KAT VON D! TATTOO'S FRIEND OR FOE?
Meg here, I have not been able to get on-line. I got my new laptop and all will be in order in the house of megsmakeup.com soon!
I had this friend, she really could turn anything into an argument. I've since cut the friendship loose because one can only take walking on eggshells for so long. Anyhow, we had a tattoo discussion. She was in favor of them. I'm not really into anything enough to permanently etch it on my skin for eternity. Her take on this was that I have commitment issues. My take was that I didn't want to be searching for derma-blend for spaghetti straps.
She said "Everyone that has a tattoo gets one because it stands for something."
I pointed out that in my high school there was this kid named Dean that got the Domino's Pizza Noid tattoo'ed on his shoulder so I didn't necessarily find this theory to hold up. Boy did she get mad.
I remember watching the "Eyes of Tammy Faye" documentary. God love her, I loved that zany Tammy. Anyway, there's this classic scene where she goes to a photo shoot. The photographer says "Tammy, please go wash your face so we can do make-up." Something like that anyhow. She washes her face and...She looks the exact same! All the make-up was tattoo'ed on. C'mon that's good! That's really sticking to what you think works!
I went to my plastic surgeon's today and he was showing me his newest and greatest lasers. One of them can fry off a tattoo. Then I got home, I read that Megan Fox and Brian Austin Green called off their relationship. I was thinking she may not want to continue with his named plastered across her epidermis and that I should forward my surgeon's info to her.
It's expensive to do though, not the tat..The removal.
Maybe when people get married they should be forced to have their mates name tattoo'ed on their body. It's such a headache to cover it-this maybe the incentive to go back and make the relationship work
My favorite argument is..."Do you think you're going to want that tattoo when you're 80?"
This is why I will be getting a tattoo...When I'm 80 years-old.
If I haven't found something I can permanently commit to at that point then maybe my ex-volatile friend had a point. Maybe I'm a commitment phobe.
So let us know! What, where and why have you inked? We are going to get some KAT VON D off to our best tattoo story!
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Reviews
I love all these stories! Tatoos tend to envoke opinions and that's fabulous to me!Do tatoos define someone,draw people closer,or repel? Interesting indeed! I love that they always seem to provoke a response!I have one and it means a lot to me: it is positioned on my upper right shoulder blade in back and honestlybecause of where it is and the fact that it doesn't show all the time,I forget I have it until someone comments.It's circular and the mermaid in the center was designed in my likeness.I have a "connection"to mermaids and have collected them all over the world as they appear to be universal in their mythology.She is surrounded by waves and among them is the symbol for "yin/yang" aka balance and figures in Chinese for"Strength of mind,body,and spirit..." I started the tatoo when I was 30 and had it added to in different places in the world,usually at defining moments in my life :)I added a black-belt to the mermaid when I earned mine in TaeKwonDo and also added the letters"Mjsred" to the waves when I married my my husband...they mean "Mike Jagge's Redhead"and it's become a joke as well as my license plate and is as close as I'd EVER get to putting any man's name on my body,LOL!I do plan to add my grandchildren's initials to the mix eventually.The main reason I love mine is that it's sort of a "roadmap of my life" in that I've added to it only when circumstances that have powerful meaning to me have prompted me to...it's beautifully done and I am complimented whether on the beach or at a black-tie event! I believe that if you are classy,your tatoo will be as well. :)I once volunteered at a noted art gallery for a period of time:one day,an INCREDIBLY beautiful woman came in,she was the sponsor of a visiting artist's exhibit that was opening (tranlated,she was exceptionally wealthy)dressed in Chanel and wearing pearls the size of small rocks,LOL! She looked to be vaugely Oriental but was SO incredible that she couldn't be clearly defined as to her origins.She was a "Lady" in that she had a title... was I impressed,LOL! She arrived with a car/driver and had a fruit-platter for the volunteers placed.That she had class was an understatement.She wanted to try on some bracelets that were in the gallery showroom and as she pushed up her sleeves to try them on,I noticed that both of her arms were COVERED in brilliant tatoos.I think I gasped a bit but didn't say a word...I NEVER would have expected her to have them.She bought several thousand dollars worth of baubles and graciously left the room which seemed to become smaller when she did so.Needless to say,she was one of THE most fabulous and memorable women ever to me and although I can't remember(and wouldn't share) her name,her image has stuck with me...I did ask around a bit after the opening and discovered that she had been a geisha...a real one and for many years.I can only imagine the stories she had to tell and things she had seen and experienced in her life that had brought her to that point.OMG.Can you imagine?When I see someone with tatoos now,I often wonder about "their story" and would love to know more about them sometimes...I think Kat is amazingly beautiful,talented and brave in that she "re-defines" modern "beauty" in one moreform!
Meg - As a teen in the early 70's I always wanted a delicate rose on my breast. Thought it would make mesexy or cool or whatever. Nobody did those kinds of things back then. At least not a lot. Neither did I - I chickened out. But I did promise myself that if by the time I was 50 and I still wanted it,I would get one. SO, my 50th birthday rolled around and decided I was going to go for it. I hadjust been through a divorce and finished a manuscript (no, it didn't sell). The rose morphed intoan Irish Faery; with my 19 year old niece by my side I went to a highly recommended woman artist - andit hurt like a bitch! My little faery only shows when I want her to. Something to remember ladies (and gents) if you ever plan to work in a professional (public) setting tats and piercings should beconsidered carefully. VERY CAREFULLY. Nobody who knows me would believe I have a tattoo - I have nodesire to have a second. I enjoy her and showing her off when I am 'at play'. I'll really enjoy herwhen I am in the old folks home at 80 and 90!
Yep, I got a tattoo when I was 18. It is a Japanese good luck symbol (or so I hope ... I don't know Japanese!) on the small of my back (I didn't know they were known as "tramp stamps" back then). I decided on the design when I was like 15, so I knew it was something that I really wanted. So when I was 18 I went on a cruise with my family, and got a henna tattoo of the sign where I thought I wanted the real tattoo. After wearing the fake tattoo for a month and not hating it, I decided to get the real thing. I hid it from my parents for a few months, and when I finally showed them they thought it was fake! My mom said "Nooooo that's the henna one you got in Mexico" , and I was like "Henna doesn't last for 4 months!". Its been about 7 years, and I don't regret getting it.
Funny story Vexy! Here's a brainteaser, how does the world's biggest Van Halen fan end up with the world's smallest Van Halen tattoo? I don't know either, let's ask my brother.
Ah to address the “Do you think you’ll want to have that tattoo when you are 80?” question ... I never ever in my life wanted a tattoo - ‘ICK’ was what I thought about them and...NO WAY could I ever EVER endure the pain of getting a tattoo! However, when I was 49 I started dating a man who looked like Fabio (true story) who was 52, tan, had long blonde hair and about 8-10 absolutely stunning colorful tattoos! I became VERY interested in the entire history of each tattoo and the ‘Why did you pick THAT tattoo?’ story about each design. One day my girlfriend who was pretty much like Polly Purebred in the squeaky clean department and I had lunch with my Fabio boyfriend whom I was sure my girlfriend would despise as he was a very arrogant piece of work. Anyway...they met and shook hands and immediately my girlfriend expressed a riveting interest in all his tattoos and asked him a million questions about the colors and where he had it done etc. I was dumbfounded as she always seemed to detest tattoos in general! That day happened to be her birthday and after my boyfriend left, she said “Let’s go to his tattoo place and see if they have an opening!!” Again, shocked to the core I was but we walked to the place and it’s run by a woman tattoo artist...anyway...they had a cancellation and my friend was able to get in that very day to get one if she could wait and come back in two hours! HOLY CRAP!!! So we ate lunch and she is a gardener and she also works with her husband at his welding shop and told me she can never wear bracelets because they get hung up on stuff, so she wanted to get a delicate floral bracelet tattooed on her wrist so she could always have on a bracelet! So we went back and she sat quietly in a chair and got her sweet little tattoo and didn’t even flinch! Meanwhile...I laid on the couch, my face was white as a sheet watching HER get HER tattoo! I thought I would pass out just watching! She was elated with her tattoo (she was in her late 40’s at the time). When she got home her husband went through the roof that she got a tattoo and of course blamed it entirely on me and didn’t want her to ever come over to see me again. He didn’t talk to her for a week! In the meantime, I was so impressed with my friend’s tattoo (it really was adorable and SO feminine) I decided I’d get my own tattoo in a similar manner, only around my ankle like an ankle bracelet. So I called and made an appointment and then told my boyfriend I was getting a tattoo with his tattoo artist! Well he was less than excited, mostly stunned that I would have the courage to desire to do this and I asked him to come and sit with me when I got it but he informed me he wasn’t wasting any of his vacation hours on doing that! He was such a prince of a boyfriend to me! So, on my 50th birthday I bravely walked into the tattoo place and the woman artist remembered me from my girlfriend’s appointment and said “Are you SURE you are ready for this?” and I said “Yes!” even though my heart was pounding loud enough that I was sure everybody could hear me! This particular artist only does original work so she literally draws out whatever it is you have in your head until you get the design you want and then she traces it on your body and then goes to work. Just before she started she said “Are you ready?” and then warned me that “YOU HAVE TO HOLD PERFECTLY STILL!!! YOU CAN NOT SQUIRM, MOVE AN INCH OR I WILL MAKE A MISTAKE!” “THERE WILL BE NO MISTAKES!” Then I looked at her and said “Do you have something I could hold on to?” So she gave me this enormous red stuffed animal bear and I latched on to it. Then just moments before she started, her massively strong bad ass reception area male staff person (was built like a pro-wrestler) came in and said “You want to hold my hand?” and I said “YES YES YES!!!” So I held his enormous hand with both of mine while the stuffed animal was clinging to my chest and she began. She later told me she was SURE I was going to faint so she told her assistant in advance, to come in there and hold my hand and make SURE I didn’t pass out! She told me she doesn’t have time to deal with fainters! She even suggested I don’t get the tattoo completely around my ankle as there are parts near the bone that would hurt even more but I went for the whole deal. I didn’t faint, I didn’t cry and I didn’t complain or squirm but I DID feel pain! When she was finally done with both processes (outlining it and THEN coloring it in) I stood up and went to look in the mirror and I looooooooooooooooved my new tattoo! It’s so feminine and delicate and I still enjoy it! I left there completely empowered because I DID IT all by myself (for the most part). Now it’s 10 years later and I’m older and I don’t regret getting it but at the same time I don’t need another one and I still REALLY admire tattoos on everybody I see! My fiancè’ has tattoos and I love looking at them all the time. I have a huge new respect for people who get tattoos knowing what it takes to get one! You know you can’t be a sissy and have them numb you up first you have to be fully present and that’s what makes getting a tattoo pretty unforgettable and pretty remarkable. I think when I’m 80, I’ll look down at my ankle and remember what a strong, brave and whimsical woman I was at 50 and smile! I don’t regret it. However, I DO see lots of tattoos on people that I know THEY are going to regret in later years! Even my boyfriend had a tattoo that said “Doris” after his old girlfriend, fortunately for him he later found an excellent tattoo artist who was able to turn Doris into sometime completely different which actually turned out quite awesome! Sorry this is so long, but for those of you considering getting a tattoo just know it’s GOING TO HURT and IT’S GOING TO BE THERE DAY AFTER DAY AFTER DAY AFTER DAY AFTER DAY AND YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR....just make sure you are down with that!
Jeanasina!
One word: henna. Magic. It's beautiful and semi-permanent and I personally think the brown color is just as if not more sophisiticated and attractive than that bluish color that all tattoos seem to fade to after a while. It looks wonderful on my mid-toned skin, and it lasts quite a long time if you take care of it. If you don't like it, it'll scrub off pretty well within a week, and you can always do something else later! If you do like it, it can last up to a month with proper care, and you can get the same thing done again. When I was fifteen, I got a henna "gemini" symbol (it looks kind of like a fancy "pi" symbol) on my ankle. This was quite dark, almost black. That year I went to summer camp as a junior counselor (they were very chill there, no one to be concerned about my "tattoo") and everyone loved it. At first I told them it was only henna, but after a while I started having fun and telling people, yes, it was real! It did fade because I was in and out of lake water almost every day, but no one really noticed. I thought no more of it until the next summer, when it was three days before the start of camp and I had the unexpected opportunity to get henna done again! A mischievous impulse struck me and I had the same thing done, as close to the original size and location as I could remember. To this day, the lifelong friends I made at that camp confess that they were completely convinced I had a permanent one!
I have very beautifull and well done tattoos that I'm proud to wear for the rest of my life and am looking forward to adding to after my baby is born. If a tattoo is chosen with care and applied by a clean, professional, talented artist, it can truly be a benefit to the one wearing it. Or them. Also pigments today are sturdier and less likely to "run" than the inks used in our parents and grandparents time and tattoo guns are also improving allowing more detailed and delicate work to last longer. Of course as with anything on our bodies, sun protection is key and sunscreen will greatly improve the longevity of the tattoo as well as the skin its in. Tattoos are as old as the human race and have been used for beautification, healing, spiritual devotion, rebellion, identification and more. In our current western society tattoos are chosen with individual preference that may have any number of influences. And while you may not understand the impulse to be tattooed, don't judge every tattooed individual negatively purely because they are tattooed. One of my tattoos (the double cat portrait) can be seen here:http://www.catchannel.com/magazines/catfancy/february-2008/considering-a-at-tattoo.aspx?cm_sp=InternalClicks-_-RelatedArticles-_-magazines/catfancy/february-2008/considering-a-at-tattoo
Inspite of the name, I am ink free. Although in my youngeryears I did consider something tastefuly small on a breast. But in the end opted against exchanging tit for tat. Icouldn't bear the thought of it aging not so gracefully into my golden years. While I don't care as much for them ona women, there are some that I have seen and actuallyconsidered sexy. But there is something about about manthat can turn a well chosen personal choice into something to set my loins a blaze. For some men, I believe tats are an more accepted way to manifest deep emotional issues. My husband for example, lost his beloved mother sudden and was overwhelmed with grief. After a wake and funeral he nolonger felt it appropriate to express his grief publicly. Whileit certainly lingered at the same intensity, he suffered hispain in silence. Then nearly a year later he memorialized hermemory in ink with an angel on his shoulder, literally. Hidden on his back shoulderblade, normally exempt from the site ofothers, in his own way he has found a way to honor her. Personally, I think it is sweet.
So I have a kind of typical "drunken tattoo" story- about my dad. My father was a military man. He spent a year in Korea in the era between the Korean war and the Vietnam war. Since he was in the special forces (a radio operator), there wasn't any threat of combat. One night, he got particularly tipsy with his friends and wound up getting a tattoo. Now, you'd think that even during a drunken decision, a tattoo would be /something/ meaningful, like the name of his wife or his kids or even his mother; or maybe a symbol that meant something. Nope. My dad got his own name tattooed onto his arm, for no reason except that "if he got drunk, he'd always know his name". It's not a bad tattoo- a little weathered into a bluish blob now, but it's held up for forty years or so- but honestly? His /name/. And this was before tattoo guns, so he did it the old fashioned way! I've entertained the idea of getting a tattoo of something very meaningful to me (a small treble clef to signify my love of music) but honestly I couldn't stand having it turn into a streak by the time I'm older. Plus, tattoos can hinder your chances of getting a job in the performing industry. Remember- tattoos can always be drawn on with a steady hand and waterproof liquid eyeliner. They're a heck of a lot harder to cover up!
Meg - Sorry about the double-post. Problem w/my system. Or is it the operator? Anyway -- forgot to tell you all a tat story. I don't know if your city has yet had the tour of the Human Body Sculptures - can't remember the full / correct name but it is the full body / real bodies of people that have beentreated in various stages for Science. ANYWAY -- it was really cool at our Science Musuem. There wasone male speciem that had a tattoo. And yes his skin was still on his frame. Talk about interestingin a weird sort of way....Another thing - I never did understand people putting tats on their backs or places they couldn't seethem for themselves. I mean, if you're going to go through all that in the first place - don't you atleast want to see it?
I recently remarked to my sister that the only place I would want to be tattooed would be my eyebrows, nonexistent as they are, but I was afraid because they always look fake. She gave me a penetrating look and said "look at my brows." Turns out she had them done 15 years ago and I never noticed except to envy her for having the brow gene. Now it appears she had permanent eyeliner too, but that I have never envied: I just though she had a heavy hand and wouldn't insult her by mentioning it.
Meg -As a teen in the 70's I really wanted to get a rose tattooed on my breast. Thought it would be sexyor something. At that point in time nobody was doing this - and I chickened out. Howevr I promisedthat if by the time I was 50 and I still wanted one I would do it. Over the years the idea / desirewould come up - but I stuck with the 50 year mark. Finally my 50th birthday rolled around. I had recently been divorced and finished my first manuscript (no, it didn't sell) so with my 19 year old niece in tow I did it. The rose morphed into the Irish Faery from the manuscript. It is now 5 yearslater and I don't have any more tats nor do I have any desire to get any more. The thing younger people don't think about is that if they plan on having a career in any kind of professional capacityvisible tats and piercings are not acceptable. When I think about being 80 or 90 and my little faery, I just look down at her and smile. She only shows when I want her to.
I got my one and only tatto at 31 - it is on my hip. It is a tattoo of my initials intertwined and I drew it myself. So it is my artwork on me. It is only visible in a bathing suit or when I am naked with my husband. I only wear a bathing suit a week out of the year so no big deal. I don't think I would have the guts to put one where it can be seen every day. i am a conformist - sue me. :D
I agree with the reviewer who said (and i am paraphrasing) that why should it bother you if others have tattoos and you dont? That is exactly what people who are tattooed think. I dont care that you are NOT tattooed, so please dont care that I am. I am a female who is fully sleeved on both arms...go ahead, tell me about the 80 year old bat wing shirt...whatever..this is now, and who knows if I will make it to 80. I love my tattoos, I love art, and I am begininng to love how uncomfortable it makes the rest of the world that I have chosen to do this "horrific" thing to my body. I have to admit, I didn't do it on a whim and I have had sleeves for longer than Kat Von D has had her own show. It wasnt "normal" for females to get sleeves when I started mine. I see myself the way I want to, not the way others want me to look. As females, we shouldnt look at other peoples "differences" or "choices in style" as a flaw or way to put another person down. I dont like the way most people dress, so I dont dress that way. More power to whomever thinks they can pull off shorty-shorts or whatever the latest fashion is...I CHOOSE not to wear that...and I dont care that someone else HAS chosen to wear it. I do look at young girls who are getting heavily tattooed and want to tell them to wait it out...you are not going to like a sleeve of PowerPuff girls when you are in your twentys. But they are free to do what they like, just as I am...I planned my art and took a long time to research it and research the artists as well. Dont get me wrong, I am not free of regrets...I wish I had never gotten any work on my legs so I am having that removed. My only word of caution is that bad art lasts just as long as good art...so pick your artists carefully...Cartoons are for tv and movies, tattoos are art so try to stick with that when choosing your design. For my tattoo "story" (I will try to make this brief as I know this has gone on way to long)I was in line at a store and the women in the next line was bashing me for being tattooed, she told the cashier that "there is no way she has a job looking like that". She said this loud enough for me to hear as well as everyone else. When I was finally at the cashier, I handed over my purchases and said loud enough for her to hear "I dont know how I am going to pay for this stuff! I mean, I dont work!". End of story. I have to wonder why people with CLOSED minds, feel the need to OPEN their mouths....And by the way...I AM EMPLOYED in a very respectable career field...Thanks for letting me vent...
I am 45 now, I have seen the tattoo world change. I got a tattoo when I was in my 20's, I was an adorable 22 year old with perky breasts. What would be sexier then a tattoo on 1 of the 2 perky breasts? after all, when I got my tat, only bikers and gangsters were getting tats, yes there are women bikers and gang bangers, I was neither, just a young gal with a flair for the different, NOW all types of people are tatted now and they're younger and younger and covering more skin all the time. Back to my tat, I was all of 104 lbs soaking wet, I had to laugh when I read the review of " the rose becoming a long stemmed rose" how about a rose bud becoming a rose bush? that is my story, my 22 yr old 32 c's are now my 45 yr old 42 DDD's. No, the rose bud doesn't look the same. I laugh when I hear all of the answers for "what will that look like in 20 years" I can show U!! ha ha ha. Now, self mutalation in the name of art I can appreciate, but the canvas is a better place to lay your art and colors, especially if u have any "fat genes" in your family. My best advice is get a small tat if you have to have 1, my next piece of advice, get your tat somewhere that won't expand or sag, like your big toe, always get it in a place where you can cover or hide it w/out make up or cosmetics. I think Kat Von D is beautiful and her tats fit her personality. I don't think tats are for everyone tho. I always heard once you get 1 tat you're going to get more, it's addicting. That maybe true for others but not me. I try not to judge others, but I do get a chuckle when I think of these young gals with "full sleeves", they're going to look like the "bat wing blouses" of the 80's in 40 years. (For those who may not know, full sleeves is Tattoo talk for when a persons arms are covered in tattoos or 1 huge tattoo from shoulder to wrist)..
I will be getting one behind my ear when I'm older. I like the thought of that spot being out of sight but not trashy.
Mjsred, now I want to know about your connection to Mermaids......
I'm 22 and I have 4 tattoos. 3 of the four I mostly regret, seeing as I was 17 when I got those, but about two years ago I had a cousin pass away. Now I'm Cuban, so picture "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" only we speak Spanish; I grew up with all my family living on the same block so cousins were more like siblings. My cousin DJ was 27 when she died. She died of cancer. So when she died I immediately wanted to get something to honor her. She had battled cancer for 4 years and never once complained, she just kept fighting. I wanted to get wings for her because she, to me, was now our family's angel. Well since I had regrettably already has 3 tattoos, I had decided to sit on the thought a little longer. Well I moved away from the family a year after her death, up to Boston, and decided that I wanted the tattoo. Initially I had wanted a small set of wings in the upper middle of back, a piece like Nicol Richie's, but as I thought more about ended up deciding I wanted a full back piece. I've posted picture on my profile, both titled "Tattoo." Mind you, what you're looking at consists of 2 five-hour sessions and it is only about 1/3 of the piece; since the last session was a bit painful and tattoos are expensive I've given myself a 6 month hiatus. Either way I often get horrible reactions to my tattoo. I'm a Florida girl, and although I'm up here in the cold, I can't get used t turtle necks and all that winter-wear, it's not me. So under my coat I'm almost always wearing a cami or something backless and sexy. Most people, when they see me from the front, would never assume me to be someone with tattoos, so when people do see it they freak, some people compliment them, a lot of guys tell me they're hott, but then I get the more old fashioned people who nearly gasp at the sight, I've even had people say while standing right behind me "look what trash this girl is, why would she ruin her body like that?" But to me I haven't ruined my body, I've added to it. I love my wings, they mean something to me, and I really don't care what someone else thinks because they are a part of me, not them. For me it was a way of letting my cousin know her presence is always with our family. I grew up in very Catholic Conservative family so when I go home to visit my mom usually makes me cover up because she's embarrassed, and for I will, and my brother-in-law always jokes that now I am "a beautiful angel," but when I'm 80 I'll be "an old buzzard." I laugh. People will have their opinions whether it's because I have a tattoo on my back or because I'm living with my boyfriend out of wedlock. You come across people who will judge you for your clothes or your career, your taste in music, your religion, political views, etc. But it's really all about what makes you happy. If I allowed people's comments or opinions to affect my decision to get a tattoo or how I feel about myself because I have a tattoo then I'm allowing them to form who I am as a person, and just like I wouldn't allow someone to tell me what color blush to wear, I won't allow someone to tell me what to do with my body. I wouldn't deny myself of getting ice cream if I wanted some ... so why a tattoo? It's my life, they are my decisions, and they all lead to my happiness, and no one but really needs to understand that but me. I say if you want the tattoo, go for it, but make sure it's something you're doing for you, because you want to, not because you're trying to make a statement to society or prove to your friend you're not a commitment phobe. Because just as if I didn't get a tattoo because most people frown upon, if you get one to prove something, you're allowing people to make decisions for you and eventually you will regret it. Either way, I support you.
I'm 32 and just got my second tattoo a week ago and I'm thrilled with it. It's on my right shoulder and it's a beautifully done scotch thistle. My first was done 12 years ago and is a graceful little four-leaf clover on my ankle. Scotland is one of the most beautiful places I've ever visited and I feel such an affinity for it even though I'm not Scottish. Tattoos are permanent yes, but rather than doing something like getting cosmetic surgery which is a subtle, noone-can-tell-hee-hee alteration, tattoos are visible. If you're uncomfortable getting one because it'll be visible, get a small one, somewhere hidden. Think long and hard before you get one and don't get one of something there's a chance you might regret later. Find a good artist, check out their work and talk to them about what you want. Don't get one just because it's trendy.Tattoos are art, they're personal and they're sexy.
I admit, I'm a little intrigued with tattoos. I think I could stand the pain... but not the permanency. Meg, maybe I have commitment issues too. :) Oh! And a little fun fact-- Kat Von D's new makeup line is developing a tattoo cover up! I think it's cool that even the tattoo queen is giving people the option of opting out of their tattoos for a day of job interviews or something.
I think I should add since I read some of the other reviews. I would never EVER tattoo words on myself; I personally think that's tacky (although my boyfriend has a tattoo of a Skull with the word "Boston" underneath it). I eventually want to get a piece on my inner arm with some sort of dove or something with 4 stars falling underneath it (one star for each of my immediate family members) sort of like God is protecting them, but I haven't gotten it yet because I want to find something more symbolic than a dove and stars, so I've been researching foreign symboligy until I find the right piece, but yes, I agree that words are horrible, especially names of your significant other - that just seems like you're insecure of your relationship so you feel you have to "claim" it. But tattoos are not a trend for me, my boyfriend has a full sleeve on one arm & the skull on the bicep of his other and it's beautiful. It's him. He allows himself to be expressed through his tattoos and for them to be a representation of who he is rather than define who he is. I really can't emphasis enough how people need to get over the whole mentality of "people should find another way to express themselves." It doesn't affect you to see someone with a tattoo, why bother yourself with it? It's one thing if it's not for you, that's fine, but would you have such a strong opinion of someone who expresses themselves through singing in the shower? It's a silly topic to get so worked up about. Live and let live.
I am with you Meg. Tattoos are way to permanent. Whether we like it or not, no one looks good with an old tattoo. I am sure we have all heard about the rose turning into a long stem rose. I have seen people young and older who have the most hideous tattoo's. So if you need to make a statement, draw a picture, write a poem or story, design your own clothes, but why muddle up your body?
Beste Hilsin
I have always wanted a tattoo- I am not really sure why...One day my son and daughter-in-law decided to take me with them to get tattoos. My husband bet I wouldn't do it as I had chickened out for so many years. He said he would shave his head if I got one. I now have one on my right foot and ankle (a shamrock and ladybugs). I love it! He is not bald though. I didn't make him go through with it. He just has too big a head to be bald....
Im way too chicken,I once went along with a friend who was getting her belly button pierced while we were waiting a bit tough body builderguy came out of the tatoo parlour weeping like a baby,he had like a tatoo vest from his neck to his wrists and was obviously adding to it over time and still wasnt used to it,enough to put me off for life.
PotionPrincess♥
tattoo artists are true artists, they just use skin as their painting canvas. i have several tattoos. each one of them were premeditated and collaborated with the tattoo artist and those who mean the world to me. however, i have to disagree with your friend. tattoos have lost their meaning in our current society. many girls adorn the "tramp stamp" which are either a silly tribal design, a butterfly, a rose, etc. etc. it is rare to find unique tattoos anymore. i know that there are still lovely people out there who use their bodies to show true art and beauty in tattooing.
of coarse as soon as i tunred 18, i went otu on spring break and got a tattoo. i made meaning behind it, it was to tell a story of how i went to hawaii for having been on the high honor roll all through high school. (so somehting like long term promises kept) and i also made it (my flower) hawaiin, it has 5 petals. the reason i chose 5 petals is to represent my biological mother and sisters with me at all times...since they came to see me graduate. so i have the flower for graduation, that was one of the most important days in my life. and now i am actually waiting for my fiance to return from iraq so we can get tattoos together. some ppl think it is stupid but i will never be with anyone else. i am not trying to prove it, i just want him with my at all times, even when he is at war. and it is something that we want to do together. it will be his first tattoo (he is 24 and in the air force, but deployed with the army).
j.baby
I've thought about getting one but bearing the consequences of having it is just too much for me. I don't want any regrets, but I always think that we only live once so I want to experience a lot before I die. Maybe when I have a stable job and personal life, I'll think of getting one.
kat is one of the few people that i see that make tatoos look seductive and glam - me not being a tatoo fan that says a lotplus her product line in sephora is to die for :)
-Miss Yaya
http://myownjudge.blogspot.com/
This was SO funny Meg! Have you seen the pics of Kat's entire body covered with her concealer? You can't see any tats, but she looks blotchy. Well, congrats to whoever won! I really do think Kat is SO pretty, but is that black liner in her crease??
Years ago, I worked with a woman who had a large tattoo of an eagle, and it had some other things going on, things that had a lot of meaning to her. Anyway, long story short, she had gotten the tattoo when she was in her late 20's, it started at her collarbones and I guess it went down quite fair, but in any case, you could see it when she work normal clothes, in order to cover it up, she would have had to wear a turtleneck. At the time I met her, she was in her 50's somewhere, looked at least 10 years older bc of sun and smoking, and whatever else she did that ages your skin, and basically, the eagle looked like it was falling out of the sky. If you could even tell from first glance that it was an eagle. Even though it had never occured to me to get a tattoo, that was enough to convince me that I never would!
I have a small tattoo on my ankle...its a butterfly and a small little vine with a flower. I like tattoos, I wouldn't get any on my face though...I have been thinking about getting another tattoo...I want to get my daughter and my husbands name intertwined in an inconspicuousplace on my body...Yes, sometimes I see men or women with their arm covered in ink,and the ink is fading and I just don't....um....know what to think, I'd like to ask them "why" or "what were you thinking" or "why so many" but...to each his/her own.
I wanted to get tattooed ever since I became a teenager. But sissy me, I was (and still am to some extend) afraid of needles. So well. Until the age of 18 (at least in Germany, where I come from, my parents had the say and as I come from a rather conservative (my dad) middle-class family, I already lost here. So until then, the rebel in me happily (or not so happily) painted skin art on my underarms or the upper arms, with permanent marker (!). A long period of being undecided followed. After getting into the tattoo business myself as an artist, I couldn't resist "special offers" on inked art I now received from everywhere. So I made up my mind, got my favorite flower, the lily, on my left shoulder, and of course, me being always drawn to skulls in some mysterious way, I named her "Lily Death" and decorated her with a little skully head in the middle. My left underarm has the writing "Destiny X" on it. I got it on the day I finally realized I was only the object to some (I talked about it in another topic) "celeb", I was involved with over 10 years from that point on. Call it a thombstone. For something that never really lived. Love? After all, I don't think so. But I learned a lot from it. So that's why I got this tattoo in the end.My right shoulder has the "Beautiful Death" on it. Another work of art I did, in awe of Christian Audigier, who I think is a great artist. It's not copied, it is customized to my liking. That's what I say when people ask;-).Soon I will have filled my right upper arm with leopard pattern around this existing tattoo. Simply because I LOVE leopard patterns!!On my chest, I have two black stars. They do symbolize my sign of the zodiac, Gemini. Heart to heart, one and one...the star motive here simply because I love it. It adds so much to every tattoo, I think. So much for the question if tattoos do have a personal meaning or if they should. I do say yes:-D.
Make up your beauty-full mind...www.myspace.com/blackdivaworld
My best friend was leaving to move to Australia. What a better way to say goodbye by spending a memorable moment in time that we would never forget. My girlfriend got a tattoo ring around her finger. "Wow," I thought what a commitment. I love daisy's. So I got a tiny little daisy on the top of my foot, just above my fourth and fifth toe. I still love it. I love where it is because its perfect that when the summer hits the flip flops come out. Then I can see it and it reminds me of that special time with my girlfriend. Artcandy
♥Robyn♥
I have 1 tatoo and I would like mabey 2 more. I havnt decided yet. I have a tattoo of lavender above my anckle. I would also like a peacock feather.And then for my grand finale I would like a hummingbird and A bitterfly somewhere with flowers and vines. For my mother.
Tan is Love
I like tatoo with meaning I have one in my back taht I would love to get removed =s but it's too expensive ...
Chloe http://thehollywoodheels.blogspot.com
The idea of paying thousands to get tattoos removed is daunting. As beautiful as the artwork is, I also don't like the idea of the work getting all mis-shapen with aged hanging skin. But I do enjoy Ray Bradbury's "Illustrated Man." I have an autographed copy from when I heard him speak in town - what a brilliant mind, who believes in community involvement.
I got a tattoo when I was living in Japan. I am really proud of myself that I managed to communicate with the tattoo artist exactly what I wanted and he designed it for me, since he didn't speak English and my Japanese is limited to asking how much something costs. The tattoo is like my own omiage from Japan. HOWEVERIt hurt like a b!tch. I'm never doing that again. I was crying and twisting while I got it, and there was this teeny tiny Japanese girl sitting calmly while she's getting a sleeve. Embarrassing!
I think it's not exactly a "pain", your skin just reacts in a certain way to it:-). After a couple hours you're numbed out, lol. No, seriously, it may sound odd but I actually enjoy the "pain" while getting inked. Maybe I'm weird;-).
Make up your beauty-full mind...www.myspace.com/blackdivaworld
I don't have any tattoos, I just don't have any interest in them personally. I certainly don't have anything against people who do have them, and admire cool, creative ones. A lot of my friends have one, and a few of them hav 3 or more. More power to them! There's just not anything I'm passionate about to want permanently on my skin.
I'm with you ref26.....I have friends who are covered from head to toe and then there's me who has no interest in getting one. It's funny to me that a lot of people who do have them really love them and want everyone to have one (my one friend use to try to get me to get one all the time--he always offered to pay for it and all).I also find it amazing that they really were a more punk/rock scene--and now they are so main stream--they've come a long way! I think it helps bridge the gaps from "jocks" to "punkrockers" to "emo's" etc....there was a time that some groups would never get a tat to now when it is so more universally accepted
A lot of my friends who get one tattoo get "addicted" and keep wanting more...I have one friend who's up to 5 within only a couple of years of her first!
People do tell me that it becomes an addiction, and while they are getting one, they are trying to figure out what the next will be.
I'm not big on tattoos, i don't mind a few on guys, if they are buff it would look quite hot. otherwise, i think they'd look better clean.I don't exactly like tattoo on women.. much. Sometimes it can look tacky or trashy. depending on the person.
My new Ebay Store: cossiepieMy blog: http://lazyscorner.blogspot.com/
i think tattoos look good but only in moderation. my hubby just had a big tattoo done on his back which looks fab but i wouldn't want him getting loads of them. though it seems like they are quite addictive! i don't have any, the thought of paying someone to inflict pain with a vibrating needle doesn't appeal! LOL x
i think tattoos look cool if theyre not all over the place, but i wouldnt get one because imagine getting a butterfly on your arm or something.. the wings would start out nice and tight, but then as you age the wings would droop more and more.. awkward!!
i think people who get tattoos that they think have meaning at the time are very defensive. so they get mad when people say that it has no meaning. if it did then they would feel confident and comfortable with it regardless of whatever anyone says
First i love kate von dee and on her the tatoo are very feminine ...i like tatoo just if its meaning something ...
I know people who have very beautiful, well done tattoos. And I also know people who have botched, blurry, faded tattoos. I love the way they look on other people, but I don't think I could ever take the plunge.I had an idea that I liked for a while, and it would have meant something to me, but after a few weeks I decided that even though I liked it I did not want it on me forever. A friend gave me good advice: if you have a design you like, put it in a drawer and do not look at it for a year. When you take it out after a year and still like it, get it. For me I didn't need the year to know it was something I did not want to do!
Meg, I completely understand where you're coming from. When I was 18 I got a tattoo(a small one--like the size of my thumb print and I got it on my hip bone so it can be hidden). The problem?> What it once meant to me really doesn't anymore, in fact it is a reminder of stupidity and I've thought about having it changed/enhanced but hello that's more tattooage I might regret!If your ex-friend wants a tattoo, fine..better than fine...great! But for her to insist her values are or should be the same as everyone else's and if they aren't, they have some sort of malfunction, well that is ignorant, short sighted and narcissistic. I have to admit, you sounded like my mom for like..half a second, but I really do understand, ultimately. Get one when you're 80 and rock it.
http://ediblelove.wordpress.com/
I personally don't want one because I am a wimp who can't take the pain and I know I am to indecisive to choose something. Also I have seen the scar my grandfather has from when he got his removed the old fashion way, by having them cut it off!