temporary tattoo

Have money to burn? Do you love gold? Then you might just want to hit up the luxe Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai, where you can get a tattoo made of real 24-carat gold. But here's the catch: this pricey ink is only temporary.

The Precious Skin tats ($50 to $5,500) are comprised of gold or platinum leaf and were originally developed by Japanese designer Nobuhiko Akatsuka several years back (see his work here). With the recent launch of these luxury temporary tattoos in Dubai, along with plans to extend into more Middle Eastern outlets in the near future, I have a feeling this won't be the last we see of these body art-meets-jewelry accessories. Would you consider getting gilded yourself?

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Temporary tattoos are indeed very of-the-moment, and that's exactly why I had to try Urban Decay's Body Jewelry ($25). Inside its cylindrical encasement — which kind of looks like something an architect might use to carry mini samples of blueprints — there are three full sheets of hand-drawn designs, full of things like charms, chains, feathers, and colorful flowers.

As for the application process, it was so easy that I literally just used a cup of water sitting at my desk and some napkins left over from lunch (unused, of course) to get them on. And as long as you don't rub them against anything with great frequency (like your mouse pad) or use oily products on them (like lotion), they should last you anywhere from two to five days solid.

The next time I apply these temporary works of art, however, I would take better care to cut them precisely for a customized fit. Because I rushed through it, the "bracelets" I created didn't exactly come together correctly at their faux clasps. I would also get more imaginative by layering pieces over each other for more visually interesting results. For as many different looks you'll be able to create with these tats, and the strangely addictive amount of fun you'll have using them, I highly recommend making the investment. Plus, they make great conversation pieces.

Temporary tattoos are becoming fancier than ever these days, and Beyoncé Knowles is joining in on the action. Beyoncé, along with her mother, Tina Knowles, is set to launch a limited-edition line of Temptu temporary tattoos through their Deréon label.

The line's Fall 2010 ad campaign featured images of Beyoncé sporting some serious ink, and the mother and daughter duo wanted to make the intricate designs available to fans. "With a sixties-pinup-girl meets-futuristic-biker-chick theme, Beyoncé and I really wanted to give our Deréon Fall 2010 campaign a tough edginess," Tina told WWD. The tats, which launch Nov. 1 at sephora.com, temptu.com, and dereon.com, will feature Deréon’s signature fleur icon, spider designs, jewel baubles, and rocker chains and bolts.

The basic kit ($16) will include two prints of each design, and the deluxe edition ($34) also comes with a photo "signed" by Beyoncé (and the opportunity to win a trip to NYC for a photo shoot). What do you think about B's latest adventure?

Now you can officially channel your inner Chanel with the luxe brand's much anticipated Les Trompe L'Oeil Temporary Skin Art ($75 for five sheets of 55 designs). The temporary tats, which last a couple of days — or longer, depending how frequently you shower or rub against them — are applied pretty much like any other temporary tattoo, and are easily removed with a washcloth and warm water or by rubbing with a cream or lotion.

Created by Peter Philips, Chanel's global creative director, and inspired by the luxury brand's Spring 2010 ready-to-wear collection (see images from the show below), the skin transfers, featuring decorative designs like pearls, chains, sparrows, blossoms, and the famous Chanel logo, are available now for a limited time at Chanel.com and Chanel boutiques and makeup studios. Considering most of you were initially open to the idea of sporting the decorative designs, do you plan on getting inked now that they're out?