A Dubai firm is making waves for bringing inventive and customisable tattoos to the UAE. However, not like conventional tattoos, there’s nothing written in stone with this model of physique artwork.
Le Inka, which launched in 2019, specialises in Jagua tattoos, made utilizing the extract of genipa americana or jagua, a fruit generally present in elements of South America.
For a have a look at a few of its designs, try the picture gallery above.
The gel method is vegan, plant-based and natural, and may be utilized on the pores and skin with using a stencil. The result’s just like that of a henna tattoo, besides the applying time is shorter – half an hour to an hour – whereas the ultimate design stays on for one to a few weeks, relying on the wearer.
We’re Muslims and wouldn’t be doing this if it wasn’t allowed
Ishrath Hasmin, founding father of Le Inka
For husband and spouse founders Ishrath and Safa Hasmin, the thought to launch Le Inka got here naturally, as Safa was already a well known henna artist, and the founding father of UAE’s first online henna store.
“We used to get quite a lot of requests for black henna, nonetheless for those who really look into it, we found that black henna is harmful because it’s blended with dangerous chemical compounds.
“So we began searching for pure, natural and innocent options to black henna and that’s once we found jagua ink,” says Ishrath.
When he noticed the ultimate consequence of the design, he realised it didn’t should be restricted to girls. “I knew these can be successful with women and men as tattoos,” he says.
Le Inka presently sells greater than 300 stencils that clients should purchase together with a bottle of the ink. A single 50ml bottle ought to enable a buyer to reapply their stencil design 10 to twenty instances – though that vastly will depend on the dimensions of the stencil, in response to Ishrath.
The momentary nature of the tattoo additionally permits clients to get extra experimental with their designs. As wearers need not fear about their physique artwork ageing badly, among the model’s hottest stencils are quirky, humorous or associated to particular occasions or conditions.
“We’re consistently releasing new choices or stencils to our clients,” says Ishrath. “Ones to do with Mom’s Day, Eid and even breast most cancers consciousness have been actually well-liked.
“We even launched Covid-19-themed stencils that did very well as they injected just a little positivity and humour throughout a tough time.”
Arabic calligraphy and pets names are additionally well-liked choices, he says.
The most important promoting level of getting a short lived tattoo is the individuality it presents, he says. That is why Le Inka additionally presents clients an incredible diploma of customisation. These assured sufficient to take action can even purchase a bottle of the ink and draw their very own design onto their physique themselves with a nozzle.
These not snug going freehand – or are searching for one thing they will create persistently with little effort – can even ship a design to the model so that they create a {custom} stencil. This selection is turning into more and more extra well-liked, says Ishrath.
“Normally individuals go in for the standard design for his or her first or second attempt. However by their third tattoo, they need one thing that is distinctive to them.”
For the time being, 70 per cent of their enterprise comes from the UAE, though Saudi Arabia is the subsequent largest market. Le Inka ships worldwide and has offered greater than 55,000 tattoos to 15-plus nations, together with Oman, the UK, US and Germany.
It’s not all been easy crusing, although, as there are nonetheless misconceptions about what they’re attempting to do. Everlasting tattoos are forbidden in Islam, and so typically their merchandise are seen with an air of suspicion.
“We’ve had clients ask us and we inform them we’re Muslims ourselves and wouldn’t be doing this if it wasn’t allowed,” says Ishrath. “We all know the sensitivities that revolve across the subject. However there isn’t a use of needles, no hazard of an infection and no ache with these tattoos – in spite of everything, they aren’t everlasting.”
In creating this area of interest model, the pair have tapped into a brand new market for many who have all the time been concerned with tattoos however delay by their permanence. “It’s turning into trendier nowadays, particularly with millennials. Folks simply need methods to precise themselves.”
