Henna Hair Dye

Hi again beauties!
It's been a long time since I've posted anything beauty related, but someone suggested writing a post (thanks Nick!) on my experiences with henna hair dye, and I figured "hey, why not?"...then I realized: This is actually a really great thing to write about. So let's get glowing...

Many people are skeptical about using Henna in their hair, because chemical dyes come in a wider variety of colors, they're less messy, they're less time consuming...
And while I believe that those dyes that come in the box and in the salon are lovely, they aren't necessarily the best for your hair.
I'm speaking from experience here, so any disagreements you have are completely valid. I'm just telling you all how it's gone for me. But feel free to tell me all about your hair experiences in a comment!

I used to dye my hair quite frequently (around every 8 weeks) at a salon. At the time, my hair was feeling very, very dry. A little sad, actually. I had plenty of split ends, and it felt like my hair just wasn't growing. There was no shine, no volume, no life...just pure frizz. However, the color was stunning!
Naturally, I'm a brunette. But personally, I believe that I'm a redhead trapped in the body of a brunette, so I decided to let that redhead out.
Eventually, I became a LUSHie. I wanted to try every product they had to offer...and I stumbled across their henna hair dyes. I picked one up, curious about how they worked, and I was converted forever after one use.
Why, you ask? LUSH's hennas contain cocoa butter, rosemary and lemon juice, which moisturize and add crazy amounts of shine. My hair has never been healthier! 

I tried their Caca Rouge, which is their reddest henna available. (I know, there are other brands that make henna dyes, but I trust LUSH with my life so I gave theirs a shot) They also offer Caca Brun (which is a brown), Caca Marron (chestnut with a little bit of red), and Caca Noir (a bluish black) if you're looking for a color other than red.
There are instructions attached to the packaging, but there's more than one way to apply your henna hair dye.
Personally, I take a large bowl, break up two blocks of henna (if you have long hair, it is suggested that you use two...my hair is about mid-chest when curly, mid-back length when straight), and pour boiling water over the henna until it is a brownie-batter consistency.
Once you have your "batter", try to keep it warm. DO NOT MICROWAVE IT! It will essentially destroy all of the hair-loving ingredients. Apply it to your clean, dry hair as quickly as possible, and massage the henna into your hair until it reaches your scalp. You want a very thick coating. As it dries and as you apply more, it will feel very heavy. It gets a bit uncomfortable, and it looks like you held your head in a mud puddle, but trust me, it is so worth it.
Once applied, I personally leave the henna on for 6 hours. I've found that it creates a brighter color. Some people prefer to leave it on for 3 hours max, some people leave it on overnight. It's all a matter of preference.
With that being said, washing it out is probably the hardest part. Be very careful where you rinse, and use lots of conditioner! It will feel like there is sand in your hair for a little while afterwards (it's the Irish moss and coffee beans, according to my LUSH Sales Associate) but brushing usually alleviates that problem.
Once you're all rinsed, wait for your hair to dry, and be in awe!
Your hair will be soft, luxurious, stronger...just all around fabulous.
My hair has grown about 3 inches since I started using LUSH products on my hair rather than a quarter of an inch, and that is with regular cuts.
So the moral of the story: I love henna dyes because it has strengthened my hair, and has left me with gorgeous color that I believe lasts much longer than salon color.
Let me know about your experiences with henna or just with dyes in general! I'm always looking for feedback!