Clients like Taylor Swift and 'Euphoria' love my realistic airbrush tattoos. Here's how I built my business.

Thu, 03/16/2023 - 05:00

Grace Joy, special effects artist, entertainment — Grace Lovejoy says fake tattoos in film and TV started to look worse and worse as Hollywood's cameras got better. She set out to do something about it.
Courtesy of Grace Lovejoy

Grace Lovejoy created a new way of airbrushing film and TV tattoos with her laser stencils.
Since then, she's grown an enviable client list and booming business despite battling stage 3 cancer.
Lovejoy says working on Hollywood sets can be difficult, but she's proud of her work.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Grace Lovejoy, a special effects tattoo artist based in Las Vegas. It has been edited for length and clarity.