Operating for over 5 years now, Black Dot Tattoos is one reason we might cross paths in East Singapore. We simply love Amanda and Sarah’s clean, flexible style and collaborative approach.

For starters, their speciality lies in bespoke tats, and in our experience, both artists work closely to ensure your idea is executed properly. Plus, be it a hyper-detailed geo piece or a minimalist flower, you can expect well-informed input.

There’s also the approachability factor, a huge perk for first-timers. I got my first tattoo here, and Amanda walked me through the process, teaching me stuff like aftercare and placement spots, all without being high-brow or ‘salesy.’

We have no qualms with the space either. It’s often bright, spacious, and dust-free, which helps put clients at ease.

Sometimes, though, it’s tricky to lock in a slot. This team is quite popular.

In addition, the roster is on the smaller side; last time we checked, it’s only composed of three artists.

Patient, Knowledgeable, and Supportive

I had my first tattoo done by Amanda, and the entire experience was exceptional. From the initial concept to placement and the actual tattooing, she was incredibly patient, knowledgeable, and supportive every step of the way. Her friendly and professional approach made me feel completely at ease. A truly reliable artist! I’ll definitely be coming back for more!

Gideon See Jun Hao, Google Review

Quality and Creative Art Pieces

I had an awesome experience with Sarah. Her attention to details was commendable. Her artistic skills brought my tattoo image to life beautifully. Her patience and professionalism made me feel comfortable throughout all my sessions and I got my second tattoo in less than a month. I highly recommend anyone looking for quality and creative art pieces to go to Sarah.

Linda Odelia Poh, Google Review

There’s a huge chance you’ve already heard of 8 Volts. After all, it’s one of the city’s oldest studios, having opened in 2007.

The artists themselves are no joke either. For instance, Joe Wang, the parlour’s founder, has been in the scene since 2005.

We even found about 9 plaques in his cabinet, mostly podium finishes in German and Norwegian tattooing competitions.

Style-wise, it’s kind of hard to box 8 Volts, as the artists here mostly do tailored pieces.

Now, if we’re talking fan-favourite, Pigeon is a strong contender. Lots of clients praised her almost pain-free process, bright personality, and handpoke work.

However, just like the first entry, clients tend to line up, so a bit of waiting is almost guaranteed.

The bigger snag is we’ve met clients who weren’t too happy about getting an apprentice, with the result not helping at all.

Still, props to Joe, as he typically responds to complaints and rectifies errors himself.

Well Sanitized and Wrapped

1st time visit 8 Volts Tattoo, the team was so friendly and professional 👍 My tattoo artist Carlo is young but very passionate on his professional. He did very well fine tune and shading on both me & my partner tattoo. Cloudy & Joe are very friendly too. Studio is spacious and the environment is super neat and clean. All the equipments are well sanitized and wrapped.

Service 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Hygiene 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Professionalism 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Skills 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Well recommended 👍

Amy Chee, Google Review

Loved the Place

Had an amazing time getting a fine line tattoo with Cloudy of the SG orchid! Couldn’t be happier with the result & also the artists are so kind & friendly! The design is so beautiful and Cloudy took a lot of time to make sure the design was fitting my ideas, testing the placement, also the studio is super trustful & hygienic! Loved the place & will sure come back again 🩷 thank you cloudy!

Mónica Martínez, Google Review

One thing I truly dig about Yugto Tattoo is how homely it is. Well-lit, spacious, and designed minimally, I’d say it’s one of the cosiest spots if we’re talking vibe.

The parlour’s artists have some interesting styles, too. Ela, for example, can give you a cutesy anime piece or a darker, more surreal tattoo, while Lee offers designs meant to make clients laugh.

Yugto’s focus on consultations and aftercare also gets them extra points. From my experience, they’re the most detailed in both regards, and, even better, complimentary touch-ups are part of the deal.

If there’s a hiccup, it’s definitely tenure. They’re the ‘newcomer’ here, having opened in 2023.

That leads us to snag number two: portfolio size. Clients who value a more extensive body of work might not be impressed with Yugto’s relatively leaner one.

On the upside, their team communicates without using pressure tactics, especially helpful for those who want a thorough discussion before committing to a large piece.

I Love How It Turned Out

I had such a wonderful time with Ela today! She did a fantastic job, she has such a light hand. I made an appointment far in advance to make sure I could get a spot with her. I love how it turned out!

Alex Ramshaw, Google Review

10/10

Did 2 inu hariko tatts with inkkoella! Really sweet lady and an overall smooth experience. Her tattoos are so legible <3. Would 10/10 come back.

Meowkiki, Google Review

I’ve been inked at Shadow Tattoo twice now, and both times, their team’s patience did wonders. My ever-chatty, perfectionist self was handled professionally by Helen and Lay, who helped me figure out the design I really want.

The sweeter part? Their technical mastery; the tats I got here a year ago are symmetrical, clean, and ageing pretty well. Can’t say I’m too shocked since Helen has been tattooing for over 20 years now.

Oh, and their other artists are also well-decorated. Sylvia is an award-winning art teacher, Cooper bagged titles as a tattoo artist/illustrator, and Sid is an honours graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts.

Moreover, Shadow is a solid place for corrections. Services like precision cover-ups and even advanced laser removal are available.

What bugs me a little, though, is that the place can feel a bit cramped.

Plus, given the artists’ credentials, the pricing range here isn’t the most budget-friendly.

The Result Was Even Better Than I Imagined

I went to Helen with just a few rough ideas for my tattoo and not much else—she was incredibly friendly, patient, and easy to talk to throughout the whole process. She really took the time to understand what I was going for, offered great advice, and helped shape the design into something that felt right for me. After one or two tattooing sessions, I just said, “Helen, do whatever you think is best!”—and I’m so glad I did. The result was even better than I imagined. I couldn’t be happier with the experience. Highly recommend Helen and the team at Shadow Tattoo!

Layne Hurst, Google Review

An Impressive Experience

Great experience as a first timer. Get my Tattoo done here with a very skillful artist, he gave a great advice and experience sharing both on design and where to tattoo. I can clearly see the passionate from him when he work on my tattoos even though just a simply design. Overall, an impressive experience for me. Strongly recommend Shadow Tattoo if you thinking to get one or top up.

Jeffrey Chai, Google Review

Tattoos that don’t cost a kidney—that’s the main reason we gave Ink by Finch a spot here. Their rates are what you’d normally expect in Singapore.

Flexibility is another factor why they made the cut. Case in point: clients I know walked out with something different, such as a full-sleeve Japanese dragon, a fully coloured piece, crisp linework designs, and ultra-realistic, 3D body art.

Cover-ups for faded or badly done tats are also in the books. What’s nice is that they only use modern inks from trusted providers to improve longevity.

On top of that, Ink by Finch is newbie-friendly. From what we’ve gathered, first-timers get a detailed consultation, typically on placement and aftercare.

What needs improvement? The vibe. We met clients who appreciated the step-by-step consults but felt put off by the staff’s ‘not-so-friendly’ and ‘disinterested’ attitude.

A few also flagged issues with symmetrical tats that ended nothing but.

I’ll Definitely Be Back

I believe my piercer was Joe!! He was incredibly fast yet super meticulous throughout the entire process! I truly appreciated his hospitality, especially when I started feeling a bit lightheaded after the piercing. He immediately made sure I was okay and kindly offered drinks to help me recover 😫. The service was top-notch and so thoughtful. Love love the experience here, and I’ll definitely be back for more ear piercings soon!!

Services: Navel piercing

chantelle, Google Review

Clean and Sterile

Did not catch the name of our piercer, but he damm professional and good at what he does. Went for piercing with my friends and we had a good experience at Ink by Finch. Appointment booked was smooth and easy, book by Sabrina through Instagram and when we got there just needed to choose our stud and get pierced. Everything was clean and sterile. My piercer even helped to change my helix stud to a new one that I purchased there, now my ear is looking good and sparkly. I got a rook piercing.

Jing Ling Ang, Google Review