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Summary: This book is the gold standard of the art form in America.
Review: Loretta Roome brings great forethought and equanimity to the study of an art form that has been influenced by so many cultures over the centuries. Not only as an historical guide, but as a practical model, this book is unsurpassed. Kudos to a brilliant author and artist!
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Summary: New-Age fluff obscures book's usefulness
Review: Mehndi is the art of making intricate semi-permanent designs with henna paste on hands and feet. This art is practised mostly on Hindu and Moslem brides, and sometimes traditionally-minded married women of these faiths: while many of the designs are taken from religious or magickal sources, mehndi decorations are now chiefly considered symbols of married happiness, wealth and leisure. You see, henna is a remarkably ineffective coloring agent, and takes a long time to set, taking anything from four to twelve hours of complete immobility of the extremities involved...even when set, the designs are fragile, and fade easily with soap and/or hot water and/or being touched -- as with bound feet or long nails, a woman displaying extensive mehndi on hands and feet is broadcasting loud and clear that she's not doing housework, or much work of any other kind, either. I give this debunking in order to counteract what I consider to be the book's biggest weakness: Ms. Roome's tendency towards scented-candle prose. There are some really good designs here, and some downright practical tips; there are dozens of pictures of attractive people (or their hands and feet), modeling various designs and a cursory explanation of the meanings of some traditional motifs. However, the reader has to wade through pages and pages of New-Agey fluff to get to the real gist of the matter: how to make the paste (vague), how to apply the paste (excellent), and how to make traditional designs without prior experience in art or Islamic culture (very good). Somehow, I can't really take seriously an American how-to book, written for Americans, that decrees "meditation or prayer" as an essential step in mixing lump-free henna paste, or an author who goes into ecstatic flights of portentousness over everything from how Indian groceries in New York City excite her to her personal discovery that coins (one of her favorites, she breathlessly relates, is even marked by a cross!) make good guides for drawing small circles. Every small detail of the process is laden with exoticism, complexity, and mystification that's neither authentic nor necessary: while it's a proven fact that henna is more effective at coloring in the presence of gentle heat (like a hair drier) and a mild acid (lemon juice is most commonly used), she specifies tamarind as a mordant, and recommends the use of the smoke rising from incense (of a properly symbolic nature) as a heat source -- apparently, having exhausted the Hindu/Moslem angle, she felt like throwing in a little American Wicca in for good measure. And why not? Most of the rest of the book is taken up with trying to recast what is clearly a symbol of female oppression as an expression of Goddess- worshipping feminism: she loves to stress that this is a religious art associated with women, who do this to each other, away from men, in communal gatherings, hinting that something more must be going on than a little pampering and gossip. That neither Hindus nor Moslems are noted for coed partying and the most traditional use of mehndi is as an adornment for 14-year-olds about to marry someone they've never met seems to be irrelevant: it's enough for her these are "authentic" women, observing a female-only rite of a religion that isn't Christianity, which quite naturally makes them more truly free and spiritual than we are. Considering that a mehndi job in progress means that you have about as much freedom as a full-body cast, this is like arguing that Billy Graham supports atheism. Why can't she just admit that it's cool to have red filigree rosettes on your palms, and even cooler that you don't have to deal with the cultural baggage to have them? In sum, this book seems tailor-made for deluxe beauty salons (who might feature mehndi as a service) to put out in their waiting rooms: modishly serious-looking, pretty enough to invite casual browsing, flattering to the (presumably female) reader with its insistance that pampering is spiritually good for you, soothing and clear enough on the process to assuage fears, but vague and mystifying enough to frighten you...not to do it yourself.
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Summary: An inspirational book
Review: The book poetically expresses the essence of henna design history with beautifully illustrated pictures of some very ellaborate designs and some very simple designs too!
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Summary: Incredible necessity for the mehndi artist !!!-
Review: There was an unbelieveable amount of information that I could not have lived without in this book. It's the most complete book on Mehndi that I have seen yet. It deals not only with the application, but the culture and the symbolism of the art on a SPIRITUAL level. It's soon to be my Mehndi bible! Cheers!
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Summary: Fall in love with the Romance of Mehndi with Loretta
Review: This book gives you a spiritual, emotional and artistsic foundation for a total enjoyment of henna body arts.
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Summary: Best Book Available at the Moment
Review: This book is completely beautiful and very well written. Roome speaks very knowledgably on mehndi, offering historical background, photographs, examples, shopping list for mehndi, recipes, and a host of information for beginning and experienced mehndi artist. This book is a serious must-have, and it is very complete. I particularly like the variety of photographs included in the book. Not to menttion the gorgeous cover. I only wish that my name was listed in the book as a mehndi artist!!! (as I'm sure many of us artists wish)
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Summary: A Beautiful Book!
Review: This book is perfect for anyone who is just starting out in their journey with the mehndi...It gives very straight-forward instructions with some of the basic designs, leaving room for you, the artist, to play. From the basic designs to the shopping list, to the spiritual & social intricacies of a traditional henna gathering, first timers will enjoy this wonderful, informative book...
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Summary: OK
Review: This book was ok! i am a beginner and this book had a little to much history! i just wanted the designs and how to do them! This book was too detailed for my taste!
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Summary: Delightful! Good historical and educational content!
Review: This is the first book I've read about the fascinating art of Mehndi. It exceeded my expectations. The historical and cultural information changed my original thinking about Mehndi (it looked like something fun to do- kinda whimsical). Now I will view it as something spiritual and sacred . . something very special. I enjoyed the quotes from other books. I'll certainly be reading a few of them. There was obviously a lot of research done. It opened my eyes to at least three different cultures. The patterns were helpful. They look intimidating at first until you see the step-by-step breakdown. After trying the suggested techniques I found it easy to make beautiful designs (and to turn mistakes into creative details). To sum things up- even though I am a novice to this, I feel the author did an excellent job of educating readers about this vanishing art. I now have the information to embark on my new adventure with good spirit and confidence!
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Summary: A beautiful book that is both practical and spiritual
Review: What a pleasure this book is. I knew nothing about the art of mehndi except vague associations with National Geographic and some celebrities. How much more there is to this timeless art form, practised by women all over the world, including Roome, the author. Whether you enjoy looking at the gorgeous pictures and drawings, or learning about the history and rituals behind the henna tattoes, this book has something for everyone. It was so inspiring, I wanted to run out and find the nearest mehndi artist so I could try it!
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