indian beauty

bollywood inspired make up
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3O0W8In0ZN8


about henna: Body art has been in vogue, since times immemorial. Right from piercing, tattooing to body painting, there are a number of options for people to enhance their look with the use of art. One such way is through henna body painting. Primarily found in Middle East and India, for thousands of years now, the leaves of the henna plant are used to extract henna, which is further used to create beautiful intricate temporary body art. Henna, when applied on the surface of the skin, leaves the outer skin with an orange-brown shade.

Traditionally, henna was applied on the hair, hands and feet. However, with in the contemporary world, application of henna is limited to only the bending areas of the skin. Artists, these days make henna tattoos on the arms as armlets. Intricate henna art is done around the navel as well. Henna tattoos can be made on a person's back. Henna tattoos or body art is a good option as they are not permanent and you can experiment, especially if you are unsure about how it will look.

Today, henna is increasingly being used for body painting. The color of the henna usually wears off completely over a period of time. The duration for which the color of henna lasts mainly depends on the skin type and the type of care you take. A body painting can last between four to six weeks. However, if you use lotions or soak the designed area frequently, then the color is bound to wear off quickly. Swimming also wearies off henna quickly. Too much use of soap and other chemicals leads to a faster removal of henna.

One of the major benefits of using henna, for body art, is that it is not painful unlike other forms of art. This is because it is applied on the surface on the skin and not injected into the skin. Some people have reactions to henna body art. This is normally because of the oils that are added to the henna paste and not to the henna per se. Some people have contact dermatitis that manifests in the form of an itchy rash. If the paste has been applied for a short while, then it can be washed off and will leave a very pale stain. If the henna paste has been worn for a long time or overnight it will take about 4 weeks for the orange-brown color to wash off.

indian fashion:
Indian fashion varies from one village to another village, from one city to another city. India's fashion heritage is rich in tradition, vibrant in colors and prepossessing. Bold colors created by the inventive drapes of these textiles catches the imagination like no other contemporary clothing.

Indian Fashion - ancient fashion in India

Ancient Indian fashion garments generally used no stitching although Indians knew about sewing. Most clothes were ready to wear as soon as they left the loom. The traditional Indian Dhoti, the Scarf or Uttariya, and the popular Turban are still visible India and continue to be part of Indian fashion. Likewise, for women, the Dhoti or the Sari as the lower garments, combined with a Stanapatta forms the basic ensemble, and once again consists of garments that do not have to be stitched, the stanapatta being simply fastened in a knot at the back. And the Dhoti or the Sari worn covering both legs at the same time or, in the alternative, with one end of it passed between the legs and tucked at the back in the fashion that is still prevalent in large area of India. Indian men and women for these garments in the usually hot Indian climate. - dhoti when he speaks of 'turbans used for trousers', and a kaupina when he is speaking of 'a rag of two fingers' breadth bound over the loins.


Indian sari remains the traditional clothing of Indian women. Worn in varied styles, it is a long piece of flat cotton, silk or other fabric woven in different textures with different patterns. The sari has a lasting charm since it is not cut or tailored for a particular size.
This graceful feminine attire can also be worn in several ways and its manner of wearing as well as its color and texture are indicative of the status, age, occupation, region and religion of a woman.

The tightly fitted, short blouse worn under a sari is called a choli. The choli evolved as a form of Indian clothing around the tenth century AD and the first cholis were only front covering; the back was always bare.



Another popular attire of women in Indian clothing is the Indian salwar-kameez. This popular Indian dress evolved as a comfortable and respectable garment for women in Kashmir and Punjab region, but is now immensely popular in all regions of India. Salwars are pyjama-like trousers drawn tightly in at the waist and the ankles. Over the salwars, women wear a long and loose tunic known as a kameez. One might occasionally come across women wearing a churidar instead of a salwar. A churidar is similar to the salwar but is tighter fitting at the hips, thighs and ankles. Over this, one might wear a collarless or mandarin-collar tunic called a kurta.

Though the majority of Indian women wear traditional Indian dresses, the men in India can be found in more conventional western clothing like shirts and trousers.

However, men in Indian villages are still more comfortable in traditional attire like kurtas, lungis, dhotis and pyjamas. Indian dresses & styles are marked by many variations, both religious and regional and one is likely to witness a plethora of colors, textures and styles in garments worn by the Indians.


Use of Gold in Indian Fashion: For this reason, some gold ornament is usually worn against the skin at all times. Indian Gold ornaments are popular because the metal is believed to have the power purify anything it touches.
Ornaments of gold and other metals, often combined with precious and semi-precious gems and beads, are popular with both men and women in India.

Traditionally, Indian ornaments had economic significance for women too. The ornaments given to her at her wedding constituted a daughter's inheritance from her father ( Dowry).

Customarily land and other property was divided among the sons, though this no longer holds true. In addition, a bride's ornaments were financial security throughout her life.



Ornaments of Indian Fashion :

Nose pin: More common than a nose ring, both are symbols of purity & marriage, though today many unmarried Indian girls wear this adornment.

Necklace: These are very popular fashion accessories across India amongst girls and women of all ages. Necklaces are made of a variety of materials, ranging from glass beads to gold and diamonds. One special necklace is the mangalasutra, worn only by married Indian women. It is the Indian equivalent of the western wedding ring. Traditionally a woman wore it during her wedding ceremony and took it off only if her husband died.

Bangles: Worn on the wrist, bangles are believed to be protective bands and women always wore them as symbolic guards over their husbands. As with other ornaments, bangles today are worn by women of all ages all over India and are made of silver, gold, wood, glass, and plastic, among other materials.

Ear rings: Rings, studs and other ornaments worn in the ears are popular all over the country. In fact, a girl's ears are usually pierced before her first birthday.

Other important ornaments are finger rings, toe rings and anklets. Rings for the fingers are again, of various materials and designs and worn by unmarried and married women. Since the ring has become a common adornment, it is no longer considered a symbol in Indian marriages.

However, toe rings and anklets are still worn mostly by married women. Ornaments for the feet are usually made of silver because gold, being a 'pure' metal, was not supposed to be worn on the feet. This privilege was given only to women of royal Indian families.

In addition to these ornaments is the 'mangatika' or 'tikli'. This ornament, worn at the top of the forehead in the parting of the hair, is usually a small pendant on the end of a chain that is clasped to the hair. Although traditionally this ornament was also worn as a symbol of marriage, today it is not so commonly worn even by married women.

Kajal or Eyeliner : From the time a child is six days old, its mother applies kajal to its eyes and also a small black dot on the forehead to mar the child's beauty. This 'imperfection' is said to protect from evil.

Sindoor : dot on forehead of woman indicating married status of Indian Women, power, protection for her husband. It is applied by the husband as part of wedding ceremony.

indian fashion images:
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