WEARABLE ART: THE QUEST TO COLLECT TATTOOS

Some people collect stamps. Others collect comic books, cars or creepy dolls. Some collections take a lifetime to create; some can be bought at the click of a button, and some require effort and patience. Some collections can fetch a small fortune, and some are only of value to the collector. There is, however, one…

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SUMMER TATTOO TRENDS 2023-2024

Slops or sneakers? Beach or bush? Swimshorts or Speedo? These are important questions summer lovers must ask themselves if they’re looking to have a sizzlin’ season this year. But many of these critical decisions are informed by the latest, largest and loudest, you guessed it – trends.  Trends come and go. Some trends last a…

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MAKING A MARK THIS FESTIVE SEASON 2023: A GIFT THAT LASTS

The festive season is almost upon us! As we wind down for the year and start enjoying the fun in the sun that comes with South African Xmas vibes, it’s always a good idea to get a jump on the Christmas shopping frenzy that we all hate. From struggling with parking to dealing with December…

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What To Wear This Summer With Your Tattoos

Nothing beats the weather, the good vibes or the holiday excitement that comes with the spring and summertime. From longer days and rounding on that end-of-year excitement to the flowers popping up and – you guessed it – showing off this summer with your tattoos. Getting your fashion choices right is one thing. Getting them…

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Skin Care & Tattoos: True Blue’s Pre-Care Guide

“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I’ll spend the first four sharpening my axe”   Now I can guarantee you that old Honest Abe wasn’t talking about preparing yourself for a day in the chair with your friendly neighbourhood tattoo artist, but he sure did hit the nail on the head.…

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Think Before You Ink

[Edited: October 06, 2023] 7 Essential Pro Advice Tips Before Getting a Tattoo “Think before you act”. “Think before you buy that”. “Think before you drink”. These pearls of wisdom have been with us since childhood. Parents, teachers, friends. Anyone with our best interests at heart has always reminded us to use our brains before…

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5 Things to Consider Before Getting a Finger Tattoo

5 Things to consider before getting a finger tattoo

[Edited: August 16, 2023] Thinking about getting your digits tattooed? Finger tattoos are big – actually, most are pretty small – rather, popular choices among the trendy, the young and anyone looking for something a little different. Some finger tattoo ideas are original and unique; others, not so much. Finger and hand tattoos are the latest crazes…

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The Low Down On Cover up Tattoos

[Edited: January 29, 2024] A cheating ex’s name. That poorly rendered mural of an awful 90s punk band that never made it. A terrible My Little Pony effigy on the hip that’s grown wider along with your pants size. The Chinese script you thought meant ‘Peace’ but turned out to say ‘Chicken run no rice’. …

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Do you do cover ups?

We hear it almost every day, yet to some, it doesn’t always sink in until it sank in… Every day our shop receives emails, phone calls and visits from enraged or embarrassed clients who ask the inevitable question:” Do you do cover-ups bro?”. Some people don’t like their old tattoos so much anymore; some are…

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Nine Pounds of Imagination

Nine Pounds of Imagination

The dominant Instagram post or a Pinterest pin. We seem to have traded our imagination for easily accessible ideas or, should I rather say, trends. In the tattooing world, we have what is colloquially referred to as “Nine-Pounders.” There are various varieties of these trending (but loathed) tattoos, ranging from a heartbeat to anything that…

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