I was in last week for my second tattoo and was encouraged by the good reviews at Utility. My work…read morewasn't big or complicated, but - like anyone - I still wanted to feel good about quality, cleanliness, etc. Len was free, so I made my appointment with him. The space felt clean and professional but isn't intimidating. The reception was friendly and efficient. My consult with Len was quick, easy, he listened and gave me options. The work was quickly done, and I was very happy with the result. Both Len and the receptionist checked in with me about after-care. I felt really good about the entire experience.

was recommended to Len at Utility . He drew exactly what I wanted . Was professional, quick and…read moreaffordable. Thanks so much to you and the staff at Utility. April

I have been going to Merchant Marie for over 20 years. She has done at least a dozen of my…read moretattoos, and she did my nose piercing. I have NEVER had an issue with her work, (except once, back in the '90's she had some shitty ink that she admitted was shitty, and she gladly recoloured the piece at no charge). I did find when she was downtown on Portland St. she could be a little cranky at times, but it was because she was so busy and overworked. Now that she has her shop in Woodside, she is so laid back and funny, she had me laughing the whole time I was there. I recommend anyone who has heard negative things about her, to give her another chance. Yes, she smokes, but it's her shop! I'm sure if I asked her to not smoke she would oblige....And I did not smell weed at all.

Just wanted to thank Merchant Marie Reid for the fun afternoon I spent getting 2 tattoos in her…read moreshop today! She had everything ready when I got there & was kind & patient even though I was an hour late!!!!. Her shop is bright and airy & is surrounded by beautiful greenery & flowers! Her freehand art shows how talented she is!! I absolutely love my tattoos & would not hesitate to recommend her shop to anyone!! - Karen BB

This shop is overall awesome. Everyone in it has an energetic and positive attitude overall. Damen…read moreis a hell of an artist, talent and he genuinely gets excited to work with you (as any tattoo artist should). 2 tattoos with him and they both turned out great. Will be back for sure

Hilarious. And insanely talented. Helena darling is my…read moreartist, she's crazy amazing. But the whole crew at this shop is awesome. They keep you very entertained, and you can tell there's an amazing dynamic in there. If your looking for an artist who can bang out killer colour and be totally honest with you about placement and style Helena is your girl. She also really loves Starbucks hot chocolates if you want to score some brownie points!! I highly recommend this shop!

Sorry if this is all over the place, my thoughts aren't the most organized. That being said, this…read moreis an amazing establishment to visit and frequent for all of your piercing adventures and inquiries. I honestly can't recommend the Skin Decision crew enough. I've personally only had experience w Billie in their Truro location, but I can only imagine that the rest of the team in the Truro and Halifax studios are just as welcoming and as professional as Billie. They are a very clean, and professional studio that prides themselves on ensuring the safety and satisfaction of their clients. I've been a few times now, and have many more trips planned for the years to come! Billie is very friendly and has great ideas to suggest to curate you the ear of your dreams. All jewelry is laid out front in a simple and organized manner when you walk in. Billie will hold up the piece you'd like to your ear, so that you can make a final decision on your jewelry. Billie is amazing and gives you a break down of what the subtotal price comes to before any piercing occurs, to make sure it is within your budget. The entire space is clean and spatious, and proper sterilization procedures are kept in place to reduce the risk of any infections. Bille was amazing and checked in w me before, after and during the piercing and jewelry insertion process to ensure I wasn't in any pain or discomfort. They talked me through the steps, letting me know when they were ready to slide the needle in my ear. They also marked the place they would be piercing me and let me confirm it after looking in a hand mirror, to ensure I was content w the placement. My very first trip there, Billie gave me a rundown of proper aftercare to allow my piercing to heal easily and properly, before they pierced my ear. They were very easygoing and acknowledgable about proper anatomy, sterilization, styling and the actual stabbing of the ear! Not only is Skin Decision friendly and professional, they are also progressively open and accepting of all people, including the LGBTQ+ community, and they aren't shy to speak about their support on their social media! They are the most chill and down to earth store I have ever been to, especially in rural Nova Scotia. As the only APP approved piercing team in all of Nova Scotia, they carry a wide variety of brands including NeoMetal, Industrial Strength, BVLA, Alchemy Adornments, etc, to ensure that their implant grade titanium, Niobium and 14k gold jewlery and plugs are made of quality and are bodysafe for everyone. They have different price ranges w quality and beautiful jewelry that are accommodating of all budgets. You can browse their jewlery on their website online in advance to see if there is a piece in particular you would like. Any piercing you can think of, if you have the anatomy for it, they can provide it! If you're not sure your anatomy is correct, they will be upfront about if it is or isn't. If it isn't, they can advise you on something else you may be interested in instead. They are built on respect and integrity. Any questions you may have, they answer without judgement. They are swift in replying to messages on their website about how to book appointments or about jewelry they carry, including the owner Julie, who has been so kind as to answer inquiries I have about ordering jewelry online. (The shipping is free here in NS!!!!) Skin Decision is the only place I plan on getting pierced at as long as I live within NS. The drive up is worth it and I feel like a million bucks each and every time I leave. Their kindness and their ability to make your experience a comfortable one goes a long way. Not only that, but you can tell the staff love their jobs and are happy to be there. Next time you're thinking of booking a piercing appointment, book them! You won't regret it.

got ink done first week of june 2013. Mike did a fantastic job. despite that, i had to have it…read moretouched up twice cos the colour dropped out both times. was in again tonight. i loved the stencil but the actual art still kinna bothers me. looks kinna twisted near the top. the other thing i had a problem with was the price. was asked how much i wanted to spend...told him around the same as my first ($92 taxes in). at the end, was quoted $220!!!! WHOA!!! he originally said he'd accept $200 even. still a wee bit outta my range. he then said, "how much you got?" all i had was $160. that was my entire bank acct until next pay...i feel i was ripped off. if you see mike be careful and SET A PRICE BEFORE HAND. tell him youre not paying above your set price and stick with it. i shouldnt have paid the extra. it will be covered over next year, guaranteed, just not through brass anchor. NEVER AGAIN!!!!

You'd be hard up to find a good piercer in Halifax if it wasn't for Nicole. After working as a…read morepiercer in the past myself, she is the only one I trust currently working in the area. She has Blood borne Pathogens training and offers a wide variety of piercings at very reasonable prices. Cleanliness, precision, and great bedside manner. She also has access to some really high quality and gorgeous jewelry she can order in for you as well, I'm currently ordering some pretty opal labrets for the Philtrum (Medusa) piercing she did for me. I might also add she pierced me freehand and it's just PERFECT! I recommend Nicole to all my friends. Also, Steve and Greg are just awesome if you're looking for some New School stylized tattoos, and really great dudes too!

My son 14 was getting his first piercing today by Adam. I had reached out too another local spot…read morethat was closer to our house then Wolfville and never heard back (till 9 pm the night before I was looking into) I messed up thinking it was Adam who we also had reached out too. I showed up 2 hours earlier then I was suppose to be there and they couldn't have been calmer, nicer & more accommodating. When reaching out originally he responded within an hour or so & With how accommodating they were with my mixed up.I would say was incredible customer service!! We will 100% be back for more piercings and tattoos in the future. The places beyond clean and great atmosphere.

no one ever gets back to you. went in and requested a memorial piece was told someone would call…read more no call also phone a few times no return call. even texted the guy. no reply I ended up seeing a place in kentville the lady was amazing and did a beautiful job. won't ever call these guys again

I had my first tattoo done here and I THINK it was Colleen who did mine...? I went with my…read moreboyfriend and friend who also got tattoos. My boyfriend also had his done by Colleen and my friend had hers done by...Bradon? so I feel like I can comment pretty well overall. I had to have my tattoo drawn up and she did a very nice job with it. However, she didn't seem super friendly overall and I get the impression she doesn't smile very often. I felt like if I was unhappy with something, she'd be ticked off if I mentioned it (but thankfully I was happy with the drawing, placement, and size!). The prices are very reasonable compared to other places, say, in the center of Halifax, but I feel like there is a reason for that. While I LOVE and am very happy with my tattoo it is not AS professional looking as other places. The lines are sometimes a little shaky or suddenly transform from thick to thin. Nothing major or super noticeable but worth mentioning. One thing that's really great about this place is that they offer free touch-ups within 6months of getting your tattoo done (or at least they did back in 2010 when I had mine done). I actually had to take advantage of this (for a really faded portion of my tattoo), as well as my boyfriend (to fix an uneven portion of his tattoo that had been bothering him). My friend who also got a tattoo with us did not need to get hers touched up, and she had hers done by the guy (who seemed much nicer). All in all, this isn't a bad place to go for a tattoo. It's very clean and most of the people there seem pretty friendly. Although I have stated that the lines are not as clean as I've seen from other places, it's not something you can really tell unless you're looking for it or viewing it closer than anyone else would be looking at it. I'd probably go here again if I really wanted a tattoo and wanted to save a bit on cost. I'd just recommend avoiding the girl who works (worked?) there if possible. She's not a bad tattooist or anything...just a weird vibe. Maybe that's just me.

I wish I could give zero stars but unfortunately I can't. These really creepy guys pierced my…read moreseptum and he smelled like weed and he seemed very high and it made me uncomfortable but I was 16 and was an idiot so I ended getting the piercing and it got very infected and it was so painful and crooked so I would STAY AWAY FROM THIS PLACE thank you.

Going with my GF so that she could get a Tattoo she chose to go to Naughty by Nature located in…read moreLower Sackville. Having a few myself I was there for moral support. Great shop with lots of ink to chose from. Clean location and experienced tattoo artists which is a great thing when you are getting a tattoo. My GF had the ever so popular butterfly placed on her shoulder it turned out really good. Prices were great $70 overall it was a good experience and left me with wanting another which will be coming soon.

This shop is easy to miss, it is on the right side going up Cobequid…read more It is a nice shop,not huge, but seems to be very professional. I know standards are high for this profession, prices seem reasonable as well. I do not have a lot of experience with this, but people seem to like this shop.