Hennaed hands create illusion of fancy jewelry

Once a pleasure enjoyed by women in the harems of the Middle East, “mehndi” has become the perfect adornment for summer’s bare skin.

The art form of creating temporary body art with henna dye offers the illusion of jewelry without the worry of losing or breaking precious belongings poolside, at the ocean or on an outdoor trek.

Kiyomi Sugihara of Hau‘oli Henna is bringing her skills to Sedona from 2 to 4 p.m. Thursdays by appointment, and at Kupulao boutique in Waikiki from 2 to 5 p.m. Tuesdays.

A self-taught graphic designer, Sugihara was drawn to mehndi 15 years ago after seeing the wedding photos of a friend who married a Pakistani man. With an eye for design, Sugihara was intrigued by the henna tattoos on the bride’s feet and hands, a tradition for warding off evil.

“I didn’t know what it was, but I wanted to learn more,” she said.

She married and moved to Hawaii soon afterward and saw a mehndi workshop advertised. That simple introduction was all she needed.

Sugihara said that at first she was hesitant about applying her freehand skills to skin, fearing mistakes. She grew comfortable by practicing on herself and her daughter. Now nothing fazes her.

Once, she was finishing up a lavish design in a woman’s palm when a mosquito landed on the woman’s opposite arm. Without thinking, the woman slapped the insect with her henna-filled hand. Sugihara was able to clean up the design, and they both got a laugh out of it.

Given the temporary nature of the art form, if anything does go awry it’s gone in seven to 10 days, and a new design can replace it.

Sugihara uses an organic henna paste with the relaxing scents of lavender, tea tree and other essential oils to create beautiful, intricate floral designs and mandalas. Although she’s equally adept at re-creating Asian motifs and tropical flowers, Sugihara said she loves the florals and organic lines of traditional Middle Eastern and Indian mehndi.

Small designs start at $20 and can be completed in about 15 minutes. She created an elaborate sleeve, for $150, for a man who wanted to gauge what a permanent tattoo would look like on himself.

Once the artwork is done, additional time is needed for the henna to dry and cure with a mixture of sugar and lemon. The longer it stays damp on skin, the darker it will appear. The design will stay longer if it’s placed somewhere other than the hands, which are subject to frequent washing.

Some women go to great lengths to keep their designs as long as possible, wrapping the fresh henna with plastic wrap at bedtime to allow the dye to create a deep, rich stain, then babying their skin with moisturizer to slow the sloughing off of dry skin, which takes the design with it.

Henna was initially used by desert people for its cooling properties. By the 13th and 14th centuries, Persian art depicted women and dancers with henna-painted hands. It was an art form practiced within harems to occupy time, and the designs were said to attract the eyes of men to the movement of women’s hands when they danced.

It evolved to become a bridal tradition from Morocco to India, a ritual that brought the women of the two families together to get better acquainted while practicing the intimate art form and creating imagery symbolic of happiness, protection and fortune. And in India, brides were free from household chores as long as the henna stain remained.

Hau‘oli Henna’s Kiyomi Sugihara can be found noon to 5 p.m. Tuesdays at Kupulao boutique (924-8333) in the Waikiki Shopping Plaza, and 2 to 4 p.m. Thursdays at Sedona (reserve at 591-8010) in Ward Centre. Info: hauolihenna.weebly.comcq