Eye tattoo

The eye has looked out from temple walls, old manuscripts and engravings for thousands of years, and it still reads at a glance. Our temporary eye tattoos keep that graphic pull in clean blue-black linework and blackwork. Here the eye is a symbol you wear on your skin: on the arm, wrist, ankle or back.

Symbolic eyes, from Egypt to geometry

• The Egyptian eye. Bold, curling strokes taken from ancient art. In ancient Egypt, the Eye of Horus stood for protection and healing; most people today wear it for its history and its shape.
• Eyes in geometric frames. An eye inside a triangle with rays, or inside a diamond edged with flames. They have an engraved, mystical feel; more pieces in that spirit sit among our symbol tattoos.
• The almond eye with lashes. A single soft outline. Minimal, quiet, easy to place.

Drawn to the meaning side? Our spiritual tattoos pick up the thread.

Size and placement

Most of these eye tattoos are small to medium. A small one sits well on the inner wrist or the back of the neck, while a framed piece has room on the upper arm, the shoulder blade or between the shoulders. Not sure about scale? Our guide to trying a tattoo before you get it walks you through size and placement.

How they wear

Applying one takes two minutes at most. It looks pale at first. That's normal: over 24 to 48 hours the jagua-based ink develops into a deep blue-black that's waterproof and lasts up to two weeks. It holds longest on the forearm, shoulder, nape and upper back, and fades a bit faster on hands and feet. No PPD, vegan, and if it doesn't reveal properly, InkCheck™ has you covered.

Many eye symbols come from religious and cultural traditions that still matter to people, so choose yours with some curiosity and wear it with respect. Have a different eye in mind? Send your own drawing through our custom tattoo.