I just hennaed!

Let me clarify, cause that verb is insane looking: I just applied henna about 2 hours ago so my head feels really heavy and floppy. My skin is pretty light, so I hope it doesn't stain.

I have pictures:

I used the Curly Nikki's method, only I added lemon juice.

Supplies needed:

• HENNA!
  I bought my 2008 summer crop Jamila henna for $6 ($5 shipping) from mehandi.com. It shipped in 1-2 days.
• Green tea.
  I used Twinings Green Tea, because it was cheap and I don't mind using on my hair because it tastes bitter. (Fact: Rooibos tea is my favorite to drink)
• a container with a lid.
  Make sure is is big enough for you to stir without making a mess. When mixing the henna it can make a mess if you're not careful.
• a disposable spoon.
  I used a plastic spoon which made it difficult to stir, so I would advise using a cheap metal spoon.
  
• a measuring cup.
  you will need around 2 cups of water for 100g depending on the consistency you want it.
  
• honey.
• lemon juice (optional)
• measuring spoons.
  I winged it because I am a poor ole' college student and don't have any. :P
• plastic/latex gloves.
  mehandi.com sells gloves, but I bought some latex gloves from Krogers for about $1. I was afraid that the gloves would snag my hair at first, but they worked well and can be used again.
• plastic shower cap.
  I bought a pack of 15 for a dollar from Walmart.
• newspaper or a plastic bag.
  this is for covering your counter or floor. I used both; Newspaper for the floor and plastic for my counter/table. I took a plastic bag and cut out the shape of the counter or sink I was using before I applied it.

Steps I took:

1. I heated up 2 cups of water in a pot until there were bubbles covering the bottom and starting to run up the sides.
2. I put the heated water into the measuring cup and added 3 bags of Twinings Green Tea.
3. I let the tea steep for 5-6 minutes while stirring and blowing on it to cool it down. I then took the tea bags out and put the tea in the fridge for about 5 minutes to cool it more quickly.
4. I put the henna powder into the container and poured the tea in and began to stir. I started by pouring half a cup of tea and mixing that as well as possible. Then I poured about a tablespoon of tea at a time and would mix until the mix resembled mashed potatoes.
5. I kept stirring until there were no dry spots and less lumps. I covered the henna and went to wash my hair.
6. I put down the newspaper and plastic and then hopped into the shower.
7. My intentions were to co-wash, but I felt like there was too much residue on my hair so I used my South of France Shea Butter soap bar ( again, i love that thing tremendously). What I did was strange. I ended up half co-washing with HE Hello Hydration then rinsing out the conditioner and shampooing, and then applying HE Totally Twister and Aussie Moist conditioner for 4 mins at a time twice. It made detangling very easy.
8. After getting out of the shower I took a towel and squeezed the dripping ends with a towel.
9. I split my hair into 2 sections by parting from ear to ear and clipped the top half of the hair.
10. I added 6-8 teaspoons of honey and 2 teaspoons of lemon juice (rough measurements, remember?) to my henna mixture and stirred until it was the consistency of yogurt. Note: my mixture had clumps in it, but for the most part was like thick yogurt. That was after mixing for 5 minutes (doesn't sound like a long time, but when mixing vigorously it feels like an eternity to your arm!).
11. I donned my latex gloves and an old wifebeater. I suggest wearing old and non-cherished clothes because if you can't tell by the below picture, it can get messy if you aren't careful.
12. I split the mixture in half (with the spoon just drew a line down the middle) and started glopping it on the back section. I started in the center and worked outwards, then I glopped it on my ends upwards. I also made sure to get my edges (that part ended up really messy and all over my face, neck and back. After the back was done I unclipped the top half and flopped the hair forward and glopped. then I pushed the hair back and glopped and smoothed. after the hair closest to my head was covered I used the rest of the henna to make sure the my ends and the body of my hair were covered. (I love my verb usage in the step (glop, plop, flop lol)
13. I twisted the extended end of my hair not slicked down by henna in a circular motion and smooshed it to the top of my head and covered my hair with a shower cap.
14. I used a damp washcloth to wipe the henna off of my face, arms, neck, and back (I'm a mess lol) And that's it for now.

I will do the steps to my rinse tomorrow. I have a funeral of a classmate (R.I.P. Bernard) to go to tomorrow at 11a, so I don't know how I will fit in rinsing and deep conditioning. I think I may just put a beanie over my shower cap and call it a day.

On another note, I went to the grocery store to get my meds and some other stuff today and found this gem:

This. stuff. is. AMAZING!!! , although quite the money suck ($10 for 16 oz.). It's called EfaGold Coconut Oil. The ingredients are. . . not are, the ingredient is organic extra virgin coconut oil. It is lovely. You put a little flake on your skin and within seconds it melts into a light oil that smells just like a coconut. JUST like a coconut and isn't too heavy or greasy. I am curious to see how with the incoming cold weather it will look on my hair.

The listed uses are:

Supplement: take 1 tablespoon 1-4 times daily. May be used as a spread (delicious on toast!) or added to salad dressings & smoothies (I will most certainly try this with my usual strawberry-banana or mango-pineapple smoothies. Most likely on the latter. Reminds me of Pina Colada-ness)

For cooking: Use in place of butter, margarine, shortening, or other cooking oils for baking or frying in temperatures up to 350 degrees F.

For skin care: Use as a moisturizing lotion. Place jar in warm water to liquefy, then massage small amounts onto skin.

For hair {:D} care: Use as a conditioner. Place jar in warm water to liquefy, then apply 2 teaspoons to hair 1-2 hours before washing.

I like their recommendations, but I think I will just use it on toast and my hair. ( <--this made me laugh)

While at the store the weather was iffy and when I left it was pouring rain and the wind blew my umbrella to pieces. So I got to the store like this after taking out my french twist braid out

And I got home like this (soaking wet lol)

Rinsing results tomorrow! ( I can't wait to see the results)