In this awkward season at the end of Summer and the beginning of Autumn, dressing can be a struggle.

In particular, dressing for formal events is a struggle.

My friend came to me recently with a very severe problem: She wants to wear a strapless dress, but she has major tan lines from her lifeguarding work (and when I say major, I mean major). Beyond the help of self-tanners, we turned to a slightly unorthodox approach: henna.

For those of you who are uncertain what this is, henna is a powdered leaf mixture used to dye your hair and nails, as well as decorate the body. It's temporary, lasting a week or two for most people. As of late, people have begun to use it as a method to see if they want to get a tattoo or not. You can go to certain salons to get henna done, or you can pick up henna powder from an Indian grocer in your area. There are a lot of tutorials online for beginner henna artists, but if you're planning on doing some for a big event, I'd suggest leaving it to the professionals. Any mistakes will stain your skin and clothes.

In the pictures I've collected below, you'll see some designs that look black. When left to dry on the skin, henna paste turns black or very, very dark brown. This can be a dramatic and desirable look, but it will only last for a day. I must also warn you that the paste has a strong smell that some people do not like. When the paste is removed, you will be left with a reddish/brown stain. I've extended the selection from just patterns to cover tan lines to also include patterns for your hands, feet, arms, etc. There are also a couple of examples of completely non-traditional henna, just to show how you can have fun with it.

1. Mehendi Mandala Art

2. Ritual by Design

3. Simple and Delicate

4. Maharani Wedding

5. Feet Can be Beautiful Too

6. Chest Henna

7. Floral Shoulder

8. Henna Tree

9. Beads

11. Monster From the Deep

12. Wedding Henna

13. More Bridal Henna

14. White Dress and Henna

15. Henna Cookies

Just had to, you know, throw that in there....

16. Destination

17. Peacock

18. Connecting Heart

19. Not Just for Women

20. Cultural Mix

21. Napa Wedding

22. Henna Inspired Cake

Because, yes, this needed to be here.