Trendspotting: face tattoos. I’m sure someone at the New York Times has already pitched it to their editors, but seriously, it feels like a dozen celebrities all got face tattoos in the past week. Presley Gerber. Chris Brown. And… Amber Rose. Amber is a model and celebrity and “personality” and her face makes her a lot of money. So what happens when Amber debuts a giant forehead tattoo reading “Bash Slash.” Her son Sebastian’s nickname is Bash. And her infant son is named Slash. So this forehead tattoo is on trend with the “mommy tatts” going around (where moms get something meaningful tattoo’d for their children), only with a Post Malone twist. Obviously, people were like “why” and “oh god.” Amber says those critics can suck it, writing this on Instagram:
“For the people that are telling me I’m too pretty for a face tat are the same people that would tell me that I’m ‘too pretty’ even if they thought I was ugly and lie to me Lol. Or they would just tell me I’m ugly so either way the moral of the story is do whatever the f–k you want in life – muva.”
I…well… yes, people should do whatever they want and if you want a face tattoo, God bless. Some people love having ink all over their bodies and even their faces. But I do think it sort of ruins Amber’s look? I’m not going to say that she’s “too pretty” for face tattoos, because I just don’t think people – however fug or pretty – should get tattoos on their faces!! Lord.
Photos courtesy of Instagram.
Omg!!!
Exactly!
WHY ?
If God grants her a long enough life to seriously age, that is going to look soooooo good — NOT.
And if she has a third kid?😫 she looks ridiculous
I thought duck face lips were over? That, coupled with the face tats….just no.
She looks very different – how many procedures has she had? I can understand tattoos far better than cosmetic surgery but both combined give her an android look that is hot albeit a bit disturbing to me. She’s not harming anyone anyway so… whatever rocks her lifeboat.
Yeah, the procedures are more jarring than the face tattoos. Although I guess that happens when you date and procreate with children. What people do in their twenties should not be what they do in their thirties. And I really hope these face tattoos don’t start showing up in “real life.” Not hiring anyone with a face tat—sorry, not sorry.
Oh I would. Why not? Depends on the job; if it is to work in a bank or a conservative place no but as a bartender or designer why not? It’s all about how you carry them tats, not the tats themselves. I don’t have face tats but I have about 5, mostly visible and I have never had a problem being hired.
she sure does. I was channeling MichaelK channeling the Color Purple – Harpo who dis woman?
IMO it’s bad enough when regular people get them on their faces, the people who work as models??? Why would you do that?
Yikes
WhOAH.
At least it’s in very beautiful script!. And if she gets tired of it, she can always grow bangs. Her body, her choice, but I worry about young copycats who’ll later regret their impulse; it might not be an advantage at job interviews…
I dislike this trend so much. Also, I love that Presley Gerber’s whole look is getting dragged in his comments section.
There’s nothing funnier to me than Presley’s Misunderstood face tattoo. I mean WHY. He’s soooo young and has lived a very privileged life, had a decent modeling career but is misunderstood? And needed people to see it printed on his face? Although, I do hope if he legitimately needs help, he can get some before it’s too late.
His self pity reminds me of the young Angelina Jolie. When she started to visit places with real poverty and death all over the world, she apologized for being so insensitive to real suffering and acknowledged her privilege.
His privilege is very much being called out on his IG account. He loves appropriating “urban” style and getting “hard” tattoos, while being a rich, white male hanging out with his rich, white male friends. He can afford to get a huge face tattoo like this because he knows he’ll never need to work a 9-5.
Presley was clearly the one with model looks in the family. Not now. I can’t fathom anyone defacing (ha) themself like that. Cindy must be stroking out. If this is a trend, it needs to stop now.
Presley Gerber is no longer employable as a model. That is literally cutting your nose out to spite your face (or Cindy). Obviously her kids aren’t smart (the lack of education says it all) so they are coasting as models. Why deface your meal ticket? I think Kaia has tattoos too. I’m sure the fashion houses love the models permanently tatted.
Anyone remember that guy that got famous for having a cute mug shot? When he got out of jail he was offered modeling gigs and he has a face tattoo. I forget his name but he had a kid with that rich woman. I think male models can get away with it because of double standards.
Most models have tattoos, they are just smart enough to keep them small, hidden or otherwise easily covered. Presley’s tattoo looks like it could easily be covered by makeup or airbrushed out. Doesn’t mean it wasn’t a total dumb move but it is one that can be concealed if needed.
I’d bet money Presley Gerber’s is fake. Seriously. Look closely.
My favorite part about his response, from Page Six: ” It says misunderstood, because that’s how I felt my entire life,” he added. “His parents love it, by the way,” Gerber’s girlfriend interjected.
Sure, Jan. Sure they love it.
Between this and their daughter’s recent relationship, they sure are having a parenting moment.
But why your FACE Amber?! WHY?!
Was just blessed w being completely penny counting broke when young & dumb enough to think this was ‘A GOOD IDEA’.
This is more mainstream now. I don’t mind tattoos, but they aren’t my thing. My kid wanted to get a tat of me on her body as my Christmas present. She wants me to feel honored. I get what she wants to do, but I’d really rather she not. I tried to be positive (it’s her body, she is a legal adult), but couldn’t hide my disappointment.
Tattoos are a way of claiming yourself. They are born out of pain and living an alternative lifestyle because you don’t feel welcome or understood in the mainstream. Did the Japanese create tattoos? I thought that is what I’ve read/seen on TV. In western society, they signify pain and low self-esteem to me, trying to appear tough and like you don’t give a fuck about rejection. Maybe it’s different now, but the people who get them displayed prominently like this are making a statement, and the younger generations seem to understand that statement better than I do. It made me sad that my daughter wanted to honor me in this way. She hasn’t gotten it, but it might be coming.
I think there’s been a big shift in tattoos, even just in the last decade. It seems to have become a lot more mainstream, and less about being different, and more just self-expression. I have a few, but I’ve managed to get them in pretty inconspicuous places because I still have that fear of finding a job.
Did you daughter want something that SYMBOLIZES you, or was it more literal like your name, or a portrait? I think I’d rather (personally) have something that reminded me of a loved one, but wasn’t super literal.
I can only speak for myself, and I didn’t see the correlation at first, but I get tattoos on places like my feet and arms. Parts of my body that my rapist was holding when that happened. I want to control my body again and those tattoos make me feel empowered because I choose what to do on these parts of my body. Maybe stupid, but really meaningful to me. And that’s why no one knows what my tattoos are about
Hugs, Lena. I’m glad you found a source of peace and control, and I’m sad that you had to. I hope reading what you said makes people think before they open their mouth to criticize.
What an ignorant comment.
Yes many tattoos are borne out of pain, but that last part about not giving a fuck about rejection is simply YOUR interpretation of something you don’t understand.
I have tattoos and I have a corporate job. I specifically got them in inconspicuous places so I could express myself and retain my employability. It’s almost like both can exist at the same time!
@Anon33, I post here to express what i think and to try to better understand different perspectives. You have just proven the point that I was attempting to make by your reaction.
@Lena, what a powerful statement and wonderful way to own your own power. You are brave and your choice is a beautiful one.
@Erinn, she wanted to use a portrait. She will have many tattoos eventually. Her father, our abuser, had them.
My feelings are mixed on this. Tattoos can be beautiful, but they still signify pain in my mind. Where I grew up, men used tattooed tears on their faces to signify the number of people they’d killed. They claimed their gang ties with tattoos. They can be beautiful art. In me, they inspire fear and beauty and sadness. I am glad that people like Lena use them to claim their power. I think that is what they do for people, but the people I’ve known who get them have been cruel men who want to let people know that they should be feared (low self esteem) and people trying to make a statement about their powerlessness in mainstream society. They are more mainstream and about self expression and art for many people, and that is a good thing. It’s just not for me, but I’m glad that so many people have the right and make the choice to get them.
Lighten up, Anon33.
Wait, what? I have several tattoos and in the middle of a complete back piece – yea, they are born out of pain because they aren’t comfortable during application, but I don’t think that’s what you meant.
ALL of my pieces are celebrations, I absolutely care and am hurt by rejection at the times in my life when it has occurred, and I most definitely don’t suffer from lack of self esteem.
I am also a 51 year old professional that has been getting ink since I was 21. No, my tattoos aren’t hanging out at the hospital when I’m at work, nor do I have them on full display when I play golf depending on the course because I am aware that there are people…like OP here…that will make assumptions when they see them.
When I am teaching PADI classes, yea they are on full display.
@Yagotme, I am also 51 years old. I grew up poor and didn’t want to stay there. All I had was to try to fit in to get jobs. I would never have considered getting one because of the risk of being locked into poverty.
It shouldn’t matter, but I think that it does based on my experience and that of my other minority friends: are you a minority or a white woman? I ask because there has been, in my lifetime, less stigma for white women who do things like get tattoos that are visible and difficult to hide. Plenty of minority men and women also get them, but, as a light-skinned minority who doesn’t hide who I am, I knew that they would put me at greater risk. My friends and I talk all the time about how fearless white people can be (asking for raises, for promotions, feeling like they have a right to be honored for their work) that most of my friends and I simply don’t have because we grew up with palpable racism that effected our everyday lives. White folks who grew up in poverty have more self esteem, in our experience, than we do when it comes to cultural norms in the United States. Amber Rose is a wealthy mixed-race woman who grew up poor, and she isn’t working a regular working stiff job like you and me.
@Christina, I am Mexican, and I have a few tattoos. None of them were done to get rid of any kind of pain or rejection (although I’ve been through both). Mine had to do with things I like/love/am a part of, the complete opposite of what you see them as, so learning experience :). I do think that if you have not had any, you should be open to people disagreeing with your interpretation. Maybe you only ran into gang members who have tattoos, most people I know have them for a variety of reasons.
ETA your and your friends experiences and fear are completely valid and real, but you should also realize not all people of color have the same experiences and beliefs. I know I was very lucky not to run into a lot of fear based obstacles due to my race, but I do exist.
I have tattoos. I am a doctor. I have no self esteem issues.
@Paranomal girl, my question for you is the same as the one I posed to Yagotme.
@Anon33, I also pose that question to you.
Are you white women and are your tattoos prominently displayed? Yagotme hides them in situations where she feels she might be judged. Amber Rose has her’s out, but she is in the entertainment business and she got success working in primarily Black strip clubs and by dating Kanye West. People like her, and you, are making them mainstream.
“In western society, they signify pain and low self-esteem to me, trying to appear tough and like you don’t give a fuck about rejection”
umm, what?!
count me as someone who wasn’t a fan of tats; I was raised in a conservative Jewish family so the additional religious proscription of tats is deeply ingrained as well. Quite a few of my friends & co-workers (male and female) have them – for reference we’re all in our 40’s-early 50s. I never, in a million years, thought I’d ever electively get one and yet, a couple of years ago a local tattoo parlor set up a fundraiser with “nevertheless she persisted” tattoos w/donations going to women’s law project. Two of my friends got them and I found myself shocked that I was a bit disappointed the appointments were fully booked & I couldn’t join them. I ruminated about the tat along with the irony of considering it based on my whole attitude about never getting one for about two years, finally getting it along with a semicolon butterfly that adds another layer of meaning as I’d attempted suicide when I was a teenager. I got it on my wrist so that I’d see it at the gym (especially doing pull ups) because it added yet another level of meaning.
My tat neither signifies pain nor is it an indication of low self esteem, it’s a protest, motivator & proverbial pat on my back all rolled into one.
@cristina, I think for me personally, that’s why I got my tattoos. But like others have said, people do it for different reasons.
It’s really, REALLY not that deep. I started getting my tattoos because I loved the idea and I thought it would be cool thing to do. There was literally no deeper meaning to them than that and I’ve never got them as a symbol of anything, they’re just cool designs that I liked. Hell one of them was me and my dad getting a tattoo together for funsies. Whatever meaning you’ve ascribed to them is just that: your meaning.
Thirsty as hell. And with face ink? Thirsty as hell forevah. But I do love a good mommy tat lol. I have one just above my right hip bone, about the size of…maybe a three inch circumference? I like the half moon, half sun with faces images with a touch of subtle yin yang happening. And I added a cool wavy star after each boy was born. If I can stay on my elliptical every day, I might get some color touchups, and add some iridescent blues and golds ha ha.
That’s what I was scrolling down to type, she’s just trying to be relevant, and I LOVE tattoos…have a couple myself, I like looking at other people’s tattoos, I think they are great, but she’s just stupid, so is that kid of Cindy’s, he’s too stupid to even take seriously. I think he was on social media daring people to come to his HOUSE and confront him about his tattoo, seriously? Someone would beat his skinny, privileged ass in about 30 seconds….if they could get around his bodyguard, security system and guard dogs, I guess.
Uh, just no.
I don’t like face tattoos period.
I wouldn’t want my mother to have my name tattooed on her face
I think Amber Rose is gross.
I don’t like mommy/daddy tats but this takes the cake. Slash’s father did a face tat too with the kids’dates of birth. Stupid. This is going to age so badly.
She’s covered in tats, I don’t see how getting one on her face will make a difference. Girl looked rough before, she looks rough now. She’s just starving for attention to ran to the media for show and tell.
I mean, she’s rich enough where she will probably never have to consider a 9-5 job, so she can get away with it. But I do worry about people who aren’t in that position who do it. Tattoo artists often refuse to perform face tattoos, and for good reason. There’s a reason people call face tattoos “job killers.”
I wish more people knew that you should absolutely not follow the examples of rich, intensely privileged people – it almost never ends well. (And I say all this as a person with more than a few tattoos myself – but none on my face).
@Sam the Pink, I agree. Wealthy, privileged people do stuff because they are wealthy and privileged, and regular people sometimes don’t get that the privileged part keeps them safe in a way that regular people don’t have. At the same time, it’s very brave to do what you believe in if you are willing to live with the consequences.
I love Cb comments. Typically more thoughtful than the trolls on FB & more educational. I LEARN here. Notice tattoos are mostly for those locked into wealth or resigned to gang life. It’s us in betweeners who need want to get out of poverty via Conformity. I threw in the towel re the fight for a unique gypsy life here at age 52. I work 9-5 w a mob of hard scrabble southern republicans. I was the nod to diversity, hire a floaty spiritualist receptionist. It sucks to give in but I’d be homeless in 10yrs if I kept following shows & working odd jobs. Thankfully In my 20s tats were for bikers- plus we didn’t have any disposable income after parties & rent. Here I am in the real world which I wouldn’t have w a face tattoo!!
Bravo! Well said!
Looks bloody awful. And she wasn’t even drunk
Best comment here
I have no judgement because adults have agency over their bodies. I do predict that in five years when face tattoos aren’t the “thing” anymore, there are going to be a ton of plastic surgeons taking out a ton of butt implants and lasering off facial tattoos.
I think it’s fake, it looks fake and it probably is.
I wondered that myself.
Well I guess she knows she’ll never work an office job or anything. Imagine her at 65 with that on her forehead. WTH? What if she has another kid…where will her/his name go lol?
As a third eye
The main reason I didn’t put my ladybug tattoo on my forehead, you gotta be able to see what that’s gonna look like as you age….
HAHAH! WTF
I’m fine with tattoos, but this one just looks bad. But she’s always been tacky AF, so I guess why not?
Unfortunately that spot will wrinkle as she ages. Yes that forehead tattoo will droop and sag. Dumb.
I think this is a desperate cry for attention, but I also think you need to be in a pretty dark, low mindset to do this to yourself.
Are we all that worried about other people finding jobs?? Lol. I’m disappointed Presley Gerber’s face tattoo doesn’t read “REGRET!”
NO REGERTS!
Her choice but I would’ve gone a lot smaller. LoL
The tattoo is probably the least weirdest part of her face. I mean, look at those giant fake cartoon character lips. She used to have such a gorgeous natural face. Smh.
I wouldn’t lay money on it being real. Having said that, there are a lot of good tattoo cover products on the market these days.
I was a bridesmaid about 5 years ago for a friend and she chose strapless dresses for us – at every single one of my fittings the ladies at David’s Bridal ( I know, I know, it wasn’t my idea ) tried to sell me tattoo cover and expressed not so subtle disgust that I would be letting those “hang out” of my dress.
Lol, Velvet Elvis
I love tattoos, but only have one that I got at age 35 because I could never commit to a design/place for it. Had to be meaningful. Now I want more, but I wasn’t totally happy with the guy who did mine.
Anyway, the tattoo can easily be covered with makeup/hair/bangs so…eh. It’s getting her attention, sure that was the point
well, its ugly as sin, but soon enough she’ll have a face lift and it’ll be sliced off…
or bangs.
Time to update that passport photo.
I’m seeing some long bangs in her future.
I really want to like Amber because she spreads a lot of positivity and exposes misogyny and double-standards, but she is just so ratchet sometimes! I actually like tattoos, and am engaged to a heavily tattooed man, and I like most of his and want to get a couple of my own. For me, tattoos look best when they are minimal and well-placed, or I don’t even know what to look at, and I prefer when they aren’t on the neck, hands, or face. She could have had any number of artistic designs on other parts of her body and I would have applauded, but unfortunately, I associate this type of script and placement with prison/gang tats, and I think a lot of people with my cultural background would see it the same, which is why so many are like, *whyyyyyy* though? It’s just very unsophisticated look.
I have several tattoos and even more piercings.
Still, I think that there’s something legitimately wrong with facial tattoos. I know tattoo artists who refuse to do facial tattoos – they say that people who want them are never happy.
Your face is what you present to the world. Why cover it in ink?
It isn’t like makeup, which you can wear or not wear, change up, etc.
It is permanent work done by someone else.
Bless her heart, but no.
Holy shit this is going to look awful as she ages. Imagine being a senior citizen with this. 80 with huge scribbling on your forehead.
I have tattoos myself and still think face tattoos are the dumbest shit ever. No one looks good with them.
Soooooo…….I did not know her kid’s names when I saw the photo. Am I the only one that was horrified and trying to figure out what “bash slash” MEANT??? Because this is Amber Rose we are talking about and if it had some sort of sex-positive message, that would not be shocking.
I was confused as well, Turtle Dove. Now that I know her kid’s names, it makes a teensy bit of ‘sense’
I mean….Does she ever think what will happen when she get older. Or how her kids will feel when she shows up like this to school functions. Mommy is so dumb she needed to put our names on the forhead….
I don’t understand why someone in the modelling or acting industry would get tattoos at all, let alone face ones. Isn’t the whole point that they can morph into different characters?
Some cultures, like Inuit women, have face tattoos that are very symbolic and powerful.
But getting a face tattoo because it’s the cool* thing to do is ridiculous. Trends come and go.
*I freely admit that I’m so uncool that I don’t even know if people still use cool.
Major eyeroll. At the tat and the caption “inside my pussy” ???? this girl is parched.
Big Mistake. The girl was so pretty too.
Good thing is she can use makeup to cover the tattoos when modeling or acting.
I’m more shocked with the names choice than the tattoo itself. Honestly, I don’t see the big deal about it considering she’s not an A list actress or a common model, she’s famous enough to back that up.
Serious question, how do you put on and wear foundation and stuff with a face tattoo? I mean, do you go around the edges? Do you just cover it so it looks like its 100 years old or what?
Really interesting question!
There are many traditions around the world that include face tattoos. This one with script text is a contemporary perhaps more urban version than something traditional and ritualized but I think it’s good to remember that face tattoos appear around the world including the Indigenous Americas. I’m not making comparisons but simply saying that perhaps the shock should be tempered with facts…
I always liked Amber, she was normal, down-to-earth, reasonable.
Now I think: Amber, whats going on? this face tat is very bad, but I am more concerned with her reaction to the comments
I hope its not permanent and its a stunt
(I thought at first she had some beef with Slash, the guitarist) 🙂
I actually kind of like it.
I had no idea who this person was and went and looked in her instagram. Is mixing trashy photos of one’s rear end and photos of one’s beautiful children the trend now? I feel bad for the children involved. One one should never have to see a smiling photo of themselves right not to a image of their mother’s rear end. These people.
Well at this point…what does it matter?
Entire human population of earth defends her the right to be more stupid than a box of rocks.
It looks awful. Maybe if it were smaller and along her hairline it would have looked okay? I guess she’s not concerned about her brand anymore….since it entirely focuses on her appearance.
Hahahaha save these people from themselves! What’s worse is it looks like she is saying “bash Slash” as in “(strike hard and violently) Slash”.