Celebrities tend to cover up their tattoos for high-profile awards shows and film screenings, but Scarlett Johansson's bold inkings were on full display last night.
The 41-year-old actress walked the red carpet at the BFI London Film Festival premiere for her new thriller Paper Tiger in a Prada dress that showed off a pair of tattoos she got nearly a decade ago.
The shaded rose and lamb designs on her back revealed just how much 'tattoo styles and techniques have changed' over the last decade, said celebrity artist Claudio Traina of London-based studio Sixty Ink.
Like the polarising phoenix Ben Affleck debuted after his divorce to Jennifer Garner in 2015 and Angelina Jolie's famous Thai inscriptions that sparked a wave of copycats, Scarlett's tattoos highlight how the craft has evolved.
But do they stand the test of time? Claudio and semi-permanent makeup artist Jasmine Diebelius analysed factors like 'ink migration', technique and how difficult it might be to remove to reveal which celebrity tattoos have aged well.
What someone loves at 20 might not reflect who they are at 40, but that doesn't necessarily make the original tattoo a mistake, Jasmine told the Daily Mail.
'If we're talking about which tattoos look good, I believe the most successful tattoos are those that are well executed, suit the individual's personal style and have been designed with long-term ageing in mind.'
Scarlett Johansson
The actress first debuted the inking of a lamb beneath her right shoulder blade in June 2017 at the premiere of her film Rough Night
A month later, Scarlett showed off a large flower tattoo - a vine of roses - over the lamb for the first time
The actress first debuted the inking of a lamb beneath her right shoulder blade in June 2017 at the premiere of her film Rough Night.
A month later, Scarlett showed off a large flower tattoo - a vine of roses - created by Josh Lord over the lamb for the first time.
The floral design is believed to be a tribute to Scarlett's 12-year-old daughter, Rose Dorothy, from her marriage to Romain Dauriac. Meanwhile, lamb tattoos are associated with purity, gentleness and innocence.
According to Claudio, the rose design is 'common' but 'elegant' and noted the lamb tattoo looks a 'little faded.'
He said: 'The rose design on her back is elegant, follows the lines of her body and photographs beautifully.
Roses are one of the most common tattoo subjects- a timeless choice that many tattoo collectors have in their collection. The lamb tattoo looks a little faded in this picture and, if I’m honest, could benefit from a touch-up.'
Commenting on the pair, Jasmine said: 'Her tattoo has a more traditional style that some might consider dated, but tattoo trends are subjective.'
If she ever rethinks the design, the 'densely filled areas' would generally be more challenging to remove than lighter shading, Jasmine, a semi-permanent makeup artist, added.
Josh Brolin
Hollywood star Josh Brolin's back tat comprises a lighthouse in stormy waters, with mermaids on either side of the Greek word 'Arete' meaning excellence or virtue
Josh Brolin went the Ben Affleck way when he showed off an intricate design covering his entire back last November.
Executed by Los Angeles-based celebrity tattoo artist Bryan Randolph, the piece included a lighthouse in stormy waters, with mermaids on either side of the Greek word 'Arete' meaning excellence or virtue.
Claudio, whose clients include Teddy Swims and Doja Cat, called it an 'excellent example of traditional, old-school tattooing'.
He said: 'It shows just how cool this style still looks, especially compared with something like Billie Eilish’s "cybersigilism" design.
'It’s a shame that, in my experience, this style seems to be becoming less popular in the UK, while it still has a huge following in the USA.
Ben Affleck
Affleck's phoenix tattoo was first glimpsed in the summer of 2015, and was unveiled in full in December
Ben Affleck's tattoo collection includes a tribute to his now ex-wife Jennifer Lopez, a dolphin 'tramp stamp' and a pack of playing cards, but none has been as divisive as the 'mid-life crisis' phoenix covering his back.
Over 10 years ago, the A-lister raised eyebrows after he debuted a massive, colourful design that he initially insisted was fake before admitting it was indeed real.
Affleck's phoenix tattoo was first glimpsed in the summer of 2015, and was unveiled in full in December.
The tattoo of the phoenix appeared to rankle his ex-wife Jennifer Garner, who told Vanity Fair in February 2016 of the ink, 'You know what we would say in my hometown about that? "Bless his heart."'
Garner added, 'A phoenix rising from the ashes. Am I the ashes in this scenario? I take umbrage. I refuse to be the ashes.'
Lopez was also critical of the ink in a February 2016 appearance on Watch What Happens Live, as she declared it to be 'awful.'
Despite its criticism, Claudio told the Daily Mail he would 'love to have something like that myself'.
'I love it when actors who clearly love tattoos commit to something this big on their back; it’s easy to cover with clothing when they’re working. Personally, I think it’s a really well-executed phoenix, and I’d love to have something like that myself.'
Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga's collection of back tattoos includes a giant 'monster paw' in honour of her fans
Lady Gaga has at least 24 tattoos, and at least three of them are tributes to her fans known as 'Little Monsters'.
This includes a giant 'monster paw' on her back that she got during a visit to Hamburg in 2014 and that she 'wants engraved on me forever', Lady Gaga previously said.
'It's the Monster Paw, the symbol of my fans as they have held their paws high in the crowd every night since we became a community,' she told a fan, who asked about her favourite tattoo, on Reddit.
'I cherish it for its meaning, the loyalty, devotion, and strength we share. I wanted it engraved on me forever.'
She also has a heart with the word 'dad' etched on her shoulder in honour of her father, Joe Germanotta, as well as a cluster of three daisies.
Claudio said that since the designs on her back - including a rose stem - have been done at different times and by different artists, the result isn't as cohesive as it could be.
'This patchwork approach, combining small outline tattoos, is very popular now,' he added.
Jasmine added that these could be easier to remove if the singer ever decides she wants a change, considering there is 'plenty of negative space'.
The tattoo on her left shoulder blade is a script dedicated to her son Maddox, whom she adopted in Cambodia, and was done in 2003 in a Thai hotel
Angelina Jolie's back is covered in tattoos by Thai master Ajarn Noo Kanpai. The designs include a number of Thai Buddhist symbols and mantras in the Thai Sak Yant - or ancient - style.
The tattoo on her left shoulder blade is a script dedicated to her son Maddox, whom she adopted in Cambodia, and was done in 2003 in a Thai hotel.
The Maleficent actress also has a Buddhist temple design, reminding the wearer to have mercy on oneself and others, as well as a grid design representing four continents and four elements - earth, water, fire and wind.
Jasmine said that while her intricate fine-line tattoos are delicate, if pigment is implanted too deeply, 'there's a risk of ink migration, causing lines to blur and merge over time'.
Cheryl Cole
Cheryl Cole's English Rose tattoo is divisive, but Claudio is among the supporters
Back in 2013, Cheryl Cole caused quite a stir when she unveiled a giant tattoo of roses covering almost the entirety of her lower back and buttocks.
At the time, the popstar said she was inspired to get the daring tattoo after falling ill with malaria. 'After I had malaria I created a ‘****-it list’ because life’s too short and the tattoo was on the list,' Cheryl explained.
It hides some of her older tattoos as Claudio praised the California-based master artist Nikko Hurtado behind it for executing a 'great' cover-up design.
Billie Eilish
Some of Billie's followers compared the intricate collection of lines and swirl patterns to the 'Stranger Things portal' when she first debuted the design in 2023
Billie Eilish's fans couldn't make head or tail of the abstract design stretching down her spine - one of the most painful areas to get tattooed - when she first revealed it on Instagram in 2023.
Some of her followers compared the intricate collection of lines and swirl patterns to the 'Stranger Things portal' on the Duffer brothers' Netflix series at the time, and its real meaning remains shrouded in mystery.
Decoding the mysterious emblem, Claudio told the Daily Mail: 'It looks like a gothic sigil or cybersigilism design, although it could also be lettering- it’s difficult to tell from this picture.
'This style is popular with younger people, often simply because it looks cool. Many of these designs are more about aesthetics than a specific meaning.'
He admitted that 'it's not my cup of tea' even though 'younger people love this stuff', adding: 'Let’s see how they feel in five years!'
If hit by 'tattoo regret', Billie, 24, will have to sign up for 'eight to ten laser sessions' to have the 'bold, heavily saturated' ink removed, according to Jasmine.
She said: 'Her bold, heavily saturated tattoos could be more challenging to remove, potentially requiring 8–10 laser sessions or more. Any existing scarring may also become more noticeable as the ink fades.'
The Grammy winner also has her last name tattooed on her chest, a dragon on her thigh and a set of fairies on her hand.
Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton has numerous tattoos etched across his body, with the Formula 1 ace previously admitting 'I love my ink' and that they 'all have a meaning'.
Speaking to lifestyle magazine Men's Health in 2015, Lewis, then 30, said: 'Im very strong in my faith, so I wanted to have some religious images. I've got Pieta, a Michelangelo sculpture of Mary holding Jesus after he came off the cross, on my shoulder.'
He also has a 'large, striking' design of the cross and angel wings with the words 'Still I rise' emblazoned above it.
Claudio said: 'The imagery is quite common, but that doesn’t take away from the quality of the piece. I can only imagine the pain and patience involved in getting the whole thing done!'
Pink
The Grammy winner also has a barcode tattooed on her neck, which Claudio said used to be a popular design in the late Nineties and early 2000s
Pink (born Alecia Beth Moore) also has an array of tattoos, including an angel or fairy reaching for a star on her back.
The Grammy winner also has a barcode tattooed on her neck, which Claudio said used to be a popular design in the late Nineties and early 2000s.
'Both the designs have a classic ’90s feel: the barcode on the neck, reminiscent of Hitman, and the old-school star and angel imagery,' he explained.
Claudio said that while these designs might look dated now, he is a 'fan of older tattoos that have been part of someone’s skin, and their story, for so long'.
However, he acknowledged they don't have 'the level of finish or detail that we can achieve today'.