A) For those who might not be ready for the plunge, but are seriously 
   considering what it would look/feel like to have a tattoo, Julian 
   (an54349@anon.penet.fi) recommends a particular type of temporary 
   tattoo that uses very light Japanese rice paper. He says these are of
   very high quality, and last about two weeks WITH CARE. I have had the
   phone number confirmed recently so they are still in business. Note: 
   This will the only time I'll discuss *temporary* tattoos. :)
    Don Ling's Removable Tattoos & Fantoos, 507/956-2024
    P.O.Box 309 Butterfield, MN 56120
     or 102 2nd ST. South Butterfield, MN 56120

Temptu now has a web page at http://www.temptu.com which describes
their products.  The following is from Roy at Temptu:

 "The rice paper temporary tattoo you...mention is made in New York by
  Temptu studios. It is a cosmetic ink printed on an archival
  cigarette-like tissue paper. Special cosmetic inks are then used to
  paint in the 'tattoo.' The result is totally realistic, waterproof,
  and longlasting (yep, up to 2 weeks!)

 "This process was used in _Cape Fear_ on Robert de Niro, _Once Were
  Warriors_, and currently on Sean Penn at the end of _Dead Man
  Walking_. Also see Bruce Willis' Head in _The 12 Monkeys_. It was
  invented by Dr. S. Zuckerman for the film _Tattoo_ (Bruce Dern/Maude
  Adams in 1981.

 "Often we are asked to create at temporary tattoo for someone who wants
  to 'test drive a tattoo,' so they can decide on position, color,
  before deciding what and where.

 "Temptu primarily develops semi-permanent body art. Current interests
  include working on a 'safe' and legal line of tattoo inks,  airbrush
  body art, and Indian Mehandi (henna). I work closely with the New York
  Body Archive, a strange and wonderful place!"

Roy adds one of comment: "I'm frequently asked about the six-month
  tattoo you mention in FAQ. East Coast people say it's available in
  California. But this is bullsh*t. No such animal!"

B) For some, the easiest thing to do is to simply draw on the skin with 
   a non-toxic marker. In fact, many people who already have tattoos do 
   this to figure out placement and design. If you want it to wash off 
   right away, use something temporary. Crayola's washable markers work 
   well. I you wanna see if you can live with a design for a couple of 
   days, try a permanent marker such as the Sharpies. They come in basic
   colors.

C) MEHENDI: In some countries such as India, brides are covered from head to 
   toe with intricate bridalwear (including the face). To try to show off as
   much of what skin they can show, they paint their hands and forearms 
   with something called henna. Henna, when applied correctly, stains 
   the skin and can last several weeks. Mehendi has become popular with
   the mainstream, with a number of mehendi tattoo shops cropping up in some 
   cities such as Berkeley and Los Angeles.

Part of the process of getting a tattoo is coming to terms with its
permanency. It's like losing your virginity. You lose it once, and you
can't get it back. You can neck and make out, but it's not intercourse.
If you're afraid of losing your virginity, you have to come to terms
with THAT before you can have sex.

But once you lose your virginity, you forget all about how you feared
its loss, and simply enjoy having sex! :)

*Debunking of urban folklore*
Someone asked to confirm a rumour about the possibility of temporary
tattoos obtainable by using a tattooing machine very shallowly on the
skin, to have the tattoo last only six months or so.

Several professional tattoo artists replied with a very strong *NO*.
There is no way to be able to prevent the needles from entering the
second layer of skin (the dermis), where tattoo inks normally go.
Further, even if the tattoo machine only enters the top layer of skin
(the epidermis), you will end up with too much scarring that the tattoo
will never really go away.

Considering the time, cost and pain factors, this is not an option--and
no professional tattoo artist will want to experiment on you.

A proprietor posted on RAB about a "new! discovery!" of a temporary
tattoo that was removable after a couple of years. All efforts by
various reviewers and professionals to confirm the validity of this
product have been unsuccessful--this product, whatever it is being
touted as, is *not* endorsable.