Many women in Oman paint their hands and feet with henna, particularly before special occasions such as Eid holidays or weddings. Henna comes from the plant of the same name and is extracted by pounding the leaves into a powder which is then mixed with water to form a thick paste. The paste is applied in patterns on the hands and feet, which, when dried, leaves a temporary orange/brown design which fades after around three weeks. Most gardeners have at least one henna shrub. The dried leaves of this plant are pulverized into fine powder and mixed with warm water and lemon juice to make a mud-like paste. Sometimes, "special" ingredients are added to darken the color. Our favourite additive is a teaspoon of alcohol-free Rose#1 oil-based perfume. These some pictures show Henna:
