A Body of Art

This summer adorning the skin is in, but who knows about this fall? Fashion is fickle, so think about temporary beauty designs on the body. There are plenty of products for self-applications of mehndi designs, tattoos, body jewels and stenciled-on color. They’re perfect for people of the here-today-gone-tomorrow mentality.

Create henna designs that last about a week with the help of a new book, “The Art of Mehndi” (Penguin Studio, $19.95), by mehndi artist Sumita Batra, whose client list includes Madonna, Liv Tyler, Gwen Stefani and Naomi Campbell. The proprietor of the ZIBA Beauty Center in Artesia provides info about the history, symbolism and spiritual aspects of the art from India, as well as how-tos.

Prefer a tattoo that looks like the real thing but washes off in a few days? A favorite with celebs, Temptu Body Art sells temporary tattoo kits that include skin transfers, paintbrushes and color. Leonardo Di Caprio sported a few Temptu designs in “Romeo and Juliet” and Julia Roberts gets the temporary tattoo treatment in the upcoming film “Runaway Bride.” Log on to https://www.temptu.com.

Cover Girl offers temporary tattoos with the stroke of a wand. Decorate hands and wrists with shimmery designs using stencils included in each package of Galactic Glow body art. Washes off with soap and water.

Create a necklace right on your skin with Maybelline’s Cosmic Edge easy-to-peel-off adhesive body jewels. Body decals provide another look.

Don’t feel like fussing with paint, tattoos or adhesives? There are stretchy wire necklaces, bracelets and anklets that have an effect similar to that of body art. Made of thin wire bent into intricate designs, this jewelry resembles henna designs or body jewels, but only lasts as long as you feel like wearing it.