Traditional Korean Nail Dye - Bongsunga

Bongsunga (봉숭아), or Garden Balsam, is a plant used traditionally in Korea to dye fingernails, in a similar way to henna. I see a lot of children and young women with this reddish-orange nail dye around the end of summer every year, although I had no idea what it was until someone told me! Last summer I dyed my own nails with the help of my lovely friend's grandma, using fresh flowers picked from her garden in the Korean countryside, but this year I bought a packet of prepared powder from Daiso and did it that way.

Try it yourself!

Fresh flower method:

1. Find some Impatiens balsamina plants.
2. Pick the flower petals and a few leaves.
3. Crush the flowers and leaves together with some salt. You can use a pestle and mortar.
4. Put the crushed mush on your fingernails and wrap your fingertips up with cling film. Put on plastic gloves to ensure against leaks. This stuff stains!
5. Keep it on overnight, and wash it all off in the morning. Be warned, your whole fingertip will be reddish-orange for a couple of days until the dye fades from the skin.

Packet method

1. Buy a packet of 봉숭아 물들이기 powder. You can find it in Daiso.
2. Mix with water to make a thick paste.
3. Spread it on your nails. Try to avoid the skin.
4. Leave for AT LEAST 30 minutes. An hour is better.
5. Wash off, and voila! Beautiful, mess-free nail colour.

This method is cleaner and quicker than using fresh flowers, but not half as much fun. For the truly authentic experience, I recommend the fresh flower method. For both methods, the longer you leave the dye on your nails, the stronger the colour will be. If you want a more polished look, try using a clear nail varnish over the top.