I've been going to Chico's Marked4life original location for over a year for my tattoos. I was recommended by a work friend and decided to give them a try. Liz did my first tattoo of two skulls and I absolutely loved it. She was very kind and gentle and talked me through the entire process. She checked up on me and my healing and genuinely cared about my overall happiness with my tattoo. Unfortunately, my most recent experience with Chico's and with Liz did not meet the standards of my previous tattoos.
Three weeks ago I made an appointment with Liz for a tattoo of a basic swirl. We've all seen a swirl, it's a twisting and winding line that circles around itself. It's a simple design. I wanted this design on my knee, which is a tricky area for some artists. I asked Liz if that was something she could do and was enthusiastic when she said yes. Never did she mention any possible complications with the tattoo. Never did she mention she was not experienced with blackwork and ink packing. Excited for my tattoo, I came into Chico's about two weeks ago on Wednesday the 27th for my tattoo. Because I had come to Liz for four tattoos previously, I trusted that my tattoo would come out looking spotlessly clean and beautiful. But I was sorely mistaken. The entire tattooing process took 6 hours, my knee was swollen and I was tired but the tattoo looked nice.
Unfortunately this was the last time the piece actually looked presentable. Over the course of two weeks, I've watched my tattoo go from good, to bad, to horrible. The line-work is abysmal at best. For something she claims to specialize in, her fine-line work experience does not show in my tattoo. The lines are jagged and blown out. The blackout sections of my tattoo are patchy and inconsistent. It is disparagingly clear that my tattoo seems as though it was done with a dull sharpie by an eight-year old child. This is extremely disappointing and honestly really embracing. I was so excited to get this design as it holds special meaning to me, and I never expected this outcome.
I knew that blackout tattoos were tricky, but I've had one previously by another artist and it never looked like the swirl tattoo I have now. I especially never thought this would happen to me, by Liz. I trusted her, she told me she was capable to do this piece. A couple of days ago, I reached out to Liz letting her know about my tattoo. How it was really patchy and faded even though I'd gotten it less than two weeks ago. It looked rough and the lines were jagged and I was unhappy with how it was looking. I asked if we'd have to touch it up or if this issue would resolve itself. I didn't think we'd need too since the blacked out areas are not big at all. They're all about an inch or less in width, and my first blackout tattoo is about seven inches in width with no patches. She said to let it heal and get back to her after two and a half weeks to later. Everyday the mistakes of the tattoo become more and more apparent. I reached back out to her and told her about my knee tattoo. Two weeks after my appointment was when she found it the appropriate time to tell me that she knew it wouldn't heal well, and that I'd need to have it touched up and fixed after initial healing.
I was surprised she told me this after the fact, after I'd already gotten the tattoo under the impression we could complete the piece all in one session. This was upsetting at best. I want my tattoo fixed but it's angering to find out that your artist knew your piece would not heal well, and it would need to be touched up only two weeks after getting the tattoo.
What really got to me was how she refused to give me more than a 25% refund on a tattoo I do not like. When I called the shop the first time, someone told me that I'd have to go through Liz to get the best possible refund, which is only 100$ in Liz's opinion. She gave me two options moving forward. Either I stick with her and let her redeem herself and touch up my knee, which I'm extremely hesitant about considering the damage she's already done, or get a 25% refund of 100 dollars. This tattoo was 400$ total, along with two small runes about an inch in length.
This tattoo in actuality is not worth more than 100$ alone. Liz is not experienced with blackwork, it's very simple. If she valued me at all as a loyal and returning customers, she'd have told me that this was not something she could do for me and recommended me to someone else. I feel taken advantage of, cheated, robbed, and invalidated for my concerns about a tattoo that is permanently on my body. Overall, I'm extremely disappointed in Liz and in Chico's for this awful tattoo I am now left to deal with myself. I do not recommend Chico's, nor do I recommend Liz. read more