Hot Jewels shine in this week’s Fab or Flub

When I think of fake tattoos, my mind jumps to childhood moments when, like so many of my peers, I couldn’t wait to buy the temporary designs from vending machines at local restaurants and grocery stores.

Costing about 50 cents each, these tattoos typically featured cartoon characters and hippie chic flowers. Two decades later, temporary tattoos are still trending with my age demographic, but the offerings have grown with their audience.

Described as being a fun spin on jewelry, the metallic variety became a hit this summer, with marketers promoting them as a no-fuss way to accessorize during the hot weather months. From delicate feathers adorning the clavicle to whimsical vines wrapped around the wrist, the new styles of metallic tattoos are considered a great way to make a style statement without having to make a big commitment.

The most popular brand, Flash Tattoos, has even become a favorite of celebrity trendsetters like Beyonce, Sarah Jessica Parker and Alessandra Ambrosio.

Of course, with a price tag ranging between $22 and $30, Flash Tattoos are much more expensive than the ones of my childhood. Luckily, on a recent trip to Target, I found a more budget-friendly alternative: Hot Jewels metallic tattoos, costing $10 and made by the same company behind the Hot Huez hair chalk I reviewed this year.

At first glance, they appeared to be almost a duplicate of the much pricier Flash Tattoos. And since I have trouble turning down any As Seen On TV products, I happily decided to give the Hot Jewels tattoos a try.

First impression

As promised on the box, a pack of Hot Jewels comes with four sheets of various metallic tattoos. Online, the product offers a choice of six collections, but Target’s in-store selection seemed limited to just one, “the Classic.”

The collection is made up of a small assortment of basic designs like twisted rope, chain link and stars in gold and silver.

I wasn’t terribly impressed with the designs at first. I’d seen the Flash Tattoos in magazines and online, and these didn’t seem as nice or have as much variety. However, learning later that there are more collections than what I found in the store helped offset my initial disappointment.

When it came time to apply the tattoos, I was pleased to find that although they are edgier than the ones of my childhood, application still requires minimal effort.

Per the instructions, tattoos must be applied to a clean area of skin, free from oils and moisture (i.e., no makeup or lotion). I chose my wrist as the first practice site, selected a long, gold strip from the sheet of tattoo options and cut it to fit my wrist.

Removing the clear protective sheet, I placed the tattoo face down and applied moisture from a wet towel on the back. After about a minute, I removed the strip and, voila!, I was left with a nice gold wrist band.

For the next few weeks, I continued to add and remove tattoos to see how well they applied to different areas of my body and to see how long they lasted when pitted against my regular beauty routine (i.e. showering, applying lotion, etc.).

Fab or flub?

Fab! I thought the Hot Jewels tattoos were a perfect way to add a touch of stylish fun to your overall look.

Besides being easy to apply, the metallic tattoos frequently became conversation starters when I wore them. After asking what they were, people almost always wanted to know where they could buy them.

Mostly, I applied the tattoos to my wrists and hands, where they had the best chance of being seen. Unfortunately, this didn’t help with preserving the tattoos.

Between the rubbing from my long sleeves and routine hand-washing (and drying with a towel), the tattoos usually were showing signs of wearing off after a day. To be fair, however, the instructions specifically say to avoid rubbing the designs. And, whenever I grew tired of a tattoo, I was able to remove it easily with a long piece of Scotch tape — although rubbing alcohol or baby oil worked nicely as well.

Overall, I think metallic temporary tattoos are great for special occasions (ahem, New Year’s Eve) and are even better for the warm weather months when we tend to show a bit more skin.

This story was originally published December 26, 2014 at 12:53 PM with the headline "Hot Jewels shine in this week’s Fab or Flub."