To me the ultimate fashion accessories are the following: a good big bag, a comfy pair of cute flats, my locket and my charm bracelet. I'm simple. Some share the same ideas as me. To others, however, a fashion accessory can consist of any of the following:

- a dog

- a boyfriend

- a different, exciting, and often weird, piercing

or...

-a tattoo.

To be quite essayish: a tattoo is a permanent marking made by inserting ink into the layers of skin to change the pigment for decorative or other reasons. Tattoos on humans are a type of decorative body modification.

Now, I'm no prude, in fact very far from it, but if I were to have one prudish vice it would tattoos. In one word I despise them. I do not have a tattoo and do not plan on getting one. For some people they are a mark of rebellion or love. Some get them to celebrate a great experience others get them to forget. Whatever your reasons for getting one I don't really care for, in a few years, you will end up looking like this (females of course will not turn male, just old)

Now if you were to follow the advice of Cleo (a couple of issues ago) tattoos are the new greatest fashion accessory but I urge you not to look at their pages with anything other than a hint of skepticism because, after all, this is the same magazine that constantly tells you how to please your man but so often claims that YOU matter.

Many celebs today are jumping on the tattoo bandwagon. Here are a select few:

Angelina Jolie (courtesy of google images).

Rihanna (courtesy of google images).

Amy Winehouse (courtesy of google images).

Kat Von D (courtesy of google images).

A few other tattooed celebs include: Eve, Christina Aguleria, Megan Fox, Nicole Richie and even fashion savvy Victoria Beckham.

Then there's even the gorgeous David Beckham who has fallen prey to the tattoo:

(google images)

I am severly dissapointed in David actually. You would think with all his hunkiness he would not want to ruin it but, sadly, he has. I look at his body in this picture and I think I would rather Jack Black. Seriously, all I can think of when he's 80 and his wrinkles are sagging to the ground and he's going to look horrible. tsk tsk.

As I try and remain neutral on the grounds of good journalism my mind races to think of the good aspects of a tattoo. They are a great use of self expression. So claps for this tattooed folk. Self expression is a great thing, trust me I know, I do it in my writing. I guess we shouldn't judge anyone but I have a few choice words for people who have tattoos, females especially, but I shan't use those words.

But then I look at Angelina Jolie at the Oscars or on the red carpet in a great dress and then you see her and the tattoos, she really has the odds stacked against her for looking beautiful. Truthfully, because I am always honest, I think she looks like an old hag.

Maybe it's just me, I don't know, but if there is a worse fashion accessory I would love to be made aware of it.

What does everyone else think? Are tattoos hot? Or are they so not? I would love your opinions because as is evident I can not form a neutral opinion.

If you have a tattoo why did you get it? What do you think of people, like me, who hate them?

And the people who don't have them: want one? Despise them?

Whatever your opinion let me know!