Why should ‘test drives’ be limited to cars? Momentary Ink, a Philadelphia-based startup has introduced the concept to tattoos as well – they provide highly realistic temporary tattoos that look and feel like real ink, so people can be sure they like them before making a permanent decision.
According to Momentary Ink founder Jordan Denny, the business is a response to people’s growing desire to get tattoos that are meaningful and symbolic. “People are getting rid of these cookie-cutter tattoos and really getting into more meaningful, complex, often custom design,” he told Mashable. “It really calls for a thoughtful decision, and requires a lot more of a flexible tattoo process.”
“We want to make it easier to visualize something much more powerful and meaningful to people before they get it done,” he added. “When it comes to the type of tattoos that people are getting today, it’s a lot harder to visualize and get on the paper exactly what you’re thinking. We allow them to really visualize what this thing is going to look like as an exact replica before they get it done.”
Before Momentary Ink was a thing, the only time people got a real idea of what their tattoos would look like was when the artist drew the outline before inking it in. But Denny’s research showed this wasn’t enough. “People wanted to live and move in their tattoo: take a shower in the morning, wear it to work and the gym and then out with friends,” he said. “They wanted to gauge the reaction of their friends and family, try out different sizes and placements, all things that are hard to do through a pen and stencil.”
While other brands of temporary tattoos tend to be kind of shiny or ‘wet-looking’, Momentary Ink claims that their product has none of those problems. That’s because designers looked at over 50 combinations of products before they finally came up with their perfect “secret” solution.
Each tattoo will last anywhere between three to ten days, depending on which part of the body it’s placed on. “The biggest differentiating factor is friction,” Denny explained. “Your hip or stomach typically don’t see a lot of friction throughout the day, so you can get the tattoo life up to 10 days. We’ve had some customers tell us that it lasted up to three weeks.” The tattoos don’t tend to last as long on high-friction areas like the shoulder and foot.
Denny says he’s blown away by the response his product has been getting. Early customer interviews showed that 75 percent wanted to purchase a Momentary Ink tattoo before getting the real thing, and were ready to pay more for the service. “It’s a serious game changer,” according to Denny, who’s ready to implement his idea in tattoo shops as well, so that artists and customers can invest more time in the design phase.
For now, the only way to order a Momentary Ink tattoo is through their website. These non-toxic, waterproof tattoos are priced from $15 to $18 for 0-3 inches, and $25 to $30 for 8-10 inches. All you have to do is upload a design of a custom tattoo and specify the size you’re looking for. Their in-house tattoo artist could help design the tattoo, at an extra fee.
The largest fake-tattoo they’ve done so far is a three-foot flower design that extends all the way from the customer’s back, around her chest, down towards her pelvis!
Photos: Momentary Ink
