Frequently Asked Questions About Brilliance Tattoo
Look HERE for information on how to book an appointment.
Firstly, thank you so much for considering Brilliance for your tattoo. Please keep in mind that we are a small volume shop that is focused on fully custom, original work. Our customers are collectors of our art who appreciate our welcoming environment, commitment to diversity, and personalized service. We choose to tattoo a smaller pool of customers than most shops in order to focus on people who truly connect with our work.
Our artists are wildly talented, but there are some styles we don’t tattoo and we will let you know that we are not the right place for you if we aren’t able to give you the tattoo you want. Please take time to look through our portfolios to see the type of work we each specialize in and get a sense of whether one of our artists may be a match for you.
Here are a few things that we do NOT offer:
Copies of other artists work - meaning no copies of other tattoos, or renderings of existing artwork (meaning no logos, album covers, cartoon characters, designs from Pinterest or “tattoo design” websites, etc.)
Finishing or repairing tattoos done by other artists
Designs for you to bring to another tattoo artist
Tattoo parties or group discounts
Any same-day tattoos, no matter how small
What are your hours?
Good question! We don’t have any. But seriously, our artists come in when they are scheduled to tattoo or consult with clients, and may not be in when they are not. If all the artists are tattooing we have to lock the door to respect the time of our clients in the chair as we do not have daily counter help. We currently do not hold regular walk-in hours, so we strongly suggest scheduling with an artist before coming by.
Do you do piercings? Sell body jewelry?
Nope, we are strictly a tattoo shop. Google and Yelp seem to group our two industries together, but trust us, we do not know how to do piercings.
How old do I have to be to get a tattoo?
In Boston, the legal age to receive a tattoo is 18 years old. We cannot tattoo minors even with parental consent. Adults of any age must present a government-issued ID (like a driver's license, state ID, military ID, or passport) in order to be tattooed, no exceptions.
Do you take walk-ins? How long until I can get a tattoo?
We do not have any availability for walk-ins or same week appointments. Our artists are in high demand and are typically booked out several months in advance. Please read our booking information if you are interested in an appointment. If you need to get a tattoo within a shorter time frame (due to moving, visiting Boston on vacation, etc) we recommend looking for a local shop that accepts walk-ins. Boston is lucky to have a high level of quality among its walk-in shops.
Can I just call or stop by the shop to schedule?
No. To start, we don’t have a phone number. In order to stay organized and handle a high volume of requests, our artists use a variety of email and direct messaging for all booking individually. If you walk in and ask to schedule a consultation or appointment, we will ask you to contact an artist via email or the social media provided on their portfolio page. If we scheduled everyone who walked in, they would essentially be cutting in line ahead of everyone who is patiently waiting in our inboxes for a reply. Please read our full booking information if you are interested in getting a tattoo at our shop.
How much does a tattoo cost?
Asking "How much does a tattoo cost?" is similar to asking "How much does a bag of groceries cost?" It varies hugely based on what is in it, how big the bag is, and where you're buying it. Many factors go into the price of a tattoo, including design, placement, and size. Your idea of "small" or "simple" may not be the same as ours, so we do not want to give anyone inaccurate information. Your artist will give you a price estimate only after a comprehensive discussion at your consultation appointment. Our minimum price to set up for a minuscule tattoo is $200 and they go up from there. We can not give you a price range for a tattoo over email.
Can you recommend other tattoo artists for me?
You’re the expert in what you want! You owe it to yourself to do the research to find the best artist for you. If the artists at our shop don’t match your needs or the artist you would like to work with isn’t available we highly recommend reaching out to some of the neighboring shops in the greater Boston area. In addition to checking the online portfolios of your local shops, Instagram is another great resource.
Do you sell Gift Certificates?
We are no longer selling gift certificates from our studio directly. What does that mean? Well, since we don’t accept walk-in appointments and our artists are booked far in advance, we don’t want you to give someone a gift that they may not be able to use with us. Plus, choosing a tattoo artist is a personal decision! If the person you are intending to gift the certificate to hasn’t made an appointment with an artist yet, then we recommend giving them a sweet IOU for them to use with the artist of their choice. Once they and their artist have agreed to move forward with an appointment, you may be able to contact their artist directly to put money down on the tattoo they already have an appointment for.
If you have questions about how to book an appointment, how to contact an artist, or what to expect at your appointment please read our booking info page.
We have strict guidelines for scheduling and due to the low volume, high demand nature of our work, we are not able to accept many requests for appointments. Please read our booking information carefully. Emailing the shop outside of the guidelines laid out on that page may not result in a reply.