Unhelpful/Unfriendly tattoo artists.
I stopped in here because I was interested in trying to cover up a tattoo on my wrist. I had a general idea of what I wanted to try to cover it with so I wanted to get a second opinion. The guy behind the counter were very rude and dismissive of what I wanted to do and flat out said they couldn't do it without explaining to me why not. They kept pushing me towards covering up my tattoo with a flower. All that was really saying to me is that they didn't have much skills. So that mixed with the fact that they were pretty much total dicks, I decided to go else where.
My go-to shop in the Dallas area. Eric is a great piercer (and obviously very experienced) and did a wonderful job of easing my anxiety regarding piercing. Obscurities also provides a lot of great information regarding proper aftercare for piercings, which I have not seen much of at other shops in the area.
The work done here is high quality and well thought out. I won't go to any other shop in the area.
Day Two,
Still doing good on my end, spoke with Chris and again I'm so satisfied with them .
I've told all my friends to go here make that appointment, get QUALITY Â work done and enjoy! Â I'm almost mad at myself because like others I've put affordability or convenience over what it really should have been the QUALITY........
I will never go anywhere else ....EVER!
I'll make this short and sweet.
I've been pierced twice there. Both times by someone who isn't there anymore, but it was clean and professional.
Out of the collective 6 tattoos my husband and I have, our best experiance was with Adam at Obscurities. They are a little more expensive, but worth the cost for a job done right. We are actually getting ready to go back to Adam for another one each in a few weeks after our second daughter is born.
I will never go anywhere else. Ever.
Adam Stewart--one of the most down-to-earth tattoo artists I've ever encountered--was able to accommodate my fiancé and myself with our spur-of-the-moment tattoos even though it was a busy Friday evening at the shop.  He did a great job, introduced us to some local music while he worked, and made us feel at home.  The shop was very clean and organized.  Overall, a very good experience.
Review Source:Another good review for Eric & Chris at Obscurities. Â Went with a good friend the other night to get a certain piercing done on her - I'm writing this because she had such a great experience. Â Eric put her concerns about the piercing to rest and made the experience a fun, comfortable one. Â I wound up getting my conch done as well, and even though it was pretty close to closing time the guys were still cool. Â I really appreciate them making my friend's experience a positive one!
Review Source:Awesome experience for my first tattoo. Â From the moment I walked into the shop I was greeted and everyone was very friendly and accomodating. Â Josh Robinson was an awesome artist. Â He took my idea and added flair. He offered excellent suggestions in regards to placement and overall design to make it a great piece of artwork. Â The shop was very clean and I had confidence in my choice. Â Prices were very reasonable and aftercare was explained to me. Â I will definitely return for my next tattoo.
Review Source:Was out in the Gayborhood hanging with my bud and decided to get pierced! Â I mean, why not? Â To be honest, I had been thinking about it but a little out of boredom and a little out of it's sheer convenience I just went for it. Â I got my tragus pierced on my ear.
It was a little more than I wanted to pay but decided to not care...it was around $50. Â It hurt, it still does as it heals but overall really happy with it. Â The guys were friendly and it was rather quick with no wait except for the setup.
They did a little coaching on a tattoo for my friend that he wanted to have touched up...feedback appreciated.
I made a Yelp account simply to review this establishment. I chose it based on other reviews on this site, and I am completely happy that I did.
After calling in, with really stupid questions and what I'm sure was thought of as a nuisance, I decided to go in. They have a nice large parking lot and are right on the corner of the building. The inside is nicely decorated and appears clean.
I originally talked to the piercing/mod apprentice (wish I could remember his name, was that Chris?) and he was at the desk up front. Talked to him for a moment and Eric introduced himself. I'm not going to say I was intimidated because I'm kind of used to it, but I don't really blend that well in places like this. I dress business casual all the time in dress shirts/slacks, they treated me like a friend from the get-go.
These were my first piercings and I was scared to death. I had two 4-gauge plugs installed and a 14-gauge septum. They were really patient and gave me good warning on everything. They were extremely cleanly, at one point he apparently accidentally touched something, I wouldn't have even known, but he walked around, threw out his gloves, rewashed and re-gloved. I was very impressed with it.
If/when I decided to get something else done, I will definitely return here.
TL;DR - Great, clean piercing. No attitude from employees.
Back in the day, I got my first ever tattoo at Obscurities. Years later, I can tell you that the color has held up extremely well and I am still happy with this tattoo.
When I went in, I wanted the tattoo on my big toe, and the artist explained that putting a tattoo on a toe was a bad idea because it would fade quickly and would be extremely painful. He was extremely polite and almost scientific in his explanation, and I appreciated the honesty. Why would I want to pay for a painful tattoo only to have it fade fast? He suggested the ankle for a location instead, and after some thought - I agreed.
The artist, who does not work there anymore (Erik), was also supportive and considerate that this was my first tattoo and I was a bit nervous.
The shop was very sanitary, and still is. I also recommend having a piercing done here. I went with a friend of mine last week, and even though I just came as a "supportive friend and carpool", I was made to feel very welcome.
Obscurities certainly is one of the best experiences I've had with needles in my life.
Got a nipple piercing at Obscurities, done by Eric. Well done and mostly painless thanks to his use of internally threaded steel. I stood up afterwards and was swept up in a wave of light-headedness whereupon Eric invited me to lay back down in the chair, turned on a fan, and brought me some water. It took a minute or two to regain crispness of my mental faculties, and I was appreciative of the patience to which I was treated.
Review Source:Rude and overpriced.
I have gobs of friends who rave about the artwork here, so I went to give it a try.
They could get us in (at 7:30 on a Tuesday) for over an hour... they also quoted me $100 for an inch by half inch black tattoo on my finger... and gave me grief about getting an exposed tattoo on my hand (even though I already have one on my wrist... and it's none of their damn business either way).
Overall NEVER going back... nor recommending it, there are way better shops elsewhere in the city.
Piercing review...
So let me start of by describing myself. Im a small loud indecisive fearless 22 year old christian. the only piercings i have are on my ears  & i never thought i would get pierced anywhere else. Growing up i was told its not lady like its not professional to get a piercing on your face blah blah blah. Needless to say i was very back and forth about this lip piercing i wanted.
My cousin & i were in texas for my little sisters cheerleading competition and spontaneously decided to get our lips done. We did our online research & obscurities  had the best photo's on their website so of curse i looked for reviews. katie D & her yelp review convinced me that this was the place & even though it was the most expensive ($67 for the lip piercing jewelry & cleaning kit) i had a gut feeling that this was deff the place and i would not go anywhere else.
**When we got their the place looked so0o good. they had individual rooms (unlike some places in mass which has everything out in the open) & it looks professional but laid back. The apprentice had some piercings that i asked him about and he was kind of a smart ass but nothing rude. but it wasn't until eric came out that i felt at ease.
He encouraged me to get the stud and told me that it would heal just the same as a ring. he cleaned me up, helped me relax and was a trooper as i clenched onto his leg as he quickly and almost painlessly pierced my fat bottom lip. ( && trust me i cant handle ANY pain, it just felt like pressure )
I love eric, he is a pro piercer & he even looked up and gave me information of a certified place i could go to in massachusetts that would change my ring once i needed a short one.
I'm actually bummed I had to drop my rating. I was here on Fat Tuesday because a friend of mine wanted *gasp* a tattoo!! Who would have thought! And the way we were spoken to was unbelievably irritating.
The first guy we came across was the piercing apprentice/counter boy and he was super snobby. When my friend told him about the tattoo she wanted, he started criticizing her and, basically trying to talk her out of it. When he walked off to get an actual artist, I made sure to say LOUDLY that it was her body, she should get what she wants, and that she can take her money elsewhere if that's a problem.
The second guy that came out was better. Even still, his comments were dripping with arrogance. When I explained that I wanted mine drawn for me, he made a comment about how ALL of their work was custom. Woohoo! Gold star for you! And REALLY?!? So you have a whole sheet of Chinese characters stapled to the wall for decoration??
Lastly, he quoted her $100 for a tiny tattoo on the inside of her finger. I told her I thought that was pricey (based on the fact that I have one twice the size on my hand and it was $60). He responded by saying that they had a minimum sitting fee and that's how ALL places were (yes, thank you, I'm aware-- its not my first rodeo) and that it was a difficult location so it was more expensive... yes, thank you for the inane explanation in your best condescending voice.
Either way, they weren't available for another 40 minutes so we had them call when they were free. By that time, they had left such a bad taste in our mouth
While I was waiting to talk to the guy about my tattoo, he was telling the guy in front of me they won't do what he wanted, They told him it won't look good so they won't do it. I was thinking to my self, if that's what the customer wants then what do you care? Whatever I had a picture printed out and I wanted my tattoo. Â So I start talking to him and he tells me he can't do it without blowing it up and since it's bigger now he can't put it where I want it. Â So I left. Â Went to greenville ave. and just walked into a place, showed them my picture and where I wanted it. The guy said no problem, got my tattoo and it looks great, lots of detail. Â My first impression of Obscurities? It's a Tattoo place full of "can't and won't"
Review Source:Almost 11 years ago I came from OKC to get a tattoo when they were still not legal there. I picked something of the wall and they guy did an amazing job coloring it and as I have gotten older I wish I would have done something more original.
And believe it or not Mark Thompson who was the guy who did it when I was 18 was still there. He happily sat down with me and we went back and forth on ideas of a cover up. I really didn't like the first idea at all and he wasn't even the least bit offended when I told him. He actually appreciated the honesty. Then after a few ideas we started clicking and came up with a beautiful design. Luckily he had an appoint cancel and I was able to get in a few days later. I am now in love with my tattoo and love showing it off. By far the best work I have ever had done!!
After I decided to get my nipples pierced, I did a lot of research on who to entrust with this formidable task. Â I found Eric via Elayne Angel (she wrote The Piercing Bible and is appropriately the goddess of piercings). Â So I went to Eric and he did a fantastic job. Â We did them at a 10 gauge and they healed beautifully, no rejecting, no nothing. Â These are still my favorite piercing of all.
I went back to Eric to get "venom" piercings in my tongue (two horizontal piercings next to each other). Â I was SOOOOOOOO nervous. Â I went by myself and I was giggling nervously and kicking my feet like a child waiting for a flu shot. Â Even still, Eric was totally cool with me. Â He made me feel a lot calmer and made sure I was doing okay through the whole process. Â I got slightly woozy afterwards (adrenaline rush to the head?) and they got me some water and let me sit down in the comfy chair for a minute or two even though they had like three people waiting to get pierced. Â Eric is the sh*t.
I went back to get my shorter bars and they properly charged me for just the bars (not the balls which I already had on my current jewelry). Â I really appreciate places that don't try to get you to spend tons of money on stuff you don't need. Â I chatted with Eric while my bars were getting autoclaved, and I told him about a few other piercings I want to get, and he explained some of them to me, how they would go/heal/etc. Â After only two (well, sort of four) piercings with him, I trust him enough to do a VCH (which has been on my list forever, but I was just waiting to find someone I trusted enough to get down in there with a sharp object). Â
Seriously, Eric is amazing. Â I will never let anyone else come near me with piercing needle. Â See him. Â You won't regret it.
I stopped by here about a month ago to get a nose piercing (nostril). Everyone was super friendly, kept me informed about what the whole process was like, and it was UBER-sanitary (she changed her gloves three times throughout the piercing process).
My piercing turned out really well and I'll definitely go back for future services!
Whenever you hear something about Obscurities it is always a positive experience. I stopped by on 9/18/10 at around 3:30 and as soon as I walked in Eric asked what I wanted to get and I told him I wanted to get my nips pierced, he asked for ID and he took me back to see what gauge I would need. Then I waited in the lobby for 20 minutes, for him to setup everything. Once I went back he was very informative and answered all of my questions, it took him about 20 minutes to mark the x's because he wanted to make them perfect! and he did! Yes of course it hurt! But well worth it getting pierced by one of the best in Dallas, the total with aftercare and jewelry was 119 and some change. Eric is a very honest guy he's one of the best out there so spend a little more and do not go to addison to get your piercings, you will end up regretting it!
Review Source:I sporadically decided to get my nosed pierced one day while out shopping with a friend and she took me to Obscurities. Everything is super clean and sterile. Pamela was very nice and she explained everything to me. It didn't hurt at all and the after care instructions were clear. This is the only place I'd ever go back to.
Review Source:Mark Thompson is where it is at my friends. Both my husband and I have been colleciting tattoos for a number of years now. When we found Mark, that was it, we go NOWHERE else now. Not only is Mark a fantastic artist who can turn his hand to just about any style you choose but he is a great guy. Smart and friendly with no "rock star" airs and graces that you can sometimes find with other artists.
Between us we have spent a big chunk of change here and will continue to do so in the future, its money well spent with this one believe me
Be patient and book ahead as he gets busy. I have referred a number of friends, clients and family members to Mark and he has done me proud every time!!
Dear Obscurities,
Or should I say Mark at Obscurities? I have had some good tatts and some really bad ones. Buy me a drink sometime and I will tell you the story of a vibrator motor, an ex con, and how I traded doing hair to receive my prison tatt in someone's living room.
To say the least it was a lesson learned.
I have gotten 4 tatts from Mark. My favorite is a green blowdryer on my arm. I love how the cord wraps around my arm. Ohh, or the "Life is Beautiful" on my other arm. I get compliments on them weekly.
They are professional and the place is great. It's very down to earth. I think the prices are fair... Cheap tatts are just that. Cheap.
-Christopher Box
PS.. Be sure to book in advance. Mark is almost always booked out for 6 weeks!
Feeling the  need to finally scratch a very, very long-standing itch of mine, I made the decision to get my nose pierced. Yeah, I'm a little old, but I feel young, so what the hell?! Decided to go to Obscurities after reading some great reviews and also learning that they one of a handful of studios in the area (even in the state!) certified by the Association of Professional Piercers... bonus!
The place is tiny and super clean. I left my piercer's card at home, so I'll update later with his name, but I'm pretty sure it was Eric? Anyway, after a very short wait, Eric called me and my man-friend back to the piercing room - and I swear, I don't think even my doctor's office is this sterile. The room was clean, the equipment was clean, Eric was scrubbed up wearing a mask and surgical gloves. The whole thing literally took about 20 seconds and he very calmly and gently walked me through everything he was doing. My aftercare instructions were thorough, and he insisted that I call with any questions or concerns.
Oh, and they close at 9pm, which I kind of like as it says they're not in the business to cater to all the drunkies stumbling in looking to get poorly thought out body art.
People... If you feel the need to have any holes poked in your person, this is THE place to go! My experience could not have been any better. Kudos to you, Curiosities... You made my night and I'm thrilled with my tiny new decoration!!
I'm not sure there is anything that I can compare Obscurities to. I've been coming to this shop to have Mark Thompson tattoo me for about eight years and have been nothing but pleased by the level of professionalism, the selection of jewelry and the knowledge of the staff.
I have referred dozens of people to hit up Obscurities for both tattoos and piercing and all have come away with a pleasant experience wanting for more.
For my recommendation, there is no other place in Dallas to get tattooed or pierced. There is often a several week wait to get in with some of the tattoo artists, but it is more than worth it.
Obscurities is the #1 place in Dallas to buy your body jewelry. They sell internally threaded jewelry, which is better for your piercings, as well as a slew of other goodies. I like all the piercing people and the general guy behind the counter, they tend to be friendly and not have the stuck up "I'm more alternative than you" attitude. I can't say the same for at least one of their tattoo artists (Tim, I believe). The biggest beef is the parking can be hard to find. You will get towed if you park in the lot across the street, and there is hardly any street parking. But, like I said, hands down the best place to buy your jewelry at!
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