How to Make a Temporary Tattoo With Eyeliner

Co-authored by María Fernández González

Last Updated: July 29, 2024 References

If you're not ready for the life-long commitment of a real tattoo, or if you're too young to start inking your skin, you can still get creative with body art! A temporary tattoo is also a great way to see how much you'll like a design you might be thinking of getting. With just a little inspiration and some basic makeup products, you can make your own authentic looking temporary tattoo for whatever purpose you desire.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Choosing Your Design

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1
Find your design. The internet is an endless resource for tattoo ideas. If you don't want to draw your own design, you can search "tattoo stencils," "tattoo ideas," or "flash art" to find plenty of images you can use for inspiration or to copy for your temporary tattoo.
- Search for your favorite cartoon characters, symbols, phrases, foods, and more. Any of these can become a cool new temporary tattoo!
- Embroidery patterns are perfect models for your temporary tattoo. These designs are often simple, cute, and usually on the smaller side, which will transfer more easily to your body.
- Try to avoid designs that are overly complex or detailed. Simple designs with bold lines generally translate well into tattoos. Designs with shading or intricate lines can be difficult to transfer.^{[1]
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Determine the placement of your tattoo. If you are drawing the tattoo on yourself, make sure you choose a part of body you can easily reach. However, you could always ask an artistic friend to "ink" you, which will give you more flexibility when it comes to placement. You might want to avoid tattoos that require in you to be in weird or uncomfortable positions. If you start shaking while the ink is being applied, the design could be ruined!
- Places on your body where clothing rubs can decrease the time your temporary tattoo lasts. The friction caused by your clothing rubbing against the tattoo will wear away the tattoo over time. Your forearm or calf are good options to consider for tattoo placement.
- Keep in mind that skin that is constantly moving and stretching, and in some places your skin moves more than others, like on the back of the hand. This can cause your tattoo to fade or crack very quickly.
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3
Choose an eyeliner for inking. Liquid eyeliner will give you the boldest lines and will have the most realistic look. An eyeliner pencil can also work, especially for freehand drawn temporary tattoos, though these may appear more like a crayon drawn on your skin. You should consider using liquid liners with felt-tipped applicators for outlining, then you can use pencils for shading.
- Waterproof eyeliner is probably the best option for your temporary tattoo. This kind of ink will last longer and is less prone to smudging if you sweat or it gets wet.
- When using pencils, you can vary the pressure you use to create shading on your skin. After you apply your liquid liner outline, you can use these to give your temporary tattoo a unique character.^{[2]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Applying Your Temporary Tattoo

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1
Print or draw your design on a piece of paper. This will be the template for your tattoo. Make sure the image is clear so you can trace it easily. It should be the exact size you desire it to be on your skin. If the image you choose isn't symmetrical, you'll have to print or draw it mirrored so it transfers to your skin properly.
- If you find drawing the mirror image of your design too difficult freehand, you can use a computer to reverse the image. Copy your tattoo design into an image editing program, like Adobe Photoshop or MS Paint, and flip it along its vertical axis.
- If you are more artistically inclined, or have a friend willing to help you who is, you could also draw the outline of your tattoo directly on your skin in waterproof liquid eyeliner or with a eyeliner pencil with a fine point. If you plan on inking yourself in this way, once the outline is finished, you can move on to adding color or shading to your design.^{[3]
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Trace the outline of your design. To ensure that your traced lines match up with your template, you might want to tape your template design to your tracing paper. This way if you are jostled or the paper sticks to your hand, the template and tracing paper will stay lined up. Wax paper or parchment paper work well as transfer paper. Overlay the wax/parchment paper on top of your image, fasten both together with tape, and use a felt tipped marker to trace the outline of your design.
- Make the outline of your image dark and thick. This will make it easier for you to follow the outline with your eyeliner, which you then transfer to your skin.
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Cut your outline into a manageable piece of paper. It might be difficult to transfer your image if your sheet of wax/parchment paper is too large. Trim down your paper with a pair of scissors so that only the design and a small margin of wax/parchment paper around the outline remain.
- At this point, you might want to check and see how your design will look on the part of your body part you plan to apply your tattoo. Drape your wax/parchment paper outline side down on that body part. You should be able to see through the paper to preview how it will look.
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Apply liquid eyeliner to the outline. You'll have to do this quickly, as the eyeliner dries rapidly. Follow the marker outline of your design with a generous application of liquid eyeliner until you have completely traced it with liquid eye liner.^{[4]
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- An eyeliner pencil can also be used to transfer your outline to your skin. Be sure you apply a heavy layer of pencil liner when re-tracing your wax paper outline. The heavier your layer of pencil liner, the better the transfer will be.
5
Transfer the outline of your design to your skin. Lay the still wet liquid eyeliner (or heavily drawn pencil liner) on the part of your body you plan to tattoo. Press it into place on your skin, then take a washcloth or rag dampened with warm water and press it firmly to the back of your wax/parchment paper for at least 10 seconds. The heat should help the liquid eyeliner transfer onto your skin.
- When you peel the wax/parchment paper free, the outline of your design should be applied to your skin. Allow your skin to air dry.
6
Darken your outline with black eyeliner. Waterproof liquid eyeliner is best for outlining. This will create a long lasting, realistic looking, smudge resistant design. Work with care, but don't worry if you make a mistake. Any errors can be fixed.
- If you don't have liquid eyeliner, make sure your eyeliner pencil is very sharp so you can get clean, smudge-free lines.
- If you want to draw thin or fine lines or details, a toothpick can work well as a fine-point applicator. Dip the end of a toothpick into your liquid liner and carefully use it to add details to your temporary tattoo.
- If you make a mistake, dip a cotton swab in makeup remover. You'll have to use an oil-based makeup remover for waterproof liners. Squeeze out excess liquid from the swab and then use it to wipe away any mistakes. Allow the area to dry again, then re-draw over the mistake if necessary.^{[5]
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Add color or shading once the outline is dry. You can use colored eyeliner to add a pop of color to your tattoo or a blunt eyeliner pencil for shading. You can the shaded effect by blending it with a small, stiff makeup brush.
- If you want an authentic looking solid black tattoo that lasts a long time and doesn't smudge, use waterproof liquid liner to fill in your stencil. It will be very dark and striking.
- If you want to add color, try a colored eyeliner or even eyeshadow. Anything with sparkles won't look very natural, but it can glam-up your tattoo.
This will set the ink on your skin and give it extra protection from smudging throughout the day. If you don't have translucent makeup powder, you can use a talcum powder or baby powder.^{[6]
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Defend your tattoo with an application of hairspray or liquid bandage. This will keep moisture from deteriorating your tattoo and further prevent any smudging that might occur. Aerosol sprays are the easiest to apply, but if you only have the liquid bandage that brushes on, you can use that as well.^{[7]
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- Your protective layer can sometimes leave your temporary tattoo looking shiny. If this is the case for you, return it to a more natural appearance by dusting the area with another layer of translucent makeup powder, talcum powder, or baby powder.^{[8]
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- Try to avoid exercising, swimming, or sweating too much. Your tattoo probably won't last longer than a day, but avoiding these activities will keep it looking its best for as long as possible.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Removing the Tattoo

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1
Use makeup remover to remove the eyeliner from your skin. For some eyeliners, soap and water may wash off your design. Others will be more resistant, or leave behind faint traces. Waterproof eyeliner, especially, will likely need a special oil-based makeup remover to be removed cleanly.^{[9]
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- If you don't have makeup remover, you can try using other common household products. Some effective options include olive oil, coconut oil, or petroleum jelly.
- When wiping your temporary tattoo off, use paper towel, tissue, or a disposable cotton pad. Otherwise you might end up staining your towels or washcloths.
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Rinse and hydrate the area after removal. There may be some makeup residue even after you apply your removing agent. If this does not wash away easily, you may need to apply more remover to your tattoo. After you rinse, apply some moisturizer to your skin.^{[10]
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- The ingredients used in makeup can be harsh on your skin, especially if left on your skin for long periods of time. Replenish your skin by using a moisturizer after rinsing.
Leaving your makeup on overnight can cause irritation or damage to your skin.^{[11]
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Question

How long does the temporary tattoo last?

Community Answer

The amount of time your temporary tattoo lasts will depend on the kind of eyeliner you use, the part of the body you've applied it to, and environmental factors, like humidity, sweat, and friction. High quality eyeliners can last up to 24 hours in moisture rich environments. If kept dry and away from friction (like the rubbing of clothes), your tattoo could last several days.

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Question

What can be used than hairspray and liquid bandage?

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Lotion will help to preserve it longer.

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Do I have to use the spray?

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The spray helps it stay and last longer without smearing, so it is a good idea to spray it.

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