Inkbox brings pain-free temporary tattoos to mainstream retail

Inkbox moved semi-permanent tattoos from a direct-to-consumer novelty into mainstream retail after BIC said on January 18, 2022, it would acquire the company. The brand later partnered with Walmart in 2023 to sell temporary tattoos in stores, giving shoppers a needle-free way to try body art without booking a studio appointment.

Founded in 2015 by Tyler Handley and Braden Handley, Inkbox built its business around designs that mimic permanent tattoos and are meant to last about two weeks, or until the outer layer of skin sheds. The product is applied like a decal, and the brand has repeatedly framed it as a pain-free or low-pain option for people who want to test a look before committing to permanent ink.

The company’s growth came with funding and a larger corporate backer. Inkbox raised a $1 million seed round in 2016 and then a $17 million Series A in 2018, steps that helped turn a Toronto startup into a consumer brand BIC later folded into what it described as a fast-growing skin creative industry. That acquisition also signaled how body modification has increasingly moved into the same retail channels that sell cosmetics, stationery and other mass-market personal goods.

Public response has reflected that same split between convenience and credibility. Some reviewers praised the easy application and said the tattoos caused no skin irritation, while others said the instructions were lacking or that the designs did not work as expected. Inkbox’s appeal rests on a simple premise: the look of permanent ink, without the needle, the appointment or the commitment.

The product also sits in a safety conversation that now extends beyond tattoo studios. The FDA maintains consumer guidance on tattoo safety and temporary tattoos, a reminder that home-use body art still raises questions about ingredients, application and skin reaction. Inkbox’s move into mail-order sales and Walmart shelves broadens access beyond studio culture, but it also makes the product’s temporary nature and consumer safeguards part of the pitch.