14 Super Stylish Mehndi Designs That Are Trending Right Now

The ancient art of mehndi application has been around since the time of the Vedas, and while it still retains some of its sacred undertones, its use and designs have also come to be heavily represented in the casual sphere. So whether you’re looking for detailed and intricate artwork to adorn your hands for your wedding or looking for super stylish mehndi designs that will accentuate your look at the next informal social gathering or your sangeet, we have you covered with our definitive list of the most trendy and hep designs that are taking 2016 by storm.

Compiling a list of the best of the latest designs isn’t an easy task, and with the scale of the proliferation of mehndi, it’s various stylistic categories, influences, and all the talented experts that are showcasing their craft over the internet, we’ve decided that for this list we’re going to stick with stylish mehndi designs for the hands, but don’t forget to check out beautiful mehndi for the feet and other popular henna applications and design on TBB. Now, without any further ado, let’s get on to the most trendy and stylish mehndi designs that are all the rage right now

1. Minimalist Perfection

Stylish Mehndi Designs - Minimalist Perfection

Image: Shutterstock

To kick things off on our list we have this clean and uncluttered design with just the right amounts of detailing in the right places. Notice how well the empty spaces interact with the design to present an overall pattern that is soothing and very pleasing to the eye, while not being completely light on detailing.

2. More Minimalist Magic

This is a slightly different take on the minimalism represented by the above design, but it retains the overall structure of intricacies at the fingertips and on the top of the hand, with plenty of spaces interspersed in between. The areas with the design are highly detailed and intricate and are joined together with a beautiful chain, with large open spaces on either side, making for a very nice looking contrast. The watch can be replaced with a bajuband mehndi designs that goes around the wrist for even more detail while retaining the overall theme of the design.

3. Patterns Galore

This simply gorgeous mehndi design has a number of things that are at play making it at once a busy as well as a very easy on the eye design. Straight lines, spirals, and netting play off each other in spectacular fashion making for one of the most stylish mehndi designs features in this, or any other list. One thing to keep in mind here is how well the design works to accentuate the beauty of the hand and even though there isn’t any nail polish in sight.

4. Stylish Symmetry

Concentric circles, leaf-life twists and little dabs of mehndi make up the majority of this magnificent design with the two perfectly symmetrical birds on either side of the center of the design completing its beautiful look. The restrained use of colour, in the eyes of the birds and at the center of the circles adds an uncommon touch to this already out of the ordinary design. The spaces around the thumb and the last two fingers, as well as the fact that the design extends from the forearm right up to the tips of the index and middle finger give this design a highly appealing symmetry.

5. Flower Power

Floral mehndi designs have always had their place in the plethora of varied and wonderful artwork that is mehndi, however this particular take on floral patterns takes things to a whole new level. The amazing contrast presented in this design between the outlined flowers and the intricate detailing present in between the flowers themselves makes for a really pleasing touch. The solid mehendi centers and the use of the minimalist leaves really add an extra dimension to the design without taking away from the overall theme or structure. The design may be replicated on the empty space on the hand as well, for anyone looking for a more full design. All in all, you can never go wrong with floral designs, but when they’re constructed this beautifully, you have a surefire winner on your hands, literally.

6. Traditional With A Twist

This gorgeous pattern is a marriage of different styles and aesthetics. At once intricate and simple, the straight lines and spirals work in tandem with the intricate and close detailing filling out the borders. This is one of those super stylish mehndi designs that also manage to achieve with relative ease a look that is one of the hardest to accomplish – we’re talking of course of how well this design manages to combine the traditional and historic styles of henna application with a design that is very contemporary and modern. It is this delicate balance that makes an otherwise innocuous looking design seem both timeless as well as on the cutting edge of what’s fashionable.

7. A Natural Mesh

It is not very often that a design manages to combine two very different application styles to make them work so seamlessly. The mesh or netting design on the fingers adds a gorgeous structure – almost like a gorgeous grid that makes everything fall into place – to the overall design, after which the very simple flowers and leaves add their own flavor and throw off the highly structured feel of the design. It all combines very well and comes together to make for one of the most stylish mehndi designs of the year, perfect for a casual application, a party or any other function.

8. Geometric Flora

This is one of those designs that needs careful; examination to fully appreciate just how beautifully intricate it is, and yet on the surface it keeps things very simple by combining a floral theme (and the beautiful single honey-locust leaf) and two gorgeous, highly detailed semi circles on either side of the flowers. The deft touches like the small circular dots on the perimeter of the circles and flowers makes for an excellent touch and adds a new dimension to the intricacies of the overall pattern. While not the simplest or quickest to replicate, this highly modern and exquisitely beautiful design is, in our opinion, entirely worth the effort.

9. Contemporary Class

Perhaps the most modern design on our list, and certainly among the most beautiful of the lot, this highly different take on henna application just stands out. A series of detailed patterns, dots, ridges, lines and curves all come together to form one of the freshest designs we have come across. The design while not following a set pattern of design, still retains its symmetry and structure as is clearly visible by the way it starts off at the index finger and works its way up the hand all the way past the wrist and well into the forearm, culminating in what is an outstanding pattern just past the wrist. The trailing lines at the end as well as the dotted semi circles at the periphery of the main body remind us that this intricate masterpiece is not the work of a computer, but a very real and expertly crafted mehndi design.

10. Extended Mehndi Art

Where does one begin to describe this monumental piece of art? Let’s just start by saying that if the design were to be cut off at the wrists, it would still make for a most amazing and detailed mehndi design. However when you consider the fact that the design extends right up to the elbows on both arms without losing any of the design philosophy that it establishes at the fingers, or the fact that the designs on the both the hands differ ever so subtly from each other and yet complete one another in a way that very few patterns manage to, or even the fact that the myriad textures and patterns that are used in the design work seamlessly with each other, always drawing the attention of the viewer to one particular part of the arm before they notice how intricate and utterly gorgeous the design right next to the one they’re looking at is.

11. Heavyset Mehndi

For all the talk of how many diverse styles and applications we have for the art form known as henna design, there are a few constants across the various styles, be it Arabic designs, Pakistani designs or any of the various others. One of the most noticeable of these is the emphasis on thin lines for the purpose of intricate detailing, and while on the logic front of things there seems to be no problems, it can lead to a neglect of the use of thicker, heavier lines which can have an equally desirable effect, while being the most uncommon of the lot. Take, for instance, this sublime pattern formed around the one entirely solid flower in the centre and the thick lines for leaves, and shorter stubby lines around the periphery arranged as smaller flowers. The thickness of the lines really brings out the richness of the design, creating something entirely fresh and extremely easy on the eyes.

12. Glory Through Repetition

Most people reading this would have heard in one form or another how sometimes keeping things simple is the best way forward. Well, it turns out that old chestnut is just as applicable in the world of mehndi design as it is in any other sphere of life. Who would’ve thought of it? There are exactly two elements at play here, the circular patterns adorning the fingers and hands, and the detailed bajuband cuffs at the wrists. And yet, they combine to make what is one of the freshest, trendiest designs that one can recreate with not too great difficulty. The design is wonderful to look at and the better half of your day won’t disappear in having your hands adorned. Plus the design works for any occasion, at any time and any place, truly a winner all round.

13. Dots And Straight Lines

And now for something entirely different. This clean design manages to combine straight lines and dots to astonishing effect. And while the overall design is characterized by the clean lines, it is within those lines where all the detail lies, with a myriad of different textures and styles filling up the space. And as for the fingers, the series of four dots arranges in a diamond shape add to the overall clean look of the design, making for something very chic, trendy and worthy of adorning any hand.

14. Rich And Heavy

It takes a moment to appreciate exactly what you’re looking at here. From the tips of the fingers, the intricate pattern following the finger down to the palm, to the mix of shapes and designs on the palm, the large flower and symmetric leaves to one side, the mix of straight lines and curves, the almost circuit-like use of space, the bracelet bajuband design at the forearm and the final peacock flourish – this design has it all and it makes it look absolutely sublime, one of those designs where the more you come back to admire it, the more detail you will notice. Disagree? Check out the diamond pattern in the middle of the flower – yes it took us a while to catch that as well.

So there you have it, 14 stylish mehndi designs that cover between them minimalism, intricate detailing, bold patterns, delicate contours, and everything else – and sometimes even a mix of them all! They all retain one thing in common however, in that they are some of the most gorgeous and trendy designs around, and are all worthy of their place on our list.

We’d like to hear from you as well, as to which one you adored, which ones you didn’t like so much – and what your favorite designs are in general – as well as your experiences with any of the designs listed here, so please feel free to drop us a line below and we’ll get back to you in a jiffy.

Images Source: Google, Pinterest, Shutterstock