A couple of months ago I went to the Pier for an evening out and I saw this place that does temporary tattoos. My first thought was that henna would be a given but then I came across something called jagua. I asked what it was and the sales assistant told me it's a type of ink that works in the same way as henna but isn't black henna as a lot of people mistake it for because there's no such thing as black henna. Jagua is a different plant altogether and the difference between them is that henna stains the skin dark brown whereas jagua turns almost black although the ink is a dark navy blue.
After a lot of thought, I bought some jagua because I liked the dark stain on my skin and seeing as I'm tanned I didn't personally find henna that appealing as it fades quick on my skin due to the lack of my desired darkness.
The place I bought my ink is from a place called jaguatattoo.co.uk and they also sell henna as well so if you want that too they're a great place to buy from. The delivery was decent as I got it within a week of purchasing.
I bought the jagua starter kit which came with:
- A 5ml tube of jagua ink
- A book about jagua
I like how in the begging they explain what jagua is and where it comes from just to make you more familiar with the ink.
They also talk about the history of the tattoos which helps you get a little bit of background knowledge.
My favourite page in the book is where they talk about the symbols and meanings of the tattoos so you can make the best choice when you're deciding what to draw.
- A sheet of paper with some designs for inspiration or ideas - There are two sides to this and my favourite is the tribal designs which you can see below.
- Two application cones
- A hectograph pencil (used with the transfer paper)
- And a sheet of transfer paper
I haven't tried it out just yet but come back soon for my next post and I'll be sure to tell you how it went!
Just in case you were thinking about buying any henna or jagua here are a couple of questions you might want to take into consideration before choosing the type of ink you want to buy.
What type of ink should I use?
Henna is ideal for people who like a medium to dark stain on their skin and want a temporary tattoo that doesn't last more than a week. The lighter the ink looks on the skin, the faster it will fade.
Jagua is more for the people who want a dark stain that looks like a real tattoo and lasts for up to two weeks. It's also ideal for people who want to see how a tattoo design looks on them before committing to a real tattoo.
How do I prepare my skin before applying any ink?
When I last had my jagua tattoo drawn on me, I had my skin wiped with witch hazel which they told me removes any excess lint or dirt on the surface of the skin so that the ink can adhere better.
Another thing that can be done is to exfoliate the area that you want to draw on and don't apply any moisturisers or creams before applying the ink because as it creates a barrier on the skin making it harder for the ink to stain properly .
How can I make my tattoo last longer?
Some may say that a plaster would work but I was advised and personally prefer to use a layer of vaseline (or any type of skin friendly petroleum jelly you can find).
You may also use oils such as olive or coconut before coming into contact with any water such as a shower or jacuzzi.
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