SUBANG JAYA, Nov 9 — Admit it, you’ve always wanted to get a tattoo. Right? Sure, body art is a form of expression, of one’s individualism and well, it just makes you look cooler.
But restrictions like parental approval, religion and also the fact that it is permanent (until you laser it off) probably put you off getting one.
Also, what if you don’t like it anymore after a few years later? Or worse, you tattooed your lover’s name and the relationship didn’t work out? There are a lot of pros and cons to having a tattoo but sometimes it’s just not worth the trouble.
That is why friends Joel Loi, 32, and Philip Gan, 30, came up with a temporary but long-term solution for you. Habitatt Supply Co. is a company that comes up with designer stick-on tattoos every week.
Priced at RM8 for a pack of three, it is an affordable way to stay trendy without the pain and permanence associated with real tattoos. If you think that temporary tattoos are so yesterday, you got to check out Habitatt Supply Co.’s collection.
“Our tattoos are funny, happy, positive and cheerful. You can also combine more than one tattoo into one to create a unique design,” said Loi who has a background in graphic design and advertising.
Habitatt Supply Co. was founded in January this year when Gan and Loi had an idea to start a business of temporary tattoos. While doing research and development, they realised that there is a void for cool-looking temporary tattoos.
“We couldn’t find designer temporary tattoos that are nice. On April 2014, our site went ‘live.’ Even from the beginning we didn’t want a physical store. When we started, our first event was Future Music Festival where we created five custom-made designs to be given out free. We made 20,000 temporary tattoos,” said Gan.
Both founders of Habitatt Supply Co. do not have permanent tattoos themselves. When asked why, they said, “Body art is nice but we want options. We want the choice to be able to wear and change on a daily basis. However, we do know that temporary tattoos are in no way replacements for real tattoos. There is a demand for both.”
Loi explained that temporary tattoos are like fashion where you can wear one that fits your mood for that particular day. It’s as easy as putting one on for a party or a night out with your friends. If you need to remove it, all you need is makeup remover, baby oil or a good scrub. Gan discovered a way to remove without using any liquids which is to apply cellophane tape on the temporary tattoo and tear it off.
“Our tattoos are safe even for children. They are soy-based and can last for up to a week. It’s waterproof and sweat resistant. Compared to spray-on tattoos, this is much safer. Also, with stick-ons you can do it yourself whereas you need someone to do it for you for spray-on tattoos,” said Loi.
Habitatt Supply Co. hopes to cater to a generation that likes to personalise things. Designer temporary tattoos are a fashion statement and for young adults who grew up in the 80s, these temporary tattoos bring back memories of bubblegum packs that came with stick-on tattoos. The company also offers the option of custom-made orders with a minimum order of 500 pieces. They have collaborated with companies such as AirAsia, Female magazine, Ironman and other running events.
“We got the name Habitatt Supply Co. when we were playing with the word ‘tatt’. Like the word habitat, it inhabits on your skin,” explained Gan.
Another thing the founders discovered was that you can also apply it on things such as walls or mugs. If you have extra stick-ons that you no longer want to use on your skin, you can personalise your things with them.
Habitatt Supply Co. is very popular among young adults and kids alike. Their best-sellers include the feather design, carpe diem, arrow and geometric collection. It costs RM1 for shipping locally and it comes in a custom-made envelope with a special tear off function. Loi’s favourite tattoo from Habitatt Supply Co. is the Technicolour Prism while Gan likes the ‘Stay hungry, stay foolish’ tattoo. He likes it so much that he is considering getting it done permanently.
Their stick-ons are so popular that they get orders from Singapore, New Zealand, Australia and other countries. Check out their website at www.habitatt.co for more information.
