what is mehndi?

Reading the book The timeless art of henna painting by authour Loretta Roome she defines Mehndi which is a Hindi word used to describe Henna,Henna painting and resulting designs. Henna is a plant, a natural product used to saftly colour and stain hair and skin whilst conditioning them. Henna leaves are crushed into powder mixed with different oils that accelerate the staining process. according to Loretta Mehndi is an ancient cosmetic healing art,it is done using elaborate patterns and deigns,that are tradionally done on the hands and feet.The process of Mehndi is painless and in no way harmful to the skin in fact it conditionsthe skin and beautifies the body,its like a temporay tattoo,stains a redish colour that can last on the skin between several days to several weeks depending on the Henna mixture and the duration of it on the skin.