Temp face tats have been trending on Instagram lately. I go deep to find out what it’s like to wear temporary tattoos as makeup.

Lately I have noticed that a lot of beauty bloggers on Instagram and Pinterest have been sticking temporary tattoos and other objects onto their faces a lot. Most of them use flowers, but temp tats are cheap and they come in any design imaginable, because they print them with a computer.

With a little help from Ink Daze, I selected a handful of designs to try out for a beauty blog. Their ecommerce site sells pre-made temporary tattoos, as well as customized designs.

If you have commitment issues, or you hope to work at a theme park one day, then temp tats allow you to try out a face tattoo, without permanently scarring your face. Here’s what I learned.

Day One

On the first day I decided to try the floral tattoo and go out in public. I don’t think I applied the right amount of pressure because the top part was not fully attached to the skin. One thing I noticed was that water was the best way to fix it. I applied makeup over the temp face tat, but some makeup got stuck in the edges, which I did my best to correct. Then I headed down to the beach.

In San Diego, Pacific Beach is where there are a lot of tattoo parlors and young people. So I knew I wouldn’t look out of place. In direct sunlight I could tell the tattoo was a fake, but it looked real from a distance. I managed to buy designer imposter sunglasses, go thrift store shopping and get ice cream with no one saying anything. Maybe they didn’t want to point out I had something on my face? Or maybe they were terrified I was an ex-con and that I would shank them if they did.

Day Two

On the second day, I decided to do a conspiracy theorist inspired look, with a flying saucer by my eyes and an Illuminati pyramid on my neck. I noticed that the temp faces immediately flattered the angles of my face, and made me look like a sexy convict. That’s why I look a little crazy at the top. I kind of liked how I looked, but I don’t think I will be making it permanent.

I recommend putting your hair up first, applying temp face tats and then waiting for it to dry before proceeding. Some of my hair was obviously stuck to my face tattoos, which is not cool.

I also got a black and white portrait of a raccoon because I thought it was funny. I made up a story about how it was my pet raccoon Crystal, and that she was the best damn raccoon I ever had. And then I ranted on Instagram about how I was abducted by aliens, and the Illuminati are always watching us. I’m not sure if any of my followers thought that I was serious, but I was not. But people make up fake stories about their real tattoos all the time.

Day Three

On the third day I paid tribute to my love of music, so that everyone I meet would immediately understand that I dig music. This is a picture of me with a CASIO keyboard so it must be true.

On the other side of my face I applied the Atomic Arrow ($8 to $17 depending on size). It is a travel tattoo design, unfortunately I didn’t apply it right and tore off the eastern side. It made me look mysterious like I knew how to tell fortunes and read palms. These are G-Star RAW overalls.

I recommend having another person apply the face tattoos. When you stick them on yourself it’s difficult to tell if it is in the right place, and then apply the right pressure to the wet cloth. Another makeup artist would have been able to find the optimal placement and make it symmetrical. You only have one chance to get it right, unless you order multiple copies of one image.

If they have a face tattoo, then they are not the one for you. But temporary face tattoos are a simple way to flatter your bone structure without getting permanently inked. Maybe in the future people will wear temp face tats as makeup all the time. But for now it’s a good statement look.

Thanks a lot to Ink Daze for providing the temporary tattoos. Be sure to check them out. And follow Slutty Raver Costumes on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter and/or Facebook for more tips.

These are some of the best ideas for temp tats as makeup on Pinterest. Dior Makeup just released a lot of liquid eyeliners in different colors, as well as limited edition palettes.