Mariam Nihal

Saudi Gazette

 

You saw them, wanted them and now you can have them. The metallic jewelry-inspired temporary tattoos have been the biggest rage all across the world for a while. The trend still remains and refuses to go away anytime soon.



Of course the Middle East is captivated by the halal (permissible) feature and attractive replacement of permanent tattoos. Worn and adorned by A-list celebrities, instagram divas, Beyonce and now the girl next-door, flash tattoos are the talk of town or at least all over your social media timelines.



These are now available in flashing colors of gold and silver at Toni & Guy in Jeddah for SR 50 per piece. A bit over-priced as opposed to what you can find online but the prices in boutiques all over the Kingdom remain high and charge you twice the original amount.



If you are in Dubai, head to West LA to grab Lulu deKwiatkowski’s La Femme range for a more realistic price of AED 95.



The metallic designs carry forth an eccentric bohemian theme and are usually worn with beach dresses and swimwear.



Popular designs include bohemian Egyptian and Native American motifs, feathers, geometric shapes and even words in cursive.



From a distance, tattoos can create an optical illusion and look like stacked jewelry pieces. You can wear them with henna designs or as necklaces, bracelets or even armlets.



In a way, the trend is an exciting version of couture jewelry. All you need to do is cut them out, place them on your skin and dab the sheet with a wet cloth.



The tattoos washout over time, from a few days to a week depending on how well you take care of them and can be removed with baby oil or olive oil.



Flash tattoos have seven collections, ranging from $22 to $30. Each usually has four sets of designs. “The idea sparked while I was creating mood boards for inspiration on some new furniture projects that I was working on at the time,” said Miranda Burnet, founder and designer of Flash Tattoos.



“I came across an image of beautiful women applying intricate patterns of 24K gold leaf on their bodies in a magazine. I wanted to put a fun spin on couture jewelry. The majority of the collections are named according to the mood and style of the designs. Others are inspired by travel or inspirational people.”