“How do I love thee? Let me count the ways,” Elizabeth Barrett Browning famously wrote in her iconic Sonnet 43. With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, we decided to take a look at the tattoos people have gotten recently that illustrate love. Yes, you will find your fair share of heart-shaped tattoos on this list, but you will also be surprised by the things people have paired them with! After all, we all love many things and many things inspire us.
Love tattoos simply show the world that you have plenty of heart. These designs spread a positive message with endearing symbolism to capture hearts and ignite the imagination. We thoroughly enjoyed researching this category of tattoos and learning of the many things people hold near and dear. Check out these amazingly lovely tattoos for Valentine’s Day to get you in the amorous spirit!
Tartan Heart
How are we feeling about this extremely tidy tartan heart? We find this heart tattoo rather remarkable. Check out all of those tiny, straight lines that have been applied to pull this off! Astounding!
Love Is Love
“Love is love,” is a phrase suggesting that the love expressed by an individual or couple is valid regardless of the sexual orientation or gender identity of their lover or partner. Unconditional love comes in many forms so be sure to recognize it when it is staring you dead in the eyes.
Waves
This creative tattoo that’s shaped like a heart is formed by foamy waves curling near the top to create its peaks. For many of us, we find the ocean deeply lovely and the sound of breaking waves provides the ultimate relaxation. Show your love for the sea with a similar design.
Half Sleeve
This large half-sleeve tattoo is actually a cover-up we learned from the artist’s caption but we would have never known that otherwise! A swallow and a butterfly help bring life to this jewel-studded design.
Two Hearts
This is a very neatly done stick-and-poke tattoo with sharp lines. We love that both hearts are impaled here by the same sword to symbolize a shared fate.
Prisoner of Love
“I need your love / And I need your touch / Like I need a bolt of lightning / From the sky above / I’ve been thinking about you / Thinking about you / I can’t escape you / I’m thinking / about you / Thinking about you I can’t escape you,” Tennis’ lyrics for their single “I Need Your Love” read. We find a prisoner of love tattoo here that seems to echo that sentiment.
Never Fades
Check out all of the teeny tiny dots employed here to create fading hearts. The person who got this black ink tattoo simply captioned the photo they shared of it “lovers.”
Dream Lover
This gorgeous heart full of swirling clouds makes us think of dreaming. We love the golden border which helps make this mostly blue ink tattoo truly stand out.
Mama Love
We have all seen the ubiquitous “mom” tattoo but this one takes it to a new level with “mama.” Cute, sweet, and simple this design is like wearing your heart on your sleeve.
Remember to Love
“Don’t forget to love yourself,” is a positive reminder and the caption the person who shared this image wrote. Should we all get tattoos to remember to practice self-love? Probably!
Love Taco Life
We all love food but not all foods equally. This tattoo of a taco is proof that tacos are the best food on the planet, right? Okay, good. Glad we can all agree on that point at least.
RELATED: 25 Mouthwatering Food Tattoos That Are So Cute You’ll Want a Bite
Watercolor Love
The person who captioned this watercolor tattoo noted that the colors from it represent the bisexual pride flag. We endorse! We love how transparent the artist has made the ink look here and think this design is a huge success.
She Wins
Here, find a different sort of pride tattoo that simply states, “love wins.” We love the way a heart has been swapped in for the letter “O.” And, who can argue with this sentiment?
Two Hearts That Beat as One
Here’s another example of a watercolor tattoo meeting a heart. This one is geometric in style and features a lot less color. We love that it is a matching design shared by two people together. One love tattoo is great but two are even better!
8-Bit
The person who got these 8-bit hearts described in the caption for this image that they were inspired by their love for the video game Zelda. What a loving tribute to an amazing and iconic character.
Puppy Love
Who wants to smoosh this face? Just us? Fine! This floral bouquet forms a heart around one adorable puppy that we 100% need to meet. There’s no mystery here why this little fluff inspired this tattoo!
Kitty Love
Gay cats staring at the sun together? Sure! This cat tattoo is magnificent and warm and the rainbow that they are sitting on is very cute. We love this idea!
You’re a Peach
The artist who shared this image described it as a “crystal peach.” We love both crystals and peaches so this tattoo is a major hit for us. Check out the way the artist has included white ink to represent the reflection of light. Dazzling!
Feel the Beat
Here, we find a simple black tattoo that manages to get its point across with not a lot of fanfare. We love the creative way the design pairs bass and treble clefs together. Who doesn’t love music?
Floral Heart
This is such a tender and delicate tattoo that imagines beautiful flowers forming a heart. We assume this tattoo has achieved its sharpness from a tattoo machine-free application. Color us impressed.
Best Friends
Your two faves Gizmo and Baby Yoda team up here in this clever and nostalgic fantasy. It’s doubtful that these two would meet in any other place, so a tattoo is as good a place as any.
Feeling a Certain Way
This reimagining of the classic dagger in the heart design proves a huge success. We love this creative and cartoonish design that favors roundness over sharp angles.
Love Letter
This cute love letter is one of the best things we have ever seen in tattoo form. How marvelous! This would be the perfect tattoo to get for Valentine’s Day as it is reminiscent of those cute little notes you used to give and receive as a child.
Sisters
We find matching big and little sister tattoos in this design which transforms the letter “S” into a heart. What a sweet tribute tattoo that celebrates familial love and the everlasting bond of sisterhood!
Splash
Here’s a heart tattoo that is sure to make a splash. We find glorious pastels here that form two separate waves that seem to crash into a heart. Delicate and sharp at the same time this tattoo is truly a special one.
Are you ready to spread some love? We suggest the best way to do that is by getting your very own love tattoo that expresses your love of a certain thing or someone or just the idea of love itself! Get creative and always do it with plenty of heart this Valentine’s Day.