Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?
March 22, 2010 4:57 PM

I want a long lasting, good looking, custom, temporary tattoo.

Apparently the semi-permanent tattoos in which they claim to only inject ink into the epidermis are bullshit.

I got a gecko-shaped rash when I was 13 and got a henna tattoo. I read now that it may have been some coal-tar additive they use sometimes, but the color is no good for what I want anyway.

I've been using Papilio paper, but it looks unacceptably shitty on day 3. Plus, it's way too shiny. It's the equivalent of gluing plastic wrap to myself.

I found Stray Tats, but it's significantly more expensive and makes the same claim of longevity that Papilio does.

The internet has all kinds of instructions for temporary tattoos using nail polish, sharpies, hairspray, etc. that, even if it seemed like a good idea to put any of these things on my skin, are only suitable for things about as complicated as a misfits logo.

Ideally, it would look real*, last some time on the order of a month, and be completely custom. As for color, black would be okay, a limited palette would be good, and being able to use any colors whatsoever would be optimal. That it be custom is mandatory. I'm willing to order it or have it done if it lasts long enough, otherwise I'd want to do/make it myself. Any suggestions?

*For the record, I'm not trying to fool anyone. If the constantly changing tattoos weren't a tip-off, I immediately point out they're fake when someone comments.
posted by cmoj to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (3 answers total) 8 users marked this as a favorite
The closest thing I've ever seen to what you want is temptu temporary tattoos. They also have a line of airbrush inks. However, they don't last as long as what you're looking for.

Frankly, I'm fairly certain that what you're looking for doesn't exist. There's a reason people have made money off of the "semi-permanent" tattoo bullshit.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 5:50 PM on March 22, 2010


what about printing fake tattoos? If you look after them well sometimes they can last a long time, closer to a week I've kept them. And if it doesn't look good you just reapply. Maybe these people will do custom work, too.
posted by lizbunny at 8:28 PM on March 22, 2010


Silver nitrate, topically applied, and well controlled.

It's black, and you have to be both painstaking and quantitative in its application, for safety's sake.
posted by the Real Dan at 10:46 PM on March 22, 2010


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