Henna, or "Mehndi," is an age-old tradition that has beautifully woven itself into the fabric of cultural celebrations around the world. In Kuala Lumpur, henna tattoo artists are bringing this ancient art to life, especially during weddings and family events. KL boasts a diverse range of talented henna artists who cater to various preferences and styles. Here are some of the top henna artists in the city:

Hennastacious

Sanggetha Gopal provides personalized henna services in KL, specializing in bridal designs. Her expertise lies in creating bespoke patterns that reflect the client's personality and preferences, ensuring a unique and memorable henna experience. All products and services at Hennastacious prioritize natural ingredients and safety, ensuring a pleasant experience for all clients. Those who wish to learn the beautiful and intricate world of bridal henna can join her Basic Bridal Henna Course.

Vasu Henna Diary

Vasu is a well-known henna artist who travels all around Malaysia and the world and is known for her exquisite bridal designs. She specializes in intricate Indian henna styles and only uses natural henna. Her attention to detail and creativity make her a favorite among brides-to-be.

Contact details: 0106607432

tmkhenna

Karthine Maniam is a well-known henna artist based in KL, offering beautiful and intricate designs for weddings and other special occasions. Karthine has made a name for herself as a henna artist who seamlessly blends cultural traditions. Over the years, she has had the privilege of adorning both Malay and Chinese clients, predominantly brides, with her exquisite designs. Karthine’s talent extends far beyond weddings. One of the growing trends she embraces is the application of henna on baby bumps, a heartfelt celebration of motherhood.

Henna Spring

Henna Spring offers professional henna services in KL and all over Malaysia. Her designs are a blend of traditional and contemporary styles, catering to weddings, family events, and festivals, ensuring that each client receives a personalized and memorable henna experience. Her attention to detail and artistic flair make her a popular choice for henna enthusiasts. Specializing in natural henna artistry, Henna Springs also provides professional makeup and hairstyling services and henna classes. Those who want to book her service can drop her a message on Instagram.

Planning a baby shower is an exciting task, and choosing the right venue is crucial to creating a memorable celebration. Kuala Lumpur, with its diverse range of event spaces, offers countless options that can cater to different themes, sizes, and budgets.

From luxurious hotels and charming restaurants to unique and trendy event spaces, there's something for every parent's preference in this vibrant city.

St Giles Gardens Hotel & Residences

For those looking to host an opulent and memorable baby shower, consider St Giles Signature Hotel & Residences. Located within Mid Valley City, The Gardens offers a variety of event spaces, from intimate private rooms to elegant banquet halls and personalized event planning services making it an ideal venue for a memorable baby shower. The hotel offers various dining options, including high tea and gourmet buffets.

Location: St Giles Gardens Hotel & Residences, The Gardens, Lingkaran Syed Putra, Mid Valley City, 59200 Kuala Lumpur

Contact details: 03-2268 1188

Botanica+Co

Botanica+Co, located in Bangsar South, is known for its lush, botanical-themed interior and relaxed atmosphere. The venue offers a cozy and inviting space, perfect for a casual yet chic baby shower. Their diverse menu features a mix of local and international dishes, catering to all tastes. For a baby shower, you can work with the venue to create a customized menu or opt for a buffet style to cater to your guests.

Location: Botanica+Co, P-09, Taman Bukit Bambu, Off Lebuhraya Duta – Ulu Kelang, Taman Bamboo, 51200 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur

Contact details: 012 6233175

Tamarind Springs

Nestled amidst lush greenery, Tamarind Springs provides a serene and tropical ambiance. With its Asian fusion menu and beautiful outdoor setting, it is perfect for a garden-themed baby shower. The menu offers a variety of flavorful and beautifully presented dishes that are sure to impress your guests. The restaurant can customize the menu to suit your preferences and dietary requirements, ensuring a memorable culinary experience. The attentive and professional staff at Tamarind Springs are experienced in hosting special events and can assist with all aspects of planning your baby shower. Check out their restaurant packages here.

Location: Tamarind Springs, Jalan 1, Taman Tun Abdul Razak, 68000 Ampang, Selangor, Malaysia

Contact details: 0 3-2716 2737

The RuMa Hotel and Residences

The RuMa Hotel and Residences, located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, offers an exquisite venue for hosting a baby shower. The RuMa offers a variety of event spaces that can be tailored to suit your baby shower needs. Whether you are planning an intimate gathering or a larger celebration, The RuMa has the ideal space to accommodate your guests such as the Pavilion, Bilik I & II, or the SANTAI Pool Bar and Lounge.

Their event planning team can assist with every detail, from floral arrangements to personalized favors, ensuring a seamless and stress-free experience. For guests traveling from out of town or for those who wish to extend the celebration, The RuMa offers luxurious accommodations. Make a reservation here.

Location: The RuMa Hotel and Residences, 7, Jalan Kia Peng, Kuala Lumpur, 50450 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Contact details: 03-2778 0888

Delectable Dessert Café

Delectable Dessert Café by Delectable by Su is a charming and elegant venue in Glasshouse at Seputeh which is an ideal choice for hosting a memorable baby shower. Known for its delightful desserts and beautifully designed spaces, the cafe offers a unique and intimate setting perfect for celebrating such a special occasion.

One of the highlights of Delectable by Su is its renowned desserts. The venue offers an array of beautifully crafted cakes, pastries, and confections that taste divine and serve as stunning centerpieces for your baby shower. You can customize the dessert menu to include themed cakes, cupcakes, and sweet treats that match the celebration’s color scheme or theme. Their party menu can be found here.

Location: Delectable Dessert Café, Level 2, Glasshouse at Seputeh, 17, Lorong Syed Putra Kiri, 50460, Kuala Lumpur

Contact details: 012 885 5280

Being a parent is a full-time job in and of itself. The hours are long and unpredictable, often stretching into late nights and early mornings, with no weekends or holidays off. From the moment a child is born, parents face the unending journey of caregiving, guiding, and nurturing.

For Rachel Tan, founder of the Malaysian parenting-based card game The Nurts and Director of Marketing at Klook, every second counts. Despite her busy life as an entrepreneur and a career woman, she still manages to take care of her family through her unwavering dedication. This path, of course, has not been without its hurdles.

In an exclusive interview, The Beat Asia chatted with the multi-hyphenate mompreneur about The Nurts — how it has been helping struggling parents, her own debacles, and how she continues to overcome all of the challenges that come her way.

How does this superwoman do it? Read on to find out!

Establishing The Nurts

“There is no one way to parent.”

This idea was what brought Rachel’s brand, The Nurts, to fruition. Given that parenting is a multi-faceted endeavor and their family's fondness for games, she decided to create The Nurts card game — the brand's first product — as a simulation to guide parents like her.

“The idea of it was to simulate parenting and what comes with parenting: decision-making, resource management, whether you have enough time [for your kids], and whether you have enough money to raise your kid,” she shared.

After getting great feedback from their peers and customers for their card game, The Nurts went on to release the book “A Parent’s Promise,” which contains a narration of the various roles that parents play in their children's lives. The book sold over a thousand copies, making The Nurts a well-known brand for parents in Malaysia looking for tools to help them through their parenting journey.

Today, the brand offers several products, including their best-selling card game Heart-to-Heart, the financial literacy-themed game The Money Genius, and the science-themed card game BonDing, as well as activity books and play kits, some of which were developed in collaboration with medical professionals and child development experts to better address learning gaps in children.

Life as a Working Mompreneur

Rachel wears many hats. Just a few months ago, she also took on a new role as the Director of Marketing at travel booking platform Klook, adding to her many responsibilities.

Thanks to her “hands-on” and “go-getter” personalities, Rachel manages to juggle everything gracefully. At home, she caters to the varying needs of her three kids, teaching them important values and playing with them, among many others.

As she shared her experiences with her kids, Rachel gave a motherly smile, “[My kids] are quite young. They have different needs at different life stages. So as a parent, I feel like I have to be quite adaptive to the different needs of [my] child... I have to play different roles. I have to be a teacher, a dancer; I have to be everything they want when we’re playing together.”

“I hope that when they grow older, they will look back and appreciate the time that we spent together,” she added.

When it comes to work and business, Rachel gets a little bit more serious. According to her, being fast and adaptive has helped her brand grow, her team at The Nurts to flourish, and elevated her career as a marketing professional. But even with all her successes, the learning never stops for Rachel.

“As an entrepreneur, I’m still learning. I’m very grateful for my team because I realized, as an entrepreneur, you can’t do everything on your own.”

When asked how she balances work, business, and motherhood, Rachel chuckled at the familiar question. For her, it is all about “quality over quantity,” making sure that she puts her best foot forward in everything that she does, even with spending time with her kids.

“I have had to constantly prioritize, constantly also remind myself to make sure that whatever time I spend, I need to put my heart and soul into it.”

Motherhood: The Highs and Lows

Rachel has experienced a lot of ups and downs, five years into motherhood. For her, missing important milestones with her kids was the hardest part of such a venture. She also shared that, in the beginning, she had a hard time balancing her career and family. Eventually, she decided to take a break at the peak of her career to focus on her budding family.

Thankfully, Rachel was surrounded by people who would become her support system. About three years later, she was able to pick it up and kickstart her career once again.

Among everyone to be grateful for, Rachel is most thankful for her kids for understanding her being a working mom. This, according to her, is a result of her and her partner’s constant communication with their kids.

“We always chat with them (the kids) very openly. We talk to them like they’re adults. I tell them, 'Oh, I’m starting a new role soon. I’m quite excited about it, but I'm also sad because I don't spend much time at home.’ I will tell them things like that.”

She added, “Hopefully, sharing and being open about how I feel as an adult and them understanding how it feels [will] guide them to manage their emotions eventually when they grow older.”

While parenting and working at the same time can be tiring, for Rachel, it is especially rewarding when her kids hug her and welcome her home at the end of each day.

Despite her busy life as a working mompreneur, Rachel remains grateful for what she has and hopeful for the things coming her way. In the next few months, she and The Nurts are set to launch a new product focusing on nutrition, among other projects. This, along with being able to watch her kids grow before her very eyes, is what keeps her going.

Leaving some advice to other struggling parents and mompreneurs, Rachel noted, “If you are thinking about something, just do it. I think if you worry too much, you will never do it. Just follow your heart."

Learn more about Rachel Tan by following her on Instagram. You can also check out The Nurts’ offerings and future events by visiting their website and social media pages.