Megan Fox

Ankle: For a woman delicate and demure but with a wild streak. She is style-conscious and celebrates her feminine side. Think Deepika Padukone’s super delicate ankle tattoo. “The right kind of tattoo on the ankle — think delicate motifs, not bulky images — makes a woman look elegant and beautiful. I usually ask my clients to go for a floral design,” says Sameer Patange, celebrity tattoo artist.

Neck: A favourite spot for people who like to flaunt it. “It’s an excruciatingly painful area to get a tattoo done. People who are hell-bent on getting a tattoo on the neck clearly want a tattoo they can flaunt at any cost,” confirms Sameer. Rihanna has a stream of stars beginning from the nape of her neck.

Finger and knuckle: Single letters of the alphabet on each finger/ knuckle adding up to form a word on a closed fist is a hit amongst the young now. If Florence Welch has a tiny bird cage inked on her middle finger, Lindsay Lohan wore a temporary nail tattoo that said ‘F*** you’ during her court trial. Trust LiLo.

Shoulder: Speaks of power and physical fitness. It is most commonly seen in guys with well-crafted bodies. For women, the preferred spot is the shoulder blade. Sameer explains that it not only brings out their feminine side, but also makes them look bold. Esha Deol has ‘Om’ inscribed inside a Sun tattoo on her left shoulder blade and an inscription (Gayatri Mantra) on her right. On motifs, Sameer says, “I love the fact that women are getting inscriptions with a secret message on their shoulders. Every tattoo should hold some significance.”

Chest: Speaks of love and an undying affection. “I know clients who have a tattoo of someone who has passed away, more of a memory thing. Other than that, I have seen sons get their mothers’ names tattooed or the other way round. This clearly depicts the importance of the person and brings out their emotional side,” says Sameer. Ajay Devgn has a chest tattoo of Lord Shiva and his daughter’s name Nysa.

For women, it speaks most of courage. “In India, even a few years ago, a tattoo was seen as a taboo. So, I would say that women with tattoos on their chest are bold and courageous,” says Rajdeep Pal of 3 Cube Tattoo Studio in Alipore.

Wrist: People who are eager to get a tattoo but don’t want a big one opt for wrists. Wrist tattoos are mostly single words that describe the person getting the tattoo. Faith, Happy, Believer et al. Hrithik Roshan got wife Sussanne’s name inked on his wrist. The couple also have matching eight-point star tattoos with a red circle in the centre on the side of their wrists. Emma Stone has two black birds on her left wrist that represent her and her mum who fought cancer.

Lower back: Sensuousness, sexual allure and mystery. It got a bad rap in the US with the coinage of the term ‘tramp stamp’. But in India, a woman with a flawless body can carry off a tattoo on the lower back to great effect. Out and out sexy, we say! We heart the tattoos on Megan Fox and Angelina Jolie. And according to Sameer, Sushmita Sen is getting a leopard and lotus tattoo on her lower back soon.

Arm: The best and safest place to get tattooed. Those confused about the ideal inking spot end up getting it done here. A lot of guys flaunt this arm candy as a mark of their machismo, in a show of strength and sturdiness. Think our very own Knight Rider, Brendon McCullum. A forearm tattoo can be romantic and highly personal too, points out Sameer. Case in point? Prateik Babbar and Amy Jackson: This Ek Deewana Tha pair fell in love and how! The tattoo reads “Mera Pyaar Mera Prateik” for her, and “Mera Pyaar Meri Amy” for him! So filmi we say!

Pramita Ghosh
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