Bindi Revival

[ 4 February 2007 ]

Bindi… not just for Gwen Stefani anymore.

The more thought I give it, the more I am convinced that a bindi is the ultimate fashion accessory. They’re small, cheap & come in about a million different varieties. Plus they’re beautiful! You can go for the traditional style & place it between your eyebrows, but some of them look good next to your eye or dotted along your eyebrows. I like to wear one which matches my eye makeup in turquoise (seen above), purple or blue.

I think the best sort are the ones that come in individual containers. They’re usually a couple of dollars each, but if you get a good selection of colours you will probably be able to coordinate them with almost everything you wear. If you want to reuse them, & you probably will, buy a little bottle of cosmetic glue, like the sort of thing you attach false eyelashes with. You can make bindi last months this way.

The place where a bindi is typically applied — between the eyebrows — is the area of the sixth chakra, the seat of “concealed wisdom”. Apparently, wearing a bindi there helps retain energy & strengthen your concentration. It also protects against bad luck. (I am a total sucker for anything with a story.)

Of course, they’re not for everyone, & I wouldn’t advise wearing them anywhere boring, like an office or a formal dinner with dull people. Don’t feel guilty about misappropriation of culture, either. From Everything²:

Even in India, bindi have come to be seen as little more than stick-on jewelry

& from Wikipedia:

In modern times, the bindi has become a decorative item and is worn by unmarried as well as non-Hindu women, in India, Bangladesh and other countries of South Asia. ... Sticker bindis are also fashion icons worn for the pupose of self-decoration, as they come in all colours and exotic designs, sequinned, dusted with gold powder, studded with beads and glittering stones etc…

Extra For Experts:
Bindi entry on Everything²
Bindi entry on Wikipedia
Large selection for sale on Ebay