FabLab Metallic Tattoos From Interplay Review (age 8+)

The FabLab Metallic Tattoos kit from Interplay has over 120 temporary tattoos in gold, silver and black. Recommended for age 8+, I can think of a few adults who would get a lot of fun out of this kit - including myself as it turns out...

The kit has everything you might need including the 4 sheets of tattoos, plastic scissors, a big piece of sponge which you can cut to a manageable size to help apply your tattoos and an instruction leaflet.

The tattoos themselves are lovely designs! Really varied, there definitely is something for everyone, and a lot are really very generic and could suit almost any potential temporary tattoo buyer.

Up close and you begin to see the shine, although obviously through a protective layer of plastic at this point.

The children couldn't wait to choose their tattoos, and they were really easy to apply. If you haven't used them before then it couldn't be much simpler, and I like to start by wiping over the skin with a damp sponge.

• Remove the protective plastic from your tattoo.
• Place in position on the skin and press gently.
• Thoroughly wet the paper covering the tattoo - a cloth may be better than a sponge. The included sponge wasn't great. It's designed to avoid splashes and drips, but that means it's quite hard to get the paper wet enough.
• Wait a couple of minutes.
• Gently try to slide the paper across the skin. Check that the tattoo doesn't come too. The paper should be easy to remove leaving the tattoo behind. 
• Let it dry. 

I found that the FabLab Metallic Tattoos were incredibly easy to use. They are quite thick, so better for beginners as they don't tear or stick to the paper. Cutting between tattoos on the sheets was easy, and the stickiness on human skin was great. It means even quite complicated or fine designs still look terrific.

Because I could see how impressive they were, and purely for experimental reasons, I put some of the tattoos on my own arm. We've all had temporary tattoos that look awful after 3 hours, so I put them to the test.

Fresh Tattoos

Immediately you see the foil and just how good it is. The temporary tattoos look almost 3D because the edges are so sharp, and my children kept rubbing them at this stage - make sure you don't until they are properly dry or you will break them - we only have very minor incidents though.

Tattoos 12 hours

 I was worried about the tattoos tearing where my skin moved, they haven't at all. The foil has taken on a more crinkled effect with the wrinkles in my skin, and actually catches the light incredibly well at this stage. Perfect for that disco!

Tattoos 24 hours

After 24 hours the FabLab Tattoos still looked really good, not a single patch is missing or faded. They had shed a little of the shimmer and the shine isn't quite so bright, but they still glisten in the light.

Tattoos 5 days

They are really good! So much better than I anticipated. The colours are really bright and the foils stay on the skin incredibly well. Okay they are looking tired now, but I use my arms a lot, have worn jackets and cardis and for the most part I'd expect you'd want them for a weekend or a specific event or occasion. 

The tattoos are also different and well thought out in that they also include jewellery items such as rings and bracelets, and some more modern tattoos - including a Barcode and a QR Code.

FabLab Metallic Tattoos are made by InterplayUK.com and retail at only £9.99 for the kit. They make an excellent gift, and there are enough designs to keep my lot happy for a good while. Recommended for age 8+, but younger models can have a bit of help. We think they're excellent quality and a great buy.

We were sent our FabLab Metallic Tattoos for review.