Henna Tattoo at P&P Tattoo Boracay

Because of the Chinese New Year festivities, I had a super long weekend (which meant no work for 5 days straight!). I'm so happy that my colleagues and I went to Boracay for a vacation or else I'd be so bored at home! I just came back to Manila on Tuesday, so you could expect Boracay-themed posts from today onwards. Let's start off with a henna tattoo, because when in Boracay, this is one of the must-dos!

There are lots of small stalls that offer henna tattoo services around Boracay, and you could haggle with the artists for a good price. These henna tattoos would last for as long as 2 weeks and would eventually fade. It's perfect for those who don't want to get permanently inked for life.

P&P Tattoo, Boracay

A small design typically costs just about P100.00, but I wanted somewhere nice, clean, cozy, and air-conditioned so I chose to do it at P&P Tattoo in D'Mall. A small-sized henna tattoo here costs P200.00.

 

Outside the store were clearbooks filled with various designs to of henna tattoos to choose from. Since I couldn't find a design I particularly liked, I just described it and let the artist work his magic. It's risky this way, but after seeing the outcome, it was well worth the surprise.

Nope, that's not my tattoo! Since it's the Year of the Water Snake, my colleague wanted to have a snake coiled on his arm, hence the design. The artist first stenciled the outline of the design then proceeded to fill in the spots with black henna ink. This design costs P300.00.

I told the artist that I wanted some flowers and butterflies on my left shoulder/back, and he drew it on the spot. Since I couldn't see my back, I was so excited to take a glimpse of it once it was finished. He told me that he would make something that would look nice on my back, and here it is!

Flowers and Butterfly Henna Tattoo (so pretty!)

Tips:

1. I was told to rinse the henna tattoo off with plain water (and no soap) after 1.5 hours (when the tattoo was completely dry). This will remove the residue. After doing so, I gently wiped the spot with soft tissue to prevent it from staining towels and clothes.

2. Don't apply sunblock prior to having your henna tattoo done. I wish I knew this earlier. My colleague didn't use sunblock prior to having his snake tattoo done, so his was still jet black after rinsing. Mine turned to a dark gray shade, but the details are still intact and well-defined.

3. The ink to be used has to be freshly prepared. If the ink is not freshly prepared, or has been sitting for 3 hours or more, then the henna tattoo won't be as dramatic after rinsing. The tattoo would turn light gray right after rinsing (which was what happened to some of my colleagues who had their henna tattoo done on a stall by the beach.) I learned this from the tattoo artist.

4. Using lotions will hasten fading of the henna tattoo. If you want to preserve yours, skip the lotion.

 

Sunsets in Boracay are breathtaking, so my colleagues didn't miss this chance to have a photoshoot by the beach!

I personally loved the super feminine design of my henna tattoo, but I will definitely do an edgier one next time around! Have you ever had a henna tattoo done? What design did you choose?

Love,

Helen