About

Meet Pavan, The Founder

Meet Pavan — Founder, Trailblazer, Cultural Powerhouse

Pavan’s lifelong passion lies in celebrating and sharing her British-Indian heritage through fashion, beauty, and art. Inspired by her entrepreneurial parents, she carved her own path—becoming the first to bring henna to the high street with groundbreaking henna bars and pop-ups in Topshop and a long-standing presence in Selfridges, where her brand became a customer favourite for over a decade.

A true industry pioneer, Pavan has worked with some of the world’s most prestigious retailers, including Sephora, Harvey Nichols, and Harrods, taking Indian body art from tradition to trend on a global scale.

Her accolades speak volumes: she was awarded the British Empire Medal in 2018 for services to beauty, and holds two Guinness World Records as the world’s fastest henna artist. In 2023, she was appointed to the Advisory Board of the British Beauty Council, affirming her role as a key voice shaping the future of beauty.

Pavan’s artistry has led to collaborations with global stars like Rudimental, Ellie Goulding, and Perrie Edwards, and her intricate designs have lit up the runways of designers Manish Arora and Antonio Berardi. Through every brushstroke, Pavan continues to inspire—bringing henna to the world stage and ensuring this rich, cultural tradition receives the spotlight it truly deserves.

Achievements

🏆 Awards & Honours

British Empire Medal (BEM) Awarded by Her Majesty The Queen for Services to Beauty

2x Guinness World Record Holder Fastest Henna Artist in the World

📺 Media & Recognition

Secured Investment on BBC Dragons’ Den (2024)

Featured Speaker Beauty & business event panels

Interviewed by leading magazines, Including Glamour, Vogue, and others

Over 9.7 million views Instagram reach in a 30-day period

💼 Industry Leadership

Advisory Board Member — British Beauty Council

Founder Pavan Beauty — First brand to bring henna to the high street

Trusted Brand Collaborator— Worked with MAC, L’Oréal, Estée Lauder, Armani Beauty, Lancôme, Mugler, and more

🌍 Global Influence

Henna Pop-Ups — Soho House London, West Hollywood, and Malibu

Expandind Brand Presence — London to Los Angeles

🎓 Mentorship & Education

Henna Educators Course — Taught salons to offer henna as an add-on service

Wellness Workshop Facilitator — Ayurvedic and meditative henna rituals

Business Boss Panel Host — For aspiring beauty entrepreneurs

🌿 How It All Began
Pavan’s journey with henna started at the age of 15, during a family wedding where she was captivated by the artistry and tradition of henna. Surrounded by the excitement of celebration, she picked up a cone and began creating—and instantly fell in love.
Years later, after breaking the Guinness World Record for becoming the World’s Fastest Henna Artist, Pavan took a bold step. She contacted the BBC and offered her services for their iconic soap, EastEnders.
A twist of fate (and a few wrong numbers) connected her directly with the show's makeup department—a happy accident that led to an interview and ultimately a job offer. Within weeks, Pavan found herself working on the set of a show she had grown up watching for over 20 years—a full-circle moment that marked the start of a remarkable career.
Lightbulb Moment!

It was on set Pavan realised that henna was not accessible unless you knew someone who did it as a hobby, and even more unaccessible to those who were not from an Asian background.
The love for henna was Universal. This is where Pavan coined the term ‘Henna Bar’ and opened the first of it’s kind in Topshop on Oxford Street.
After huge success, Pavan approached Selfridges and opened there in 2014.
Henna On The High Street

Growing up, you could only buy henna from the local Indian grocery store. The paste would be runny, the colour would come out faint, and the ingredients were not guaranteed.
Pavan saw another opportunity here...

The go-to Henna Artist for Celebs and Brands

“My aim is to make our unique and beautiful tradition of henna accessible to everyone, wherever they are in the world. I envision a future where henna sits proudly alongside beauty staples—

Blow dry? Manicure? Henna? Absolutely.

Henna deserves its place in the mainstream beauty conversation.”

— Pavan Dhanjal

The Widest Range Of Colour In Cones

From signature white henna to bold metallics and an award-winning neon range, Pavan’s innovative henna cones are designed to sit proudly next to your nail polish or mascara. This is henna—reimagined as a modern beauty essential.