Black Rose Tattooers, Tucson

The team at Black Rose Tattooers is on a roll. In 2012, they received their third consecutive Best Tattoo Parlor award from Tuscon Weekly. Over the years, the magazine has had a lot to say about the trio of shops, calling the artists “masters of their craft” and admiring how “skill is apparent in every design, whether the tattoo is a realistic portrait…or a custom sleeve”. Though the tattooers love to accept custom projects, the street-style shops also welcome passersby for impromptu ink sessions. In case clients are too excited about their fresh ink to pay attention to the staff's post-tattooing guidelines, the company's website has a page with tips for tattoo aftercare.

When not hunched over their buzzing tattoo tools, Black Rose’s team also performs face and body piercings, even surgically implanting tongs to improve grilling abilities. They take this work rather seriously as well—each year, the crew attends the Association of Professional Piercers Conference in Las Vegas. Two of the staffers even have their own jewelry line, Honeycomb Organics, a collection of one-of-a-kind wood, stone, silver, and copper baubles that ranges from traditional rings and necklaces to large-gauge body jewelry.