The Evolution of Temporary Tattoos
By Kaleigh Fasanella
Some trends, as cool as we assumed they were at the time (lookin’ at you, overly plucked brows and butterfly clips), are better left in the past. In other words, the chances of us being caught wearing lip liner three shades darker than our lipstick or rocking flat twists anytime soon are about as likely as us going foundation-free forever — slim to none. That said, there is one blast-from-the-past trend that we’re pretty pumped is back, and possibly even here to stay.
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To say that temporary tattoos have made a comeback would honestly be an understatement. It’s more like a full-on resurgence. It’s not all that surprising given the the nonstop ‘90s renaissance we’ve been experiencing, but did you know that the obsession with these transient tats actually goes way back? We didn’t, either, until we decided to jump in and do some digging — so detective-y of us, we know.
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If you want the deep dive on these trendy tattoos, and how they evolved into the phenomenon they prove to still be today, read on, and then get some impermanent ink of your own.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF OFFICE SUPLY INC.
1912
That’s right, temporary tats trace all the way back to the early 20th century. According to Tattoo Archive, Cracker Jacks introduced “A Prize In Every Box” in 1912, which often featured temporary tattoos of things like pirates, clowns, and whales, in addition to small trinkets and toys. We’re sure the kids went wild over this snack-and-prize combo.
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PHOTO: COURTESY OF BALLYHOO VINTAGE.
1940
As the ‘40s rolled around, you could buy these food-coloring infused “Sailor” tats in individual sheets for as little as one cent each. My oh my how times have changed.
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PHOTO: COURTESY OF ICOLLECTOR.
1970
The ‘70s yielded yet another way to get your hands on temporary tattoos. You could now find them included in packs of sports cards and trading cards on all kinds of subjects, like Star Wars, Bionic Woman, Pee-Wee’s Playhouse, and The Smurfs.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF ETSY.
1980
A decade later meant improvements in quality. Temporary tats upped their game thanks to innovative ink systems. 3M, a manufacturing company in Minnesota, developed a unique coating called Micro-Fragrance, which heralded the development of scratch n’ sniff tattoos.
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PHOTO: COURTESY OF BIRTHDAY DIRECT.
1980
This was also the golden hour for Lisa Frank, who ushered in the super girly temp tat — rainbow-colored puppies, kittens, and unicorns, oh my!
PHOTO: COURTESY OF PETER BROOKER / REX SHUTTERSTOCK.
1990s
The temporary tattoo trend really took off toward the end of the 20th century — if you grew up in the ‘90s, you can most definitely attest to that. Butterflies, Disney princesses, peace signs, and henna designs were just a few of the trendy illustrations you could find embellishing the limbs of ‘90s kids. Ink systems and screen printing improved dramatically, thus enhancing the quality of the tattoos, allowing them to last longer and look better. It was also around this time that temporary tattoos were used to imitate jewelry — remember the tattoo choker necklaces that were all the rage? Our 13-year-old selves most-def do.
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PHOTO: COURTESY OF WARNER BROTHERS.
Early 2000s
The tat trend continued to soar into the early aughts, and while it was targeted toward kids at first, teens and young adults eventually caught on, too. A notable moment that resulted in offering temporary tattoos a bit of “sex appeal” was the infamous scene in A Walk to Remember when Mandy Moore gets a butterfly tattoo on her back — notable at least partially because Shane West applied it for her.Swoon.
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PHOTO: COURTESY OF JEFF VESPA / GETTY IMAGES.
2010
Temporary tats made a brief resurgence in 2010 in what seems the unlikeliest of places: the runway and red carpet. According to Elle.com, temporary ink was spotted at Chanel, Rodarte, and Malandrino. Shortly after, Sarah Jessica Parker was seen rocking the limited edition temporary Chanel tat in bracelet form in conjunction with her other arm candy at the Oscars.
PHOTO: VIA @FLASHTATTOOS
2014:
It was 2k14 when the trend returned with full force. We believe it was a combination of two things: Flash Tats and Beyoncé. Miranda Burnet started the groundbreaking brand in 2013, but it wasn’t until 2014 when they really started popping up on women everywhere, including Queen B. The shiny designs were different from anything we’d seen before, featuring fancy metallic accents that mimicked the look of jewelry in a very realistic way.
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PHOTO: COURTESY OF FLASH TATTOOS.
2014
One thing we definitely noticed about this new wave of tats: the target market is much more millennial-focused. Everyone from festival-lovers to fashion bloggers seems to have jumped on the bandwagon — us included.
PHOTO: MCV PHOTO.
Today
It seems that temporary tattoos are everywhere we turn, including making a comeback on the runways. In 2014, we watched Kendall Jenner effortlessly stun star tats for Tommy Hilfiger’s spring/summer 2015 show. And even more recently, models donned various edgy symbols on their hands and faces at Giamba’s fall 2015 show. The fact that tats are popping up on the runway just goes to show how far they’ve come in terms of sophistication (they’re no longer Cracker Jack kid stuff, that is).
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PHOTO: RICHARD YOUNG / REX SHUTTERSTOCK.
Right Now
Most recently, the goofy and gorgeous Cara Delevingne flaunted an awe-inspiring array of cherry blossom tattoos at this year’s Met Gala. We can certainly credit the trend’s longevity to an ever-heightening quality and intricacy of the designs (Delevingne’s tattoo took 11 hours to apply), which blend in beautifully amongst other accessories. With brands getting more and more creative every day, we predict that temp tats will be around for years to come.
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