Temporary tattoos have been around for much longer than you might think. Snack manufacturers and bubble gum makers in the late 19th century (the 1800s) used to include cheaply made, poor quality temporary tattoos as prizes and giveaways in their snack packets and bubble gum wrappers. These temporary tattoos were very temporary – apparently the tattoos would smudge and blur within just a few hours of being placed on the skin. But the novelty of temporary tattoos meant that generation after generation of children grew up enjoying the free tattoo toys that they found in their packs of bubblegum.

In the 20th century (1900s), temporary tattoos were improved upon so that they would last for many hours, or even a couple of days if properly cared for. These newer tattoo transfers also included a wider range of colors and they could contain a lot more detail and smooth shading which meant that the temporary tattoos could sometimes appear to be permanent tattoos that had been inked into the skin instead of simply sitting on top of the skin.

Now, in the 21st century, the printing technology for making temporary tattoos is so advanced that tattoo lovers can now wear temporary tattoos that are hyper-realistic, metallic, neon or even glow in the dark. This wide range of temporary body art choices means that fun-loving party-goers can change up their style with every festival or party that they go to. Whatever look you’re going for, there’s a temporary tattoo out there waiting for you to try it out and show it off to your friends.

Check out these colorful temporary tattoos:

Colorful temporary tattoos can be a fun accessory to add to a summer outfit. You can pair it with colorful clothes or jewelry or wear nautral color clothing to accentuate the colorful beauty of the tattoos. Colorful images of flowers, animals, geometric patterns or spiritual symbols can express your love of life and summer fun. Or if your tastes lean towards the more bizarre; there are some adventurous artists creating and selling temporary tattoos of their own unique art works. You can find some of these on Etsy.

Neon ink makes these hippy boho transfer tattoos temporary but memorable body artworks. [source]

Colorful temporary tattoos like this watercolor bear by Sasha Unisex are an elegant and fun summer fashion statement. [source]

Temporary tattoos don’t have to have lame subject matter, instead they can have wacky and weird monsters like this funny tattoo by Samantha Lindsay. The colors are fun and innocent, which attracts people to take a closer look at the tattoo and when they do, they discover the humorous design. [source]

Tattoo artist Lena Fedchenko designed this pink peony temporary tattoo that can be worn anywhere on the body. [source]

Artist Wilma Boekholt has designed this feminine floral temporary tattoo that features a vintage bouquet of wild flowers. [source]

The designer has chosen to create this temporary tattoo of a flower in an art style known as Delft Blue. This art style began in the 17th century in The Netherlands in an area called Delft, where white glazed pottery was painted with cobalt oxide which created the distinctive blue hues that you can see in this transfer tattoo. [source]

Tattoos that can shimmer and shine

Because temporary tattoos use ink that sits on the skin as opposed to in the skin, tattoo artists can design tattoos that use metallic inks, giving the finished temporary tattoo a shiny, reflective surface. If you’re the kind of wild child who dances their heads off and loses all their jewelry at music festivals; maybe some shiny jewellery that’s glued to your skin would be a good replacement. Metallic temporary tattoos look great as decorative, jewelry-styled designs, but patterns, insects, hearts and animals all make excellent subject matter for metallic temporary tattoos.

Most metallic transfer tattoos are made of metallic ink, but some use real gold leaf, as you can see in the last tattoo in this article. These luxury tattoos are made using 24K gold or .925 silver foils, so they are an excellent gift to pamper a lovely day on her wedding day, honeymoon, birthday or even on a special holiday getaway.

Metallic temporary tattoos can be worn in place of jewelry at music festivals and parties and can complete an outfit of a hippy queen. [source]

Gold ink has been used to give this temporary tattoo of an elephant with Hindu patterns a playful appeal. [source]

Not all metallic transfer tattoos use gold ink. These temporary tattoo of rings and bracelets use turquoise and silver metallic inks. [source]

Shimmery metallic transfer tattoos like these golden butterflies look absolutely fabulous on darker skin tones. [source]

This floral tattoo transfer is made from real 24K gold leaf which makes it a luxury gift for a lovely lady. [source]