There were those candies that we indulged in during our childhood days to feel more… adult — such as Tic Tacs that we used to pretend were pills, Mitsuya Tasty Biscuits were the most delicious cigarettes we “smoked”, and many more. (If only we knew how hard true adult-ing was……) But apart from food, there were also temporary tattoos, which we unceremoniously plastered all over our skin and faces for added character and attitude, and also to experience the feeling of having a tattoo, because back then tattoo = badass.
As we got older, these stick on tattoos gradually lost their places in our lives because we just didn’t have the time, nor mindset for juvenile playthings anymore. Well, makeup artists of Instagram might beg to differ, because they’ve up-cycled these temporary ink and incorporated them into gorgeous works of art. On their lids and eyes, to be exact.
What these temporary tattoos do is basically add that graphic element into your otherwise basic lip and eye look, because who doesn’t want those double taps on IG, amirite? Plus, a godsend for those who, y’know, can’t draw a perfectly winged eyeliner to save their lives but would still like to dabble with makeup art. Not everyone manoeuvres eyeliners well, and these tats are the perfect cheat code to getting say, an intricate rose all over your lips.
Ready to get started? Here’s how you get to it. First off, ready all the necessary tools; you’ll need your temporary tats, preferably tiny dainty ones for that extra sophistication, but as usual, you do you. You’ll also need a flat synthetic brush, matte liquid lipsticks and clear gloss.
Temporary tattoos will only transfer well on surfaces without oil, so before proceeding be sure to dab away any traces of oil on your lids and lips. You can put on the tattoos on bare lips, but where’s the fun in that, when you can layer them on a base of matte liquid lipstick? If you’re going for the latter, be sure to get a formula that dries down completely matte; i.e. completely transfer proof. Creamy mattes won’t work. Also, the tattoos aren’t going to turn up well on lids with pigments too, so it’s best to stay away from the eyeshadows when putting on your tats. You can always add them in later.
Go ahead and position your tattoo sheet wherever you like it, patterned side down. Ready a dish of water by the side and wet your brush. Once you’re satisfied with where you’d want the tattoo to be, fully dampen the back of the sheet while applying some pressure with the brush. You have to make sure that the entire surface area of your graphic is wet so that it transfers. Hold the sheet down to about half a minute, and then gently pull away the paper backing. Your tattoo will look nice and crisp this way.
Most artists like to add on a layer of gloss over the tats to bring the tats back to “life”, as well as add dimension to the otherwise flat-looking graphic. The shine of from glosses makes the pattern look reflective and artsy, like you actually put thought into your artwork. The key here is to dab the gloss on instead of swiping it, so that you don’t move the tattoo, and so that your puckers and peepers will have the shiniest effect this way.
Difficulty Level: 3.5/5
Header Image: @beasweetbeauty IG
