Top 10 Tattoo Designs for Women
Daring modern women are very much into tattoo. It has become a way of expressing one’s originality and has become a form of personal statement. Tattoo on women is utterly sexy and alluring. Most designs favored by women are feminine and very womanly but there are also more daring women who go for more intricate designs such as tribal tattoos or even big designs like dragons. But there are designs most women prefer, here they are:
Butterfly tattoos
Butterfly is probably the most popular design that women love.
Tribal tattoos
Tribal tattoo designs are gaining a lot of popularity not only among men but also among women. They usually have these designs on their lower back.
Stars and other heavenly bodies such as zodiac signs
Another very popular tattoo design for women are stars and other heavenly bodies such as shooting stars and the moon. Stars are one of the oldest tattoo design and is considered a universal design and they can be big stars or small designs, designed in itself or combined with other designs. Zodiac signs signifying their birth are also a great favorite.
Flower tattoos
Flower tattoos are very feminine tattoo designs, thus the preference of women for such design. Most popular flower designs are daisies, roses, sunflowers, lilies and cherry blossom. All these flowers have their own symbolic meaning.
Fairy tattoos
Fairies, pixies and other whimsical creatures are also favorite tattoo designs of women. These fanciful beings are endowed with magical powers that could be their appeal to girls.
Heart tattoos
Heart tattoos are very old designs and the symbol of romance and love, thus its attractiveness to women.
Dragonfly tattoos
Although women are not very fond of insect designs, the case of a dragonfly belongs to the realm of fairies and butterflies.
Dolphin tattoos
Dolphins are a big favorite design for women since these mammals are also invested with whimsy, intelligence and imagination.
Best Tattoos for Ladies
In the modern world, except maybe for India, it took some time for women to brave the art of tattooing. The thought of permanently marking one’s perfect skin could be a reason why contemporary women were unenthusiastic and indisposed to this ancient art that to some culture is considered a beauty routine just like the commonplace makeup. It was only in the last 20 years that more and more women are embracing the art. It could be mainly because of the advent of non-permanent tattoos and of course the fact that many female celebrities like Angelina Jolie have admitted to having tattoos and even flaunted them.
Tattoos for Girls
It is still a fact though that more men than women embrace the art with gusto. Although a tattoo on a woman is considered sexy and alluring and even considered as fashionable, women who mark their bodies with tattoos are still looked on as a little eccentric and rebellious or at best original. But because of its increasing social acceptability, a woman’s moral character or rectitude is no longer in question when they decide to have a tattoo.
Tattoos for Girls
Tattoo designs for the modern woman are generally prettier and smaller than male tattoos. They can range from fun to cute, erotic to beautiful and almost always as a display of a woman’s individuality. Common tattoo designs for women are butterflies, hearts, stars, fairies, Religious symbols, zodiac signs, and of course flowers. Maybe because women are smaller in build and of course feminine. These tattoo designs are less forceful and are likely to have thinner lines.
Tattoos for Girls
Very seldom would you see a woman sporting a tattoo covering a whole arm or back. Normally you’d see tattoo on the forearm, wrist, ankle, shoulders, and lower back or on specific areas of a woman’s body. Foot tattoos to show off while wearing sandals are also very popular this summer.
Photos Copyright of PR PHOTOS
Temporary Tattoos, Safe but Great Alternative to Tattoos
Tattoos and other body art have become very popular symbols of this generation’s individuality and personality. But some are not ready to make a life-long commitment to permanent tattoos, thus the proliferation of temporary tattoos. These temporary tattoos give the wearer the benefit of wearing body art without leaving an irreparable mark on their body.
The advantage of these temporary tattoos is that that you don’t need any special skill to apply them. Usually kits are available for the application of these temporary tattoos and with the kit is the instruction on how to apply them.
Body Art Stickers
One of the most harmless temporary body art and also the easiest to apply are body art stickers or stick-ons. Even children can apply and wear them. All that is needed is to soak the back of the sticker on water, detach the cover and apply it on the body. These body art stickers are available in all body art shops in a wide variety of designs to choose from. It sticks on the skin for 2 to 7 hours depending on the quality of the skin as well as external conditions such as exposure to water and heat.
Henna Tattoo
Henna tattoos are also great alternatives for the permanent tattoos. Usually henna kits come with the henna pastes, henna applicator with a nozzle and tattoo design stencils. The art of henna tattooing is very popular in India, and is a decorative ornament for women. No Indian wedding can happen without henna tattoo. Henna tattoo lasts longer on the skin than stick-ons and requires a little more care in its application.
Airbrush Tattoo
Airbrush tattoos require the skill of experts as well as an airbrush appliance in its application although they too can be done at home but with more care needed. Airbrush tattoos are usually used to decorate bodies of models during fashion shows and other special occasions. It has an advantage over henna tattoos since there are more choices of color for the designs that you choose. Henna is predominantly brown and ochre. Airbrush patterns and stencils are also available in numerous designs and images.
Henna Tattoo
Tattoo art is an ancient art of marking the body. In these modern days many people commit themselves to this art. It is a commitment since authentic tattoos are more or less permanent body markings. There are those who are fascinated with tattoos but are not ready to make the commitment or have a phobia to needles. For these people there is an alternative, the Henna tattoo. The advantage of a henna tattoo over the traditional tattoo is its impermanent nature. When you get tired of a henna tattoo design, you can have it erased and have another design made if you wish.
Photo by stephcarter
In India and the Middle East henna is widely used to enhance the beauty of a woman particularly during ceremonies and special events. It is used to color skin, nails and hair in the Middle East while in India it is used to fashion elaborate and exotic ethnic and modern designs on the feet, palms and other body parts which Indian women display with such pride. This form of art is called the Mehndi, the application of henna as a non-permanent form of skin embellishment in India. In fact no Indian bride comes to her wedding without a Mehndi. Traditional lacy and floral tattoos are intricately painted on the hands, forearms and feet of the bride.
The western world has adopted this henna form of tattoo art. All over Europe and the US henna tattoo shops proliferate. These henna tattoo shops have an extensive portfolio of designs for customers, both men and women, to choose from. And henna tattoo application has become very convenient, with the use of a cone-shaped applicator filled with henna pastes. The applicator do away with the mess of mixing the henna paste and it comes with a nozzle for easy maneuvering in forming the preferred design.
Henna tattoos need not be done by an expert. Anybody can do it at home with the available design stencils in the market these days. Adorn your body with henna tattoo by simply applying henna over the stencils and allow it to dry. Others even add glitter to the design for more oomph and glitz.
Angelina Jolie’s Tattoos
Angelina Jolie’s Tattoos
Angelina Jolie is one beautiful celebrity who has a long standing romance with tattoos. At present she has more than ten tattoos on her entire body, but previously she has had others painted and then removed. Like all other tattoo enthusiast, Angelina has her body tattooed for a reason, her tattoos having special meaning to her. These tattoos are not visible in the movies since Angelina has covered them.
Here are six of the twelve tattoos of Angelina Jolie:
Gothic script tattoo
Between Angelina’s shoulder blades is a Gothic Script that reads “Know Your Rights.” This is the title of a song by Angelina’s favorite band.
Buddhist Pali Incantation in Khmer script
The Khmer script is Cambodia’s language that is descended from the Brahmi script of ancient India. This Khmer script tattoo on Angelina’s left shoulder is a Buddhist Pali Incantation that is meant to protect her and Maddox, her adoptive Cambodian son from evil. It was done by tattoo artist Noo Kanhphaiin in Thailand.
Arabic script
The Arabic script tattoo on this exotic woman’s right arm stands for “Determination”.
Roman numeral
A roman numeral for number 13 is found on the left underarm of Angelina Jolie, this tattoo is her way of announcing that she does not believe in superstition. On a later date, she had this tattoo completed with V MCMXL, so the tattoo now represents 13 May 1940, a historical date for the British. This was the day Winston Churchill was inaugurated as Prime Minister of the UK in 1940.
Tennessee William’s line
Tattooed on Angelina’s left arm is a line from American writer, Tennessee William that reads “ A prayer for the wild at heart kept in cages”
Cross Tattoo
A Cross tattoo on Angelina’s belly overlays a small dragon with blue tongue and adjacent to it is a Latin phrase “Quod me nutria me destruit” that translates to “What nourishes me, destroys me”. Photos Copyright of PR PHOTOS
Significance of Tattoos
Significance of Tattoos
Tattoos have special meaning and significance to people of different cultures. It could signify rank or status, marks of identity, symbol of bravery and extraordinary feat and accomplishment, religious affiliation and devotion and even as sexual lures. Tattoos then were applied and bestowed with the collective consensus of the powers-that-be in a family or community to grant rank or status to an individual rather than as a matter of personal choice. Here are some examples of how the different ethnic cultures and ancient societies use tattoos:
Maori of New Zealand
The Maoris called the art of tattooing “Ta Moko” and they used tattoos to identify an individual’s genealogical origin; their maternal and paternal pedigree. It is a continuing tradition that also denotes their social, political and military rank.
Iban Headhunters of Borneo
For the Iban headhunters of Borneo the number of heads collected by a man which is a source of great pride and status are documented by means of tattoos marked on his hands. Other accounts of his accomplishments are also recorded all over his body so that a well-tattooed man is considered a man of great rank and status in their culture. It is of great importance for the Ibans to be heavily tattooed because it is their belief that their tattoos will light their way through the obscurity and darkness of the Afterlife
Ancient Roman Nobility
In ancient Roman history members of the barbarian nobility frequently exhibited tattoos that indicate their family crest and rank.
Crusaders of the Middle Ages
The crusaders of the Middle Ages were said to have their bodies tattooed with a cross before entering the Holy city of Jerusalem. This included King Edward VII of England who had a Jerusalem Cross tattooed on his arm when he visited Jerusalem in 1862, and his sons the Duke of Clarence and the Duke of York when they too went to visit the Holy City after twenty years.
Tattoos as Rites of Passage
Tattoos as Rites of Passage
Tattoos have become a very popular symbol of self-expression for some people in this modern age. The most common tattoo type in this generation is the tribal tattoo inspired largely by the time-honored tattoos of the natives of Indonesia, South Pacific, Borneo and the Pacific Northwest of North America. These tribal tattoos that have fascinated Captain James Cook and his crew in the 18th century have generated renewed interest in tattooing in Western Europe and are as popular today among tattoo artist.
Male and female bodies were marked with tattoos in these indigenous cultures as an indication of their membership in a society and were usually done during a communal or tribal ritual. These tattoos are considered as a mark of rites of passage from pubescent to maturity. The tattoo designs were figures and characters with symbolic meaning to these cultures or tribal communities indicating that they belong to these groups. The figures used where that of animals and spirit emblems that are just as popular today as they were with the Polynesian people of the past or the earliest Iban headhunters called Haida. For the Haida people, their tribal crest or emblem is passed on to the younger generation by tattooing it in their bodies.
As a rite of passage in these ethnic cultures tattoo figures differ between male and female. The tattoos for women are often figures symbolizing fertility and are often used as beauty marks. In today’s generation there is no longer a clear line distinguishing or marking adolescent to adulthood nor is there any formal rite of passage. Some young people have devised their own method of indicating their membership with a fraternity or other school organizations or a particular gang. They tattoo their bodies with the same figures or symbols to celebrate their communal or collective experience. Modern young women even get tattoos as beauty marks and some men and women even have the name of their boyfriends or girlfriends tattooed on their bodies as a sign of their love or affection.
Tattoo Designs Then and Now
Tattoo Designs Then and Now
In some ethnic cultures tattoos do not only symbolize a rite of passage but are also indications of status and rank, as emblems of religious and mystical dedication, a symbol of courage and heroism in combat, as a sexual enticement, a guarantee of undying love, as lucky charms and talismans and as mark of criminals, outcasts and slaves. Most of tattoo designs are images rich with significance that embody all the reasons for getting a tattoo. And within this whole range of symbols and images are perfect tattoo ideas for women marking a milestone in her life or a tattoo idea for men who are looking for a design that will symbolizes his intimate or secret desire to be a hero.
There is not much difference from modern tattoo’s creative efforts and that of ethnic and ancient tattoo images. All through the years, tattooing, just like other types of body embellishments, has been associated with the erotic, carnal and emotional facet of an individual’s innermost self. Animals, birds, butterflies, insects, fairies and all kinds of beings and inhabitants of the natural and super natural world are embodied on the human canvas. It is believed that persons with images of these animals and other creatures have the secret desire to become associated with the spirit of these creatures.
Popular supernatural image is that of a dragon and animal designs that appeal to many are wolves, snakes, lizards, horses, dogs, cats, bears, bats, elephants and many more. Other very popular modern tattoo designs are astrology signs; band tattoos for ankle and arm band tattoos; religious tattoos such as a cross or angels; music related tattoo designs; various cartoon characters; figures such as a heart or a skull; pictures of demons, monsters, devils and death; tattoo design of letters such as Kanji lettering, Celtic Lettering, Japanese Lettering and Chinese Symbols; tattoo design of people such as celebrities, American Indians, clowns and the like; floral designs and a lot more.
Henna Tattoo, Self-Expression without a Commitment
Henna Tattoo, Self-Expression without a Commitment
You want to have a tattoo to express your individuality and yet you really do not want to permanently tarnish your skin. For you and for those like you, a henna tattoo is the answer. Henna tattoos are non-permanent deigns that tinge only the epidermis or the outer layer of the skin with the use of henna, a natural brown dye extracted from a flowering plant that has been used from time past to dye skin, hair, wool, fingernails and leather. To achieve colors other than brown, fruit pulps, coffee or leaves are added to henna.
To lengthen the duration of the henna tattoo, oil or sugar can also be added. Most henna tattoos will stay only for around two to four weeks. But with proper care, the life span of a henna tattoo can be extended. The life span of a design also depends on the type of henna applied.
Henna tattoos can be designed in any part of the human body but it is most favored to adorn hands and wrists since this is the easiest body part to apply this design. It is more difficult to apply on the feet. There are so many designs to choose from, flowers, leafy vines, flower garlands with a solid design. Some henna designs are Hindu symbols of fertility, health, protection and others.
Tattooing by henna is quite safe and painless but aficionados should make sure that the henna being used is the natural henna which is color brown. If the tattoo artist is using black henna then tell him you prefer brown henna. Black henna is damaging to the skin.
The rise to popularity of henna tattooing is because of its flexibility. A tattoo aficionado is allowed to experiment and put the favored design through its paces before permanently having it tattooed on their body. Henna also allows a person to try as many designs as often as they want without permanently marking the body.
Tattoos, Symbols and Symbolism
Tattoos, Symbols and Symbolism
A tattoo on humans is a body marking done by introducing indelible ink into the outer layer of a person’s skin to create a decorative design on the skin for ritualistic, artistic or some other reasons. It has long been connected with tribal rituals and has been practiced for centuries all over the world. In Japan, the indigenous people Ainu wore facial tattoos by tradition, and so is the Atayal of Taiwan. From Africa, through Europe and the Americas to Asia, the practice of tattooing continues.
The modern day tattooing process is profoundly symbolic and has all the factors related with rituals such as symbols, blood and pain. It is regarded by many people as an approximation of a spiritual encounter similar to that experienced during a sexual encounter. In a lot of ways the degree of trust involved in opening up a body to the tattooist is equal to or even more than the abandonment allied with giving oneself up to sex. Nothing can be more personal than allowing another person to permanently mark your body and in the process extract blood and inflict pain.
Another analogy is between modern day tattooing and the modern man’s search for meaning in their lives. Practices of body modification such as tattooing are considered by some pundits as man’s response to the purposelessness of life in the modern age. The multitude of people wanting to be tattooed with images with symbolism attached to it is unbelievable; men, women, young, old from all walks of life and from every corner of the world. Modern tattoos can be figures of religious significance, tribal symbols, images of Eastern gods and goddesses.
The use of symbols and images has long been associated with religious, magical and mystical rituals of healing both physical and spiritual ailments. It is not surprising then that these symbols, images and insignias will be used as tattoos. A lot of people have this belief that tattooing these symbols in their bodies will help alleviate grief and illness.