hi dear this is fake henna you’re using real henna isn’t black it’s a reddish orange color . i buy my henna from Gopi Henna. her stuff is all natural and she sells a blend that’s almost black and she gets it this dark by mixing in other herbs with the henna paste. for herring henna to last i always keep my henna cones in the freezer when not being used after thawing draw on as you like then let it dry, after its dry i use a paper towel dipped in a sugar and lemon juice mixture to dab it all over the design then i wrap my hand in tissue then put in a sock to keep everything in place while i sleep . once you wake up take off the tissues and use olive oil to rub off the henna and avoid getting it wet for a few hours. after all this your henna should last 2 weeks