For this two-toned effect, I first drew the entire outline of the design on the skin using henna. The paste was allowed to dry for ten minutes and then removed leaving behind a faint stain. The second application of henna created the lighter tones in the design. Following the initial pattern, specific areas were carefully filled with henna and left to dry for five to ten minutes before being removed. The last application was applied and left on the skin 6-8 hours to produce the dark contrasting stain.

This photo was taken two days after the final application of henna paste was removed. The several applications of henna have all had a chance to oxidize and mature into these rich coffee colors.