I so know what I want for my birthday (not until October, but still): an ear piercing and piece of beautiful jewellery from the new – and permanent! – Maria Tash piercing studio at Liberty.
Following the crazy-ridic success of February’s month-long pop-up, the cult New York-based piercer to the stars (yup; she counts Beyoncé and Gwyneth Paltrow as clients), Maria Tash has launched her first and only permanent space this side of the Atlantic on Liberty’s ground floor.
With three private rooms (a step up from the shop window at Claire’s Accessories, lol) and a jewellery boutique, prices start at just £15 for a piercing… BUT you can only get one done along with the purchase of a piece of Maria Tash jewellery – and they start from *gulp* around £70 upwards (hence me putting an appointment firmly on the birthday wish-list).
What’s so good about Maria Tash, anyway?
She’s essentially the goddess of the modern ear piercing movement, widely responsible for making multi-piercings and general ‘ear parties’ a thing on your Insta feed.
With an eye for ears (lol), Maria Tash jewellery is so damn covetable, most people think bling first, price and piercing second – they just want those beautiful gems adorning their lobes, no matter the price (whether that’s physical or financial or a heady combo of both).
And there’s another thing: the technique. The Tash Team firstly use sample hoops to give you a preview of your piercing, which is then done with a needle (not a gun) in a forward direction, using thin jewellery and rings with clever closures, making the experience as luxe as it can get.
The dreamy jewellery designs are down to Tash herself. Piercing professionally since 1993, she noticed that most body jewellery was made from fugly industrial steel so set about designing and making her own fine, lightweight styles.
True, they’re not cheap – but they are bloody beautiful little works of art, and can be worn continuously. We’re talking teeny gemstone flowers, Indian-inspired hoops, 18-carat gold, diamonds, sapphires and opals (worlds apart from my first ever pair of earrings: a pair of yellow and pink wooden parrots from Tammy Girl circa 1990).
I already have five piercings in my ears, but they were done in various places, from Debenhams, to the local hairdressers through to somewhere in Camden that I can’t really recall…
And seeing as daith piercings are meant to be a GREAT cure for migraines, maybe I should just treat myself and book an appointment right away? YES.
In addition to ears, the studio also offers full-body piercings including nose, nipple and navel. See the full menu here.
Piercing prices start from £15 (excluding jewellery). Call 0207 573 9650 for bookings, or email MariaTashBookings@liberty.co.uk. Walk-ins are also welcome.
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