la berbère ink studio

Look at the pictures. First is the design I asked for. Then look at the tattoo I actually got. I showed the artist this exact reference image and asked for the same design in solid black. What she tattooed on me isn’t even the same design. The defining feature of this Moroccan star is the woven effect: one continuous band clearly passing OVER and UNDER itself at each intersection. Look at the reference picture. It’s unmistakable. Now look at my tattoo. There is no woven pattern. The intersections have been joined and filled incorrectly, leaving a muddled pentagram instead of the clean, interwoven design I specifically asked for. That’s not a small difference in artistic interpretation. She fundamentally failed to reproduce the design I gave her. And unfortunately, that’s only the beginning. The lines are wobbly and uneven, the bands change thickness, the points aren’t symmetrical, the edges aren’t straight, and even the solid black is patchy. The entire star isn’t even straight on my neck. This was supposed to be centred vertically down my spine. Look at the finished photo. It visibly sits crooked instead. The pictures also show how incredibly quickly this was done. The stencil photo was taken at 1:28 PM. The photo of the completed tattoo was taken at 1:46 PM. That’s only 18 minutes later. Looking at the finished result, the rush certainly shows. And before anyone says “fresh tattoos look rough while they’re healing,” that 1:46 PM photo was taken immediately after she finished it. The problems were already there. I paid €65 + 400 MAD, about €37, so roughly €102 total for this. I understand that tattoos are handmade and won’t be mathematically perfect. But I brought in a crystal-clear reference image for a geometric design. At an absolute minimum, I expected to leave with the design I actually asked for, centred properly on my body. Instead, I have something permanently tattooed across the back of my neck that is both substantially different from my reference and badly executed. Now I have to wait for it to heal completely, find a specialist back home, and pay someone else to determine whether the woven geometry can even be restored without making the tattoo substantially thicker or larger. I’m furious and incredibly disappointed. I will say something positive: she is genuinely cool, and her studio is incredibly cool. It’s a funky, creative little space and she has a very relaxed, chill vibe. She was also extremely quick to respond when I contacted her saying the tattoo basically had to happen the next day because I was leaving Morocco, and she continued to reply quickly to all of my messages. I really appreciated that. I liked her and enjoyed talking to her, which honestly makes writing this review even more disappointing. Unfortunately, that same chill vibe also seemed to apply to the appointment itself. I had a 10:00 AM appointment and my stencil wasn’t even on until 1:28 PM. First there was a long delay because her printer was out of ink, and then, despite me having already been waiting for hours, another client somehow had a 1:00 PM appointment and was taken before my tattoo was started. So after more than three hours of waiting, the actual tattoo was then completed incredibly quickly. Cool person. Cool studio. But being cool isn’t enough when somebody is permanently marking your body. I needed the same care and attention to detail that went into the vibe of the place to go into my tattoo. Seriously, look at the pictures and decide for yourself. If you’re considering this artist for geometric work, precision linework, or anything where following a reference accurately matters, I absolutely would not recommend her. I’ll update my review if she offers a refund, but my expectations are low.

I got one very large tattoo and two medium-sized ones done, which took many hours. Laila took a lot of time, even beforehand; two days before, I spontaneously dropped by the studio and we talked for hours and sketched out initial ideas. Absolutely recommendable!

Don't go here as a tourist! Leila was nice and that created trust, but she came across as very rushed, didn't use the correct technique, the tattooing went way too fast, and she gave vague advice about aftercare (the advice was only given because we asked for it). The tattoo has healed very poorly; parts have completely fallen off and parts have bled.

Thank you to Laila for being available and responsive in wonderfully fulfilling our request.

Hello everyone! I had a very disappointing experience at this tattoo shop in Essaouira with my fiancé I contacted the artist beforehand to ask for two small tattoos. She just said “okay” on the phone and gave me no price information at all. When we arrived, we found out the prices were much higher than expected. The shop was not organized. The artist was in a rush from the start and made us feel very uncomfortable. She spoke to us in a rude manner and made us feel like we were wasting her time when I reacted about the price. This was my first tattoo and it’s very special to me because it’s my partner’s name. I came with some design ideas, but every design I showed her she said “I can’t do those details” without offering any alternatives or helping us choose something suitable. There was zero guidance or collaboration. The overall experience felt rushed and unprofessional. The final result was poor quality. We felt we were overcharged, likely because my fiancé is Australian. The attitude, lack of organization, and poor communication made this the worst tattoo experience I’ve ever had. I do not recommend this place, especially for your first tattoo or if you want something meaningful and done with care.

Unfortunately I have to advise against this shop and tattooed. 2 months healed now with proper aftercare taken. Many spots on the tattoo there are empty spots where the ink wasn't deep enough, as the picture shows. The process was very rushed and uncomfortable. The tattooer rushed through the tattoo without any care or precision. Will have to go elsewhere to get everything re-done. Unfortunate experience, I ignored my guy feeling with the initial red flags of rushing the process. Nice shop though.

Very unprofessional. Confirmed the appointment and then stopped answering on the day we agreed on. Didn’t even apologise.Would definitely not recommend.

Very professional, efficient and clean, I recommend them