By Paul Levy

The cashier knew I was staring and decided to answer the question before it was asked. Atop his right forearm was a tattoo of smiling skunk with the name “Debby” printed just underneath. Debby, the man explained, was an old girlfriend. He said he no longer was crazy about the tattoo and was even less fond of Debby. Knowing all that, associating Debby and a skunk still seemed a good fit.

The problem with this particular tattoo, the cashier understated, was that it was there for the entire world to see, but made a statement he no longer believed in. What was he origianlly trying to say? Perhaps only Debby knows. “I have nicer tattoos,” the cashier said, shrugging his shoulders, “but for some reason, this is the only one everyone stares at.”

Not all tattoos are so obvious, which, strangely enough, brings us to today's lesson in fashion. No, not skunks—although this one was kind of cute. The tattoos we're about to discuss are, when done properly, very difficult for the eye to detect.

And that's where you usually find them—around the eyes. These are tattoos that look very much like eyeliners. There are also tattoos that accepted eyebrows or can change the line of your lips. Really.

Why would anyone want to do something like that? ( A better question might be: Why would anyone spend hours in front of a mirror smearing makeup all over her face?)

“What we're doing is offering a way to be less dependent on cosmetics and still look good,” says Janette Leaf-Davis, who runs Naturally You, a permanent-cosmetic company at 6750 France Av. S. in Edina.

Leaf-Davis notes that for people who have unsteady hands, arthritis, poor eyesight, eyes that tear frequently, are active in sports, are not artistically skilled or don't want to take the time to pencil in brows or put on eye makeup, this form of permanent-cosmetic makeup is ideal. You can always put makeup over permanent makeup.

She says that the pigments used—inert iron oxides—have been used in tattooing for years and are perfectly safe, and all needles are sterilized. And if you happen to change your hair color, you can always change your brow color by having another color blended into it. The permanent eye makeup is almost always modest, never extravagant.

Be forewarned: This method, albeit permanent, probably costs a bit more than what you're use to paying for cosmetics. At Naturally You, it costs $549 for an eyeliner job and $495 to have eyebrows or lips lined. Having this sort of thing done can be “uncomfortable,” Leaf-Davis warns. And, although the lines fade over time, they still last forever—and forevers a long time.

How subtle are the permanent cosmetics? “Seventy-five percent of the married ladies who have this done do not tell their husbands,” Leaf-Davis says. “Sometimes I'll see them and ask if their husbands know yet.” The answer she almost always gets is, “No.”

-Sunday Magazine, Fashion
Star Tribune, June 10, 1990