I had been toying with the idea of getting a tattoo for a while but had yet to take the plunge when I heard about Inkbox. This Toronto start-up has developed semi-permanent tattoos, using all natural ingredients, that will last for 8 – 18 days! The natural ink sinks into the top layer of the skin and reacts with organic compounds to change the skin’s colour — unlike a temporary tattoo that sits just on-top of the skin.

They offer a variety of designs, partnering with tattoo artists to release specially designed collections, and even allow customers to create their own design online. A selection of designs are available in studio but the whole inventory can be viewed and ordered online.

When some family was visiting from out of town – I jokingly suggested we should all get tattoos – so we did! Inkbox had opened a tattoo application studio on King Street in downtown Toronto – allowing customers to come in and choose their design and get it applied in-house. So we made our way over and took our seats for what felt like a real tattoo application experience, except it was quick, painless and much less expensive.

The application studio is very small, so the wait time can be more than half an hour sometimes – but well worth it. The tattoos can also be applied with ease at home if need be. This is a unique experience to do with friends and family alike, and could be a neat accessory for that summer music festival!