Mocha Henna does GUESS, Toronto Eaton Centre

 

My GUESS handbag has been a holy grail among many. It's that accessory with the right amount of bling to rock any look with. So Guess what? When I was approached with the opportunity to work at the GUESS store and offer my signature henna designs, I was beyond excited! The event was entitled "Summer Escape." Which it was indeed. Alongside their sales event, was a medley of in-store attractions that made it feel more like a summers escape. Mocha Henna hit the heart of downtown Toronto, at the Toronto Eaton Centre, and this is where it all went down!

Walking into the store, I glanced over to the other vendors setting up who were equally as excited as I was! On scene was a live DJ, Hair Stylist, Photo booth and complimentary frozen desserts to counter the blazing heat outside and the hot deals inside! Check us all out in action.

 

There's no holding back people when it comes to henna. I was barely done setting up when already there was a line of eager beavers ready to adorn themselves. Just as the music started pumping, I quickly got into the groove and my creative juices started flowing. There was an earnest type of excitement glaring on the faces of people waiting in line which kept my momentum alive. The crowd gradually increased as time disappeared into space.

A consistent pattern I observe from doing henna events is how it brings people together.  Henna breaks down any preconceived barriers. People are organically drawn to the beauty of  this simple plant and before long, it's the star topic of every conversation. It often acts as an icebreaker to some great conversations too! I'm a naturally shy person, so to be able to connect with clients in an intimate setting and talking about my favourite thing in the world is a comfortable way to meet new people. 

Henna designs done for the lovely customers at the Summer Escape event at GUESS.

Clips of me creating henna magic!

One of the highlights of the event was meeting many of my followers from Instagram who stopped by to say hello as I advertised the event earlier. It was great putting faces to the names I see in my feed. I always appreciate the love and support.

When closing hours came around, I stayed behind to satisfy a group of people before I officially called it a night. I kid you not, it was 4 hours of non-stop henna, and unfortunately because of the attraction associated with henna, I'm always put in a position to turn people down at the end. The only advice I can give to my dear henna enthusiasts is to beat the disappointment and come early!

The Guess store staff did an awesome job in making sure everything went smoothly and included a goodies bag for me to take home which was so kind! Looking forward to connecting with them again soon!

Photo credit given to Saima Syed for professionally capturing the key moments of the event so that I can share this blog post with you all!

xoxo

Mandatory selfie in front of the GUESS store after the event was over. 

Why I Became a Henna Artist

I'm often asked, why I chose to become a professional henna artist.

As I'm trying to concentrate on the next motif in a bridal, the questions and compliments start rolling in.  How did you learn?  Where do you get the ideas from?  You're so fast!  You make it look so easy!  I wish I could get henna done from you all the time! And the list goes on.  I figured answering these questions on a blog post would help feed your curiosity before I start hennaing you too ;)

Born and raised in multicultural Toronto, I was exposed to a lot of different backgrounds including my own Pakistani roots.  Henna was one of those things that was a must have on Eids and weddings in my family.  I grew up having my grandmother apply fistfuls of henna on my sisters and I. Occasionally, my mother would surprise us with a henna cone from her friends who would have recently returned from Pakistan.  It was this exposure that really ignited my interest in henna.

Henna cones were a luxury back in the day and there were no professional henna artists that I knew of.  My way of learning was by using my own creativity and from practicing, doodling and sketching. I already enjoyed drawing so learning to henna was like pouring milk in the tea.

I still remember the first bridal henna I did on my sister-in-law!  Till today she reminds me how I spent half a day doing her mehndi. (I'm so sorry Ammara!) Needless to say, it was a slow learning curve and although I had the passion, I certainly did not have the expertise. Learning to henna is like learning any other skill or trade, you really have to know your stuff inside out.  I eventually started experimenting with henna powders, agonising myself with rolling cones and honestly practising on anyone who would let me!  A few good friends of mine actually encouraged me to take this on as a side business.  They paid me for doing their bridal henna.  For the quality of workmanship, I sometimes wonder if it was even worth their money!

I didn't think that providing henna as a service would pick up until I did a little bit of research online only to find out that there was a world of henna out there!  There were so many professionals in the field of henna from all over the world. I got in touch with some amazing henna gurus in Toronto like Khadijah from Henna Sooq and Dimple Shah--I'm almost sure they remember me ;)  From them I quickly learnt that even though you could be someone blessed with the talent to draw a paisley or flower, you still have room to grow not only as a henna artist but as an entrepreneur too.  I pushed myself to learn as much as I could in order to master the art of henna in all its varieties and styles.  In 2007, I launched Mocha Henna, where I serve as the leading henna artist and owner.

The fresh smell of henna, the feeling of a sharp henna cone in my hand or a new bridal booking, it all gets me so excited. Becoming a henna artist for me was consequential not intentional. I really enjoy working with henna and sharing it with everyone in my path.  Who was it that said, enjoy what you do and you'll never work a day in your life!

{Okay, so this was my first blog EVER!  Let me know how I did in the comments below and feel free to suggest what sort or topics you'd like me to share with you :) }

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