The magical art of Mehndi, or henna body painting, has been practiced for 5,000 years in India, Africa and the Middle East, and now it has finally arrived in the West.

Henna is a green leafy plant that when powdered and sifted can be used as a temporary dye that takes anywhere from 1-4 weeks to naturally fade away.

It has been traditionally used in the East mainly by women to dye their hair and fingernails and for temporary body decorations used for special occasions like weddings. When applied to the body, it has a deep reddish color.

Applying Mehndi is a soothing and relaxing ritual for the person whose body is being decorated.

Cleopatra has been said to have used henna for many different purposes as a beauty aid.

Celebrities like Madonna, Prince, and several others have been influential in popularizing this art in the Western World.