On King's Day, almost everyone wears something orange, but a single orange shirt or scarf can quickly feel a little generic in the crowd. A temporary tattoo featuring a crown, a lion or another design gives your look that extra detail that goes beyond the colour alone, and shows that you've thought about the day itself. This guide helps you choose a design that suits your own style, or your child's, explains when to apply it so the colour has time to fully develop, and shows you how to keep the design looking good through a long, busy day before letting it fade afterwards.
- Apply the tattoo on the evening before King's Day so the colour reaches its final, darker shade within 24 to 36 hours.
- Choose the placement with the day itself in mind: an upper arm, rib or spot below the ankle will last longer than a hand or wrist that gets used and washed all day.
- The design itself always stays the usual black or blue ink shade; the orange in your King's Day look comes from your clothing and accessories, not the tattoo.
- After the day, the design fades on its own; if you want to remove it faster, gentle exfoliation helps more than vigorous scrubbing.
Why orange alone isn't enough for your King's Day look
On April 27, orange isn't just a colour choice. It's the colour of the House of Orange-Nassau, the Dutch royal house that King's Day is named after, and the widespread custom of wearing that colour is sometimes jokingly called "orange madness" in the Netherlands (source: Holland.com). The date itself is set to King Willem-Alexander's birthday, April 27, with April 26 as an alternative when the 27th falls on a Sunday (source: Wikipedia: King's Day).
A temporary tattoo featuring a crown, a lion or another design that references the royal house naturally ties in with that background. It's not a costume joke or an imitation of an official coat of arms: it's a small, personal detail that makes the reason you're wearing orange a little more tangible. It's important to remember that the design itself always appears in the usual black or blue ink shade; the orange in your outfit comes from your clothes and accessories, never from the tattoo itself.
Choosing a temporary tattoo to suit your look: women, men and children
Which design works best depends mainly on where you wear it and how visible you want it to be during a long day outdoors. The suggestions below are a starting point for each group, not a hard-and-fast rule.
For women
For a subtle accent with an orange dress, top or outfit, a small, jewellery-like design often works best, for example on the wrist, collarbone or just above the ankle. A design like the Star is small enough to read as an accessory rather than a big statement, and its fine lines also show up well in photos without overpowering the rest of your outfit.
For men
For King's Day, men more often choose a larger, more visible spot, such as the forearm or upper arm, where a tattoo will still be easy to see in photos in a busy crowd. A slightly bolder, minimalist design like Explorer works well there, because the contrast between the black lines and the skin remains clearly visible in that spot, even from a distance.
For children
For children, the most important thing is to choose a simple design and a spot where clothing won't keep rubbing against it while they play, such as the upper arm or shoulder blade rather than the wrist or hand. A light-hearted design like the Butterflies is suitable for this, and it's best to leave the application to a parent: that prevents the transfer paper from going on crooked or being pulled off too soon.
Timing: when to apply your tattoo for a full day of King's Day celebrations
Applying the tattoo takes just a few minutes: the skin is lightly cleaned and patted dry, the protective film is removed, the design is placed on the skin with the adhesive side down, then kept thoroughly wet with a damp cloth for just over a minute, after which the backing paper is slowly peeled off (source: InkLabs' own step-by-step guide). If you'd like to reread the full explanation with all the steps in between, you'll find it in the complete guide to applying a temporary tattoo.
Right after application, the design looks light blue, and that's normal: the final, darker shade only develops over the next 24 to 36 hours as the ink settles into the epidermis. For King's Day, that means applying the tattoo the evening before, so it's already at its strongest and darkest on the morning of the 27th, rather than still halfway through the development process.
Leave the area alone for the first few hours: don't rub it dry, don't let a hot shower run over it, and don't put lotion or cream on the design, as this can interrupt the development process before the colour has set.
How to keep your tattoo looking good through a long, busy day
Friction and frequent washing make a temporary tattoo fade faster, so tight clothing, jewellery rubbing against the skin and drying off vigorously with a towel all shorten the time the design stays sharp. Spots with less friction, such as the upper arm, ribs, shoulder blade or just below the ankle, generally last longer than hands, fingers or wrists, which get used and washed all day (source: InkLabs' guide to how long a tattoo lasts). If you want to know exactly which factors affect this, the complete guide to how long a temporary tattoo lasts goes into each one in more detail.
In most cities, King's Day means busy streets and road closures, so travelling by public transport is also the recommended practical way to get around that day (source: Holland.com). Sweating while dancing or getting splashed with water at a drinks gathering by the canal won't damage the design straight away; it's vigorous scrubbing afterwards, to get completely dry and clean again, that will. If you'd like to give the skin around the design some extra attention after the day, you'll find all the tips in the aftercare guide for a temporary tattoo.
After King's Day: let it fade or remove it yourself
Without you having to do anything, the design fades on its own as the top layer of skin renews itself, and no permanent mark is left behind.
If you want to remove it faster, gentle exfoliation with a washcloth or a fine scrub under lukewarm water, or a light massage with coconut or almond oil, helps loosen the top layer of ink. It's best to avoid strong alcohol, acetone or vigorous scrubbing: these irritate the skin without actually making the ink disappear any faster (source: InkLabs' guide to removing a tattoo).
If you'd rather choose a design that references the royal house more strongly, with a crown or lion design, the Temporary Lion Tattoos collection is a natural place to start. If you'd prefer your own text, initial or symbol instead of one of the ready-made designs, you can do that with the guide to a personalised temporary tattoo. And if you have other parties and festivals coming up after King's Day, the general guide to temporary tattoos for parties and events and the guide to festival looks have more ideas, beyond the specific orange theme of April 27.
