Temporary Ink

Posted by Kathleen

on January 22, 2010

I’ve always had a not-so-secret desire for a tattoo, just ask my family and they’ll remember the summer of ’96 when I developed a fascination with temporary tattoos. To this day, I’m not really sure why, because a self-confessed book nerd and girly girl doesn’t really fit the expected biker chick/goth girl tattoo type. For whatever reason, that whole summer, I had some type of a temporary tattoo on myself at all times. My 12 year old self must have been ahead of the trends, since Chanel recently got on the temporary tattoo trend via their jewelry inspired temporary tattoo designs seen on models at the Spring 2010 show (above).

Fortunately, I grew out of that stage, and although I don’t have any tattoos now, it’s mostly because I don’t know what to get. I wouldn’t want something that has a clear and visible expiration date, like the ying yang with two dolphins jumping overhead that my 9th grade Health teacher got (on her ankle no less), significant other initials (not even for you, Johnny Depp, no “WINO Forever” thank you very much), chinese symbols (a co-worker of mine got a tattoo that he thought said ‘See no evil,’ but when I asked my mom to translate, we really found out it said ‘Banish the prisoner’), or a tramp stamp (for obvious reasons) and I would want something with meaning or purpose.

That being said, choosing the right tattoo can be a slippery slope, so any decision I eventually make to get one shouldn’t be made lightly. I plan to test out any future tattoo impulses with an initial test run using Temptu’s Adorn Temporary Tattoo Kit ; which generates grown up and fun temporary tattoos without any of the cheese factor.

The kits come in different themes like Zen Chic, with asian inspired designs like koi fish; Seductive Chic, with roses and lips; and Girly Chic, with butterflies and stars. Additional sheets and templates are also offered on their website, as they are a frequent provider of temporary tattoos on runway and movie sets. I tried out the Seductive Chic kit, which contains 9 sheets, with 3 unique sets of designs. The tattoos come in different sizes, so you can play around with cutting them up or doing them in groups. Also included in the kit are 20 application pads, with rubbing alcohol, which you use to apply the tattoo.

Applying the tattoo takes less than 5 minutes, with the following 3 steps:

1. Choose your tattoo, and like a real tattoo, prep the area with the application pad containing rubbing alcohol until damp.
2. Place the tattoo ink side down and press with the pad until wet and design shows through. Repeat until design is transferred, which only takes about a minute. You can check to see how the transfer is coming along by gently lifting up a corner of the paper after patting it down with the pad a few times.
3. Lift off paper, wait about 30 seconds to dry, and then apply the provided application setting powder. Use generously and pat (do not rub, or else the design will smudge) to set the design.

I was happy to find that the Temptu tattoos leave behind a very real ink–the designs look realistic, with a bluish black tinge and are supposed to last 2-5 days. Mine lasted a few days full of exclamations of “OMG–since when you did you get a tattoo?” before I finally used another application pad to remove it. I think the kits are a fun way to experiment, a great idea for bachelorette parties, or for your next Halloween costume.

The Temptu temporary tattoo kits retail for $25 and can be found at Sephora , while the Chanel ones are rumored to be at boutiques beginning March 1st, with a set of 55 for £49.

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