that henna (certainly when it's reached dye release anyway) becomes more potent when frozen and then re-thawed. No'one knows why this is so - but enough people have found it to be the case that it should be taken seriously.

I'm wondering (just a hunch really) what would happen if you broke off a small bit of the henna you've frozen and defrosted it? It's possible that you might find you have a good dye release - and a usable batch after all!

I used filtered tap water to make the tea. The tea was warm- not hot- when I mixed the henna. It is summer in TX so we have the A/C on, but we keep it at 78-80 degrees which is not that cold!

I am going to try to do it this Sun if my schedule works out to give me time...

I just did my fourth henna, yet the previously blonde bits of my hair haven't gotten any darker since the 2nd henna. They are a medium red. The ends are slightly darker, but the length isn't darker at all. How many hennas will it take to make it darker. Or could my color be saturated already?

I just did my fourth henna, yet the previously blonde bits of my hair haven't gotten any darker since the 2nd henna. They are a medium red. The ends are slightly darker, but the length isn't darker at all. How many hennas will it take to make it darker. Or could my color be saturated already?

I was frustrated with that too. Up through about henna number three or four, I really felt like blonde was still showing through. That's when I started leaving it on for marathon amounts of time. It really helped.

Herm. Thanks Riot Crrl, I didn't really think about how time would affect it. Maybe I should start sleeping in them again. And I just remembered that my hair has always been dye resistant. So 6 hours probably isn't long enough. At least I added less clove this time, so I no longer smell like gingerbread. I like this cinnamon-y scent.

double post

Bear in mind that henna (certainly when it's reached dye release anyway) becomes more potent when frozen and then re-thawed.


're-thawed'? What does that mean? I got a 3 day old batch of henna in the fridge, would it still help if I freeze it now?

I have a question for you henna gurus. I did my first henna (love it) but I don't want it to accumulate a lot darker each time. What is a good mix to only give it a little more color so it doesn't build up so fast? I did Jamilla red henna and 2tblsp cassia this first time mixed with just hot water,and I will be using henna sooq cassia this next time. I also left it on for 3 hours this time, so should I do it less time the next time or the same to cover my roots?

I also have a quick question: I all ready have thick, easily "puffable" hair. It's very dry, but stubborn (I would think with how dry it seems to be I would have lost some of it). I know henna is supposed to thicken hair, but have any of your thickheaders had a problem with it making your hair TOO thick? I'm thinking/ hoping that as long as I keep it well moisturized and get layers put in, I should be okay.

I'm growing my heanna/henndigo out (almost 10 months since last treatment), in the end it wasn't for me (even though I could achieve a brunette colour that I liked with henndigo, but I realized that for various reasons I wanted my own colour).

But you know what? I actually miss the actual henna process. Mixing the henna, let it dye release, putting it in my hair, sitting with it on for hours and then rinsing it away. I'm weird.

I definitely do not miss the colour though.

But you know what? I actually miss the actual henna process. Mixing the henna, let it dye release, putting it in my hair, sitting with it on for hours and then rinsing it away. I'm weird.

You could always switch to cassia. You'd still have a nice day of pampering yourself and playing with mud, and you'd get some conditioning out of it. Unless your natural color is white or *very* light blonde, there won't be any color change.

're-thawed'? What does that mean? I got a 3 day old batch of henna in the fridge, would it still help if I freeze it now?

I'm not sure to be honest. I was talking about the practise of dye releasing a big batch, using some, but putting the rest straight into the freezer to re-thaw for later use.

I've never done this - but have seen posts on here and H4H where people insist that using the re-thawed henna increases its staining potential.

I would guess that three days in the fridge might have lost you a lot of the dye already - but why don't you test a bit on your wrist and see if it's still staining? If it is, and you're happy with the strength/weakness of the stain - then freezing it should hold the color you still have IMO...

....I was talking about the practise of dye releasing a big batch, using some, but putting the rest straight into the freezer to re-thaw for later use. I've never done this - but have seen posts on here and H4H where people insist that using the re-thawed henna increases its staining potential....

I just wanted to testify to this being true! At least, in my experience. It's also quite handy as you can mix up a batch and wait for dye release and then turn around and freeze it to use whenever you have the time, as opposed to having to plan almost 2 days ahead of time... as one who has limited time and am quite spontaneous, having henna on hand and ready to go quickly is a major plus :eyebrows:

I just wanted to testify to this being true! At least, in my experience. It's also quite handy as you can mix up a batch and wait for dye release and then turn around and freeze it to use whenever you have the time, as opposed to having to plan almost 2 days ahead of time... as one who has limited time and am quite spontaneous, having henna on hand and ready to go quickly is a major plus :eyebrows:

This makes me curious how you defrost your henna. I just sat it on the counter to defrost, but it still took nearly a day after being in my deep freeze.

Will just the chamomile tea give enough acid to cause dye release? Could that be the problem?

No, my house is at a comfortable temp...

NurseMama, how hot was the chamomile tea when you added it to the henna? If it cooled down too much and your house is not overheated (was the heating off overnight?) perhaps you hadn't yet reached dye release.

Bear in mind that henna (certainly when it's reached dye release anyway) becomes more potent when frozen and then re-thawed. No'one knows why this is so - but enough people have found it to be the case that it should be taken seriously.

I'm wondering (just a hunch really) what would happen if you broke off a small bit of the henna you've frozen and defrosted it? It's possible that you might find you have a good dye release - and a usable batch after all!

Like Celebrian said henna is a great PH buffer and you really don't NEED acid. You need heat. I put my henna bowl atop the food dehydrator for 4 hours and I get fantastic dye release with cassia, henna and chamomile tea :)

I just wanted to testify to this being true! At least, in my experience. It's also quite handy as you can mix up a batch and wait for dye release and then turn around and freeze it to use whenever you have the time, as opposed to having to plan almost 2 days ahead of time... as one who has limited time and am quite spontaneous, having henna on hand and ready to go quickly is a major plus :eyebrows:

This makes me curious how you defrost your henna. I just sat it on the counter to defrost, but it still took nearly a day after being in my deep freeze.

NurseMama, I freeze it in a plastic container with a lid (I've heard of others freezing it in freezer baggies.) When it's time to thaw, I just put the container in a sink full of warm water and it generally only takes 30 min or less to thaw. Sometimes I put it in the bathtub while I take a shower (I henna over freshly washed hair) and though it's not fully thawed it's usually thawed enough that I can stir it up with a wooden spoon... I haven't had to add additional liquid to the henna to smooth it up before applying but it you have to, then adding warm (not hot) liquid helps too... :)

I've never done this - but have seen posts on here and H4H where people insist that using the re-thawed henna increases its staining potential.


I've seen this happen and I think it's because when you freeze the mix, the henna plant cells themselves freeze and fracture (just like human cells do with frostbite). When the plant cell walls are broken down more, I think it's easier for the lawsone to be released and therefore makes the dye more potent.

No proof, just a pet theory :)

Update on my Nightshade's recipie issue: I henna'ed yesterday and I got halfway decent results. The cassia came through much more strongly than the henna because I have so much gray. Most of my gray sparkles are now gold sparkles. There is a slight orangish tint that I am hoping will oxidize darker over the next week. It is still too light though. I know that I will need another application.

I did a pretty crappy job getting it on my roots. I used the braid method but I was in the tub to apply it and it seems that I just missed some spots. I need to figure out a better root application method! Any suggestions?

I do not fault the recipie because I can understand better now how it will work, but rather I am holding the henna that I bought at fault. I bought the Pakistani henna from h4h and it is supposed to not give "that much red". I think that the next time that I order I will need to get a darker staining henna to use in thise recipie. In the meantime, I still have more of this crappy henna so my next batch to correct the mistakes this time will have closer to a 50/50 henna and cassia distribution.

I also did a gloss on my ends while the roots were working. I cannot tell any difference right now in color. Maybe in the sunlight?

In addition, I did my eyebrows. I can't see much a difference there either. :(

It really sucks putting so much time and effort into something to not get a result. I wish that henna was as predictable as hairdye. Don't get me wrong I am in this henna game for the long haul because I am not ready to embrace my gray and I know that my hair won't handle tb and hair dye, but still... *sigh* I know that I am in the experimentation time here and that once I get this down, it will be so much easier... I am just fretting.

NurseMama :grouphug:

Hang in there, it's going to look golden for a day or two, but day three it'll settle down to a rust copper color :) Mine always does, anyway.

On my brunette hair it even looks bright golden just after I rinse, so no worries. Your grays will always be a bit lighter, and they do tend to be more henna-resistant (and cassia-resistant) than the rest of your hair.

Hang in there! I doubt you'll take as long as I did, but it's taken me 2 years to get my mix down :rolleyes: Most of that was sifting through all the henna lies out there, so now that there's less misinformation out there, you'll have an easier time :flowers:

Give it a few days and see how it settles, I think it'll redden up nicely for you :)

NurseMama :grouphug:

Hang in there, it's going to look golden for a day or two, but day three it'll settle down to a rust copper color :) Mine always does, anyway.

On my brunette hair it even looks bright golden just after I rinse, so no worries. Your grays will always be a bit lighter, and they do tend to be more henna-resistant (and cassia-resistant) than the rest of your hair.

Hang in there! I doubt you'll take as long as I did, but it's taken me 2 years to get my mix down :rolleyes: Most of that was sifting through all the henna lies out there, so now that there's less misinformation out there, you'll have an easier time :flowers:

Give it a few days and see how it settles, I think it'll redden up nicely for you :)

Thanks Nightshade :) I am hopeful that it will darken up, but I still will need to do another application because of the missed spots. Do you have any suggestions for root application? I loved doing it in the tub because the mess was so much better, but I am thinking that I might need to do a part and push method which will probably include the bathroom mirror.

Thanks Nightshade :) I am hopeful that it will darken up, but I still will need to do another application because of the missed spots. Do you have any suggestions for root application? I loved doing it in the tub because the mess was so much better, but I am thinking that I might need to do a part and push method which will probably include the bathroom mirror.

I have a willing helper to do my roots, but may people have luck with braiding their hair into sections, but leaving it loose at the roots. So you pick up one braid, mash henna into the roots and work it in, repeat for all sections. then you can take the braids out and much some more.

Hopefully someone that uses this technique will have a more elaborate answer :)

I also have a quick question: I all ready have thick, easily "puffable" hair. It's very dry, but stubborn (I would think with how dry it seems to be I would have lost some of it). I know henna is supposed to thicken hair, but have any of your thickheaders had a problem with it making your hair TOO thick? I'm thinking/ hoping that as long as I keep it well moisturized and get layers put in, I should be okay.

My sister's curly "puffy" hair settled down alot with henna.

Thanks Nightshade :) I am hopeful that it will darken up, but I still will need to do another application because of the missed spots. Do you have any suggestions for root application? I loved doing it in the tub because the mess was so much better, but I am thinking that I might need to do a part and push method which will probably include the bathroom mirror.
You can usually find mirrors with suction cups so you can have your bathtub and your mirror too. Also, if your bathtub is too dark due to light fixture placement, a flashlight sitting somewhere in the tub can come in handy as well.

You can usually find mirrors with suction cups so you can have your bathtub and your mirror too. Also, if your bathtub is too dark due to light fixture placement, a flashlight sitting somewhere in the tub can come in handy as well.

I have one of those plastic one piece bathtub showers that won't hold a suction cup....

I only did 5 braids. Maybe I should have done more?

I have one of those plastic one piece bathtub showers that won't hold a suction cup....

I only did 5 braids. Maybe I should have done more?

Braids I cannot speak of, but as far as suction thingies for showers and baths go, well I have experience there. I ended up finding one that did not pop off our smooth surfaced shower shroud at Lowe's. It was in the decorative bath section, though I have seen them in the home organization section. In any event it is white with a metal hook, but the interesting thing about it is that instead of you just pushing it in, it has like a pressure button, then to get it off you can not just pull if off like a regular suction cup, it has a tab you pull. That may be strong enough to hold a mirror on your tub, it is on mine anyway, and regular suction cups wont hold on it.

In any event, good luck to you and hope you figure out a good process. i am quite interested here because I am planning to start roots only soon. I was thinking about just making the mix thinner so it would go in easier.

Braids I cannot speak of, but as far as suction thingies for showers and baths go, well I have experience there. I ended up finding one that did not pop off our smooth surfaced shower shroud at Lowe's. It was in the decorative bath section, though I have seen them in the home organization section. In any event it is white with a metal hook, but the interesting thing about it is that instead of you just pushing it in, it has like a pressure button, then to get it off you can not just pull if off like a regular suction cup, it has a tab you pull. That may be strong enough to hold a mirror on your tub, it is on mine anyway, and regular suction cups wont hold on it.

In any event, good luck to you and hope you figure out a good process. i am quite interested here because I am planning to start roots only soon. I was thinking about just making the mix thinner so it would go in easier.

I will check that out! Thanks!

I did make the mix thinner. I even put it into a hair dye bottle to apply- which didn't work btw! Even with the tip of the bottle cut and filed down I couldn't get the dye where I wanted it to go. I had made a quasi-carrot bag with a ziplock bag and ended up using that to apply. Much like piping icing on a cake actually. That worked out much better than the bottle, but clearly I still missed spots :mad:!

I will check that out! Thanks!

I did make the mix thinner. I even put it into a hair dye bottle to apply- which didn't work btw! Even with the tip of the bottle cut and filed down I couldn't get the dye where I wanted it to go. I had made a quasi-carrot bag with a ziplock bag and ended up using that to apply. Much like piping icing on a cake actually. That worked out much better than the bottle, but clearly I still missed spots :mad:!

Yeah, my sister is thinking she is going to use her cake decorating bag and try the different tips, they are bigger than a dye bottle but sturdier than a bag with the end cut off.

As for the name of the particular suction cup thing, when I go home I will lok to see if it has a label, but I am assuming (and yes I know about assuming) that since we are both in Texas our Lowe's should have similiar products.

Thanks, burns_erin! Good to know that henna helps with the poof! :)

I've seen this happen and I think it's because when you freeze the mix, the henna plant cells themselves freeze and fracture (just like human cells do with frostbite). When the plant cell walls are broken down more, I think it's easier for the lawsone to be released and therefore makes the dye more potent.

No proof, just a pet theory :)


The batch I had wasn't frozen, but cooled, I will still try it and see what happens. I can also freeze a bit to see what happens with that bit (I made so much!)

Oi. Okay. I've been following this thread but hadn't posted in it yet. I've been using henna a few months (Nightshade's copper recipe, altered slightly) and I'm loving the condition of my hair. But my stupid virgin hair is soooooo color resistant. I've even taken to honey-lightening before henna and my roots are very dark and very brown. My last application was a couple days ago and it's not even flaming in the sun. Looks very brown indoors. And barely auburn outdoors. I'm beginning to consider allowing chemicals again, so I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas for me.

My length has been battered and abused. Dyed and bleached multiple times, etc. I do not want to go that route again. Henna seems to be seriously repairing the damage. I'm amazed at the quality of my previously fried hair.

So here's what I'm considering. I remember my natural color will take a strawberry blonde, permanent dye and give me gorgeous bright coppery color (a bit lighter and less red than I like my hair). Would it do horribly a lot of damage to use a strawberry blonde, "permanent", chemical dye on the roots only... and then henna over that?

I refuse to give up on henna. I just think I may need the extra boost of red and lightening in order to achieve a color I'm happy with. I won't go back to raking chemical color through all of my hair ever again. Only the roots before henna.

And before you suggest honey lightening, my roots before this last henna were lightened with a mix of honey, olive oil, cinnamon, and distilled water three times for an hour or so each before I applied the henna. I don't have the time or patience to honey lighten my roots every time. 'specially when it doesn't seem to impact my final color at all.

So... Do I go back to chemical color while still making use of the henna goodness so that I might have very long hair that is a color(s) I'm in love with? Or should I keep trying to like my massive demarcation and the color of my roots?

Opinions? Other ideas?

ETA: These were taken to show my new ficcare, it's when I realized I wasn't just imagining things in the mirror...

In the sun,
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p4/smokierose/S6301052-1.jpg
Note the lack of red until the bun, and the difference in color.

Inside with flash,
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p4/smokierose/S6301062-1.jpg

I just want to let you all know that I did a second application of henna a couple of days ago. This time I used a 50/50 henna to cassia mixture because this Pakistani henna dyed so lightly. I even left the henna outside in the 100 degree Texas heat to try and get dye release. I ended up with a very mild dye release. I put a drup on my wrist and 15 min later I removed it. There was a slight color change, but it could only be seen if you were looking for it.

I mixed and applied this a little differently. I mixed it in a gallon size ziplock back and then clipped a corner (to make a fairly small hole) off of the bag and used that to apply it directly to the roots. I didn't do the braids this time, but rather used the part and mush method in front of the mirror. With a towel on the floor to catch the drips, and a quick shower once my hair was in the saran wrap the mess was minimal.

Overall, I got great coverage! My gray is completely covered, I haven't noticed any missed spots, and the color is very nearly spot on. Of course, it still needs to oxidize a bit more so we will see where it goes!

I have a question about doing a gloss... My ends are not are bright as my roots now. And if it is still like that after the henna oxidizes I would like to do a gloss on the ends to deposit some color, but not a lot of color. What is the ratio of mixed henna to condish that you all recommend?

Alright guys, this may be a noobish question, but I am still a technical noob when it comes to henna. (Only two henna processes under my belt)
But alright here's my question.

I got a mehndi kit, and I used it up and I have some henna left over. The thing is, it's expired. Alright don't call me out right away, cos apparently I had bought it expired. So I used it on my skin expired, not too long ago, and now my henna session is rapidly approaching.

And.... I want to use it but do you think it would be a wise choice? My skin is rather sensitive so i think some reaction would have occurred if it wasn't safe. It is 5 months expired.

Also I was wondering if this deserved its own thread but I decided against it cos this thread is all things henna, right? If anything, mods, you can move this right?

Alright guys, this may be a noobish question, but I am still a technical noob when it comes to henna. (Only two henna processes under my belt)
But alright here's my question.

I got a mehndi kit, and I used it up and I have some henna left over. The thing is, it's expired. Alright don't call me out right away, cos apparently I had bought it expired. So I used it on my skin expired, not too long ago, and now my henna session is rapidly approaching.

And.... I want to use it but do you think it would be a wise choice? My skin is rather sensitive so i think some reaction would have occurred if it wasn't safe. It is 5 months expired.

Also I was wondering if this deserved its own thread but I decided against it cos this thread is all things henna, right? If anything, mods, you can move this right?


Are you talking about using this henna on your skin or on your hair? On your skin, I wouldn't worry. On your hair, I suggest doing a strand test first.

Oi. Okay. I've been following this thread but hadn't posted in it yet. I've been using henna a few months (Nightshade's copper recipe, altered slightly) and I'm loving the condition of my hair. But my stupid virgin hair is soooooo color resistant. I've even taken to honey-lightening before henna and my roots are very dark and very brown. My last application was a couple days ago and it's not even flaming in the sun. Looks very brown indoors. And barely auburn outdoors. I'm beginning to consider allowing chemicals again, so I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas for me.

My length has been battered and abused. Dyed and bleached multiple times, etc. I do not want to go that route again. Henna seems to be seriously repairing the damage. I'm amazed at the quality of my previously fried hair.

So here's what I'm considering. I remember my natural color will take a strawberry blonde, permanent dye and give me gorgeous bright coppery color (a bit lighter and less red than I like my hair). Would it do horribly a lot of damage to use a strawberry blonde, "permanent", chemical dye on the roots only... and then henna over that?

I refuse to give up on henna. I just think I may need the extra boost of red and lightening in order to achieve a color I'm happy with. I won't go back to raking chemical color through all of my hair ever again. Only the roots before henna.

And before you suggest honey lightening, my roots before this last henna were lightened with a mix of honey, olive oil, cinnamon, and distilled water three times for an hour or so each before I applied the henna. I don't have the time or patience to honey lighten my roots every time. 'specially when it doesn't seem to impact my final color at all.

So... Do I go back to chemical color while still making use of the henna goodness so that I might have very long hair that is a color(s) I'm in love with? Or should I keep trying to like my massive demarcation and the color of my roots?

Opinions? Other ideas?

ETA: These were taken to show my new ficcare, it's when I realized I wasn't just imagining things in the mirror...

In the sun,
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p4/smokierose/S6301052-1.jpg
Note the lack of red until the bun, and the difference in color.

Inside with flash,
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p4/smokierose/S6301062-1.jpg

Have you thought about trying to lighten it another way? I had good results both with yogurt/ honey combo and with 30V peroxide mixed with condish when my henna was too dark.

Your hair really is lovely. I couldn't determine what color you wanted your hair to be. A bright copper? I know that you said you were using Nightshade's recipie, but altered. What is your henna/ cassia ratio? Maybe more henna would get you the color that you want?

I am having issues getting my ends and roots to match up as well!

Are you talking about using this henna on your skin or on your hair? On your skin, I wouldn't worry. On your hair, I suggest doing a strand test first.

I meant for it on my hair. I guess I *should* do a strand test... :goes to put henna for dye release:

double post

Oi. Okay. I've been following this thread but hadn't posted in it yet. I've been using henna a few months (Nightshade's copper recipe, altered slightly) and I'm loving the condition of my hair. But my stupid virgin hair is soooooo color resistant. I've even taken to honey-lightening before henna and my roots are very dark and very brown. My last application was a couple days ago and it's not even flaming in the sun. Looks very brown indoors. And barely auburn outdoors. I'm beginning to consider allowing chemicals again, so I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas for me.

My length has been battered and abused. Dyed and bleached multiple times, etc. I do not want to go that route again. Henna seems to be seriously repairing the damage. I'm amazed at the quality of my previously fried hair.

So here's what I'm considering. I remember my natural color will take a strawberry blonde, permanent dye and give me gorgeous bright coppery color (a bit lighter and less red than I like my hair). Would it do horribly a lot of damage to use a strawberry blonde, "permanent", chemical dye on the roots only... and then henna over that?

I refuse to give up on henna. I just think I may need the extra boost of red and lightening in order to achieve a color I'm happy with. I won't go back to raking chemical color through all of my hair ever again. Only the roots before henna.

And before you suggest honey lightening, my roots before this last henna were lightened with a mix of honey, olive oil, cinnamon, and distilled water three times for an hour or so each before I applied the henna. I don't have the time or patience to honey lighten my roots every time. 'specially when it doesn't seem to impact my final color at all.

So... Do I go back to chemical color while still making use of the henna goodness so that I might have very long hair that is a color(s) I'm in love with? Or should I keep trying to like my massive demarcation and the color of my roots?

Opinions? Other ideas?

ETA: These were taken to show my new ficcare, it's when I realized I wasn't just imagining things in the mirror...

In the sun,
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p4/smokierose/S6301052-1.jpg
Note the lack of red until the bun, and the difference in color.

Inside with flash,
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p4/smokierose/S6301062-1.jpg

Smokie,

From my experience:

1. Using Nightshade's mix (I just love her colour and hair.), I did not see much of a change on my virgin hair which is dark blond/light brown. The greys coloured. I found that by using just henna the virgin hair received colour. With the cassia/henna mixture, the roots were not as noticable, but the cassia gave me a bad headache.

2. No matter what I did, the chemically coloured hair, always had a red sheen, the virgin hair I was able to get a sheen in a range from a red to orange depending on the henna. I have had some success in reducing the red tint with using color oops/color fix to remove some of the old chemical dye. The hair that had excess dye still has the most red tinge.

I am not sure how this will help you.

Do you have grey hairs, if yes do they look like the tinted hair?

Alright guys, this may be a noobish question, but I am still a technical noob when it comes to henna. (Only two henna processes under my belt)
But alright here's my question.

I got a mehndi kit, and I used it up and I have some henna left over. The thing is, it's expired. Alright don't call me out right away, cos apparently I had bought it expired. So I used it on my skin expired, not too long ago, and now my henna session is rapidly approaching.

And.... I want to use it but do you think it would be a wise choice? My skin is rather sensitive so i think some reaction would have occurred if it wasn't safe. It is 5 months expired.

Also I was wondering if this deserved its own thread but I decided against it cos this thread is all things henna, right? If anything, mods, you can move this right?

I think you should be fine, as most often with henna the "expiration date" is just the point they expect the henna not to stain so well (this is assuming your kit is 100% henna with no strange additives). If you think there's even a remote chance that your kit isn't pure henna, I'm going to second the recommendations for a strand test, unless you've used this kit in the past without issues.

Smokie,

From my experience:

1. Using Nightshade's mix (I just love her colour and hair.), I did not see much of a change on my virgin hair which is dark blond/light brown. The greys coloured. I found that by using just henna the virgin hair received colour. With the cassia/henna mixture, the roots were not as noticable, but the cassia gave me a bad headache.

Aww, thank you for the compliment :flowers: and I'm sorry the cassia gave you a headache :flowers:

Smokie, I think it would be better for your hair and your health if you lightened the roots and virgin hennaed portion w/ peroxide in a creme developer form (rather than regular dye). They're sold at beauty supply shops, and are intended to be mixed with powder bleach or hair dye, but will give some lightening and much less damage on their own. The 10v (I'd start with this 1st, and only go to higher strengths if it doesn't lighten enough) is 3% peroxide, the 20v is 6%, and so on up to 40v.

I feel you on the honey lightening; the results I've obtained with that (and I have followed the refinements on the technique) have been subtle to the point that they may well be imaginary.

So honey gives color to the hair!!!??I mean something like golden when you use the honey water combination!!??

So honey gives color to the hair!!!??I mean something like golden when you use the honey water combination!!??

no it doesn't, but it MIGHT lighten hair if done properly. Molasses MIGHT darken hair depending on your starting color.

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...read.php?t=163

...
Aww, thank you for the compliment :flowers: and I'm sorry the cassia gave you a headache :flowers:

Your welcome.

Once again, thank you for all your great posts.

no it doesn't, but it MIGHT lighten hair if done properly. Molasses MIGHT darken hair depending on your starting color.

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...read.php?t=163

Thanks Wintersun99! Actually I was thinking that using Honey would give my hair a tinge of Brown-Coffee kind of color. But after seeing pics etc. I feel that it lightens the hair color, and makes it shiny and soft!!

Guess that Henna and Honey treatment could bring out that color difference which I had thought. Yesterday for the first time I tries CO and Honey treatment, and it made my hair soft! The CO I used was Nexus-Humectruss, though I am planning to change it cause its expensive and has mineral oils!!

Where to buy henna from?? I don't want to buy it online....does Wal Mart or Wal Greens keep it?

Well I'm sitting at the computer with a henna glaze on my head. This is my first time working with henna. I used the following ingredients.

4 tbsp. Yemen Henna (H4H)
enough water to form a paste
1 cup White Rain Cucumber Melon conditioner.

I mixed the henna with the water and covered it with plastic wrap. I then set it out on my sunny porch for 1 hour. I checked for dye release on my arm. I then mixed it with 1 cup conditioner and put it in my hair. I plan on leaving it on at least 2 hours. I will show pictures when it's done.

Where to buy henna from?? I don't want to buy it online....does Wal Mart or Wal Greens keep it?

No. Some people get it at their local Indian grocer or health food store, but you can never be sure that it is 100% BAQ henna that way.

Well here are my results! I really love the feeling of improved quality and health. Check out my album in my profile to see my natural before color.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff284/easternsunrise_photos/001-8-1.jpg

Well here are my results! I really love the feeling of improved quality and health.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff284/easternsunrise_photos/001-8-1.jpg

Look at that shine! The color is beautiful!