My peircrining was done perfectly well one two and three and done I love the place Macus is amazing five stars all around

They did a great job on the tattoo my sister and I got! Everyone was friendly and kind.

We found Monster as a referral when looking for a place to help with a design I have had in my head for many years. We have been coming to them for the last few  for all our needs. We have come to know a few of their artists and would not hesitate to go to any of them. We have been going to Colin who is just an amazing artist. The place is large and super cool inside. They are very competitively priced and do amazon work. They are 2x-4x larger than any other palace I have seen, so they must be doing something right. Everyone is friendly and the whole process is organized and well run. I tell everyone I know that if you are not going to monster, your missing out. I would not trust anyone else. read more

Marcus. An amazing guy who pierced my nose who was absolutely professional and very kind. Highly recommended!

Great experience with piercer Marcus. He was professional and cool to work with. Great selection of jewelry that included the solid gold options. The quality of their inventory was great. The studio was clean and sanitized. Nose & helix piercing done. He walked me through the process in a calm, and thoroughly informative way. Definitely would recommend. read more

Searched long and hard for a local Tattoo artist and landed on Monsters Ink. Colin Kasprak did an amazing job! I had sent him two pictures that I wanted to incorporate in my next tattoo and he hit it perfectly. He worked hard during ink time and did an amazing job. Thanks for such a great piece! Planning my next visit :) read more

Monster Ink Tattoo & Piercing - Tattoo Near Me - Crystal Lake, Illinois

See all

I was excited to get my tattoo, so I was caught off guard when Hayden was standing at the counter and said "ID". Not even a hello or anything. I immediately felt uncomfortable by his demeanor towards me. He grabbed his tablet and had the picture of a picture that I had emailed him pulled up. I said I had the actual paper with my son's handwriting on it to use and he refused and was annoyed that I suggested it. I told him I wanted the text centered and he sat there for 10 minutes angrily tapping his iPad trying to figure out how to cut and paste. I offered two more times to just scan the actual piece of paper so we could just cut it to howni wanted it and he refused. He was getting angry with me and I was SO uncomfortable. I was shaking. He finally had figured out (or so I thought) what he was doing and briefly showed me and said "is that good?" And I said yes and he printed it out and told me to sit and he'll "motion me back" when he was ready. Finally he looked at me and held up his hand so I walked back. I went to sit down and he scolded me and told me he wanted to do the stencil while I was standing. I stood there shaking as he shaved my shoulder. He looked at me and said "are you nervous" and I laughed it off. He placed the stencil while I was facing away from the mirror. He asked me if the placement was alright, and I nervously glanced in the mirror and said yes. He told me to sit and I sat. He didn't talk to me the entire tattoo. I just wanted to get out of there and go home because I felt SO uncomfortable. I paid, tipped him well, and left! It wasn't until I was driving home that I realized something was off, I turned around and went straight back. I walked in and asked if he was still there, someone went and got him out of the back. He came up and went "aww I missed you too" and I showed him my tattoo and asked if he saw anything wrong and he said NO. I had to physically show him what the issue was. read more

Monster Ink Tattoo & Piercing - My shitty tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Crystal Lake, Illinois

Why doesn't Monster Ink have more reviews!!! Seriously this is such a kickass shop! But it might be because I love the amazing artists. So let's start about..2 1/2 years ago. I started talking to TJ. Now, I was already pierced. But this man, got me into Gorgeous, QUALITY jewelry. The first time I actually met him was at the Villain Arts Tattoo Convention in 2017. I went to the convention JUST to meet him and get pierced. I always wanted Dermals on my neck. And TJ point blank said No! They would reject. I was crushed. With his spunky personality he said..."Let's do it in your face!". Is this guy crazy??! Well, we're both crazy, because I now have two Dermals in my face and we are planning on a 3rd. TJ KNOWS what he's doing. He gives his honest opinion, he cracks jokes, he makes you laugh, and most importantly makes you relaxed. He's done the following on me: 2 Dermals by my eye, Nose, Bridge, Orbital, Cartilage Cluster, 2 Forward Helix, and my Rook. I think he might have done my Tragus too. We have about 3-5 more planned piercings before I leave the state. I WILL NOT get pierced by ANYONE ELSE! Prices are slightly higher but its the best jewelry you'll get and you'll look all beautiful and shiny. The shop is BEAUTIFUL! I travel an hour and a half/two each way to go to Monster Ink and I NEVER regret it. The shop is clean and beautiful. All the artists are Amazing! You just feel so at home here. I've come to get pierced and let a bunch of people go before me just so I could chill with the staff. 2018. I was SET on a Taylor Kuhlman (owner/tattooer) tattoo. It was my DREAM to get tattooed by him. We decided to do a new school Tiger on my upper thigh and enter it into a contest at the Tattoo Convention. When he showed me the drawing I was super scared...it was Huuuuuge. But it's perfect and fits perfectly onto my body. We did a tattoo session before the convention with all the line work and black. Man I was nervous for the convention! Would I be able to sit that long? Would my anxiety kick my ass with all the people?! Taylor made me feel calm and I ended up being tattooed for maybe 10 hours? I was super comfortable. Long story short, he didn't finish in time and we couldn't enter it. I got my final session done at Monster Ink and I am happy to say that I now Proudly wear a Taylor Kuhlman piece!!! Run to Monster Ink!!! For any and all of your Tattoo AND Piercing needs! read more

See all

I WILL NOT RETURN AND HERE'S WHY: Kasper did an outline for a shoulder piece for me, he is incredibly talented. My lines are perfect and the outline healed perfectly. My only complaint was that the post-tattoo wrap was horrendous; it consisted of paper towels and blue painters tap that fell off my skin SECONDS after it was applied. Tattoo was $250. My 2nd appointment for the shading was set 5:30pm and I came in at 5:18pm. My artist (Kasper) did not get his area set up till 5:45pm. The store is not friendly; you're not greeting upon entry. I waited patiently and finally was told to head towards his section. Tattoo went smooth, but after an hour of work, Kasper asked for a "vape break" (which the 10 minute break fed into my time). He finished the tattoo and it looked incredible. I mean it when I say if you are patient enough to put up with a lot, they are so talented and skilled. The shading took an hour and 25 minutes however I was still charged for two hours ($150 an hour, $370 total...). It was wayyyy too much money for shading, even with how much I loved the final piece. And finished off with another shitty paper towel and painter's tape wrap. Summary: Bad customer service, bad post-care, very expensive, but very skillful artist who are all proud of their work. Sadly, there is a lot of talented artist out there and I probably won't return. read more

Monster Ink Tattoo & Piercing - Tattoo Near Me - Crystal Lake, Illinois

See all

Travis was awesome. Reasonable and fair pricing and amazing work. He goes hard on detail and takes his time to make sure it looks right.

Been to multiple shops in Mchenry county and surrounding areas. Now that I found this place I will never go anywhere else. Best around hands down. Found it years ago then moved to LA, planned my trips back to IL to still get my ink here. Now I live in Chicago and still make the drive. I go to Matt Glick every time, "bald beauty tattoos" but all of their work is impressive. Finishing my sleeve now. Will post pics on next session! read more

LOVE LOVE LOVE When you walk in your greeted very promptly as any tattoo shop there is artwork on the walls of the artist previous work. On their Facebook page and the walls there was not one bad piece of artwork I saw. Everything made me so giddy to look at. Taylor the owner was amazing. I have a very difficult work schedule so I called to see if by chance I could get fit in with anyone. I had never been there prior, he was awesome and got me right in when they opened at 1. To my surprise he already had my tattoo drew out when I walked in. (We briefly spoke on the phone and I shared a couple picture ideas) to be quite honest it look like shit on paper but the idea was there. I felt like I already cane this far screw it let's do it. It is 1000% better in person because you won't see the shading and dot work detail on paper. I can't stop staring at it now. I am in love and want to plan out more now! read more

Monster Ink Tattoo & Piercing - Tattoo Near Me - Crystal Lake, Illinois

See all

I had my appointment for my industrial piercing for over a week now and had my appointment tonight at 6:30, i get a text from the piercer saying they dont have the jewelry and asked me to meet her at a completely different shop on another day. i immediately thought that was very unprofessional but i followed up and called the other shop and they tell me they wont pierce me because of im 16 so i contact monster ink back and tell them what they said and she tells me she cant pierce me at all because of insurance even though before booking the appointment i emailed with them and this was the email I got, "Hello! We start industrial piercings at 16 years old. We will need the legal guardian and their ID and the minors ID (license, state id, passport or birth certificate AND student ID) Thanks! -- -Monster Ink Management" completely unprofessional. read more

I cannot say enough good things about Marcus. I took my 6 year old daughter here to get her ears pierced. She has been begging for months. She got very scared and was having second thoughts after he cleaned her ears because she was scared of the needle. I'm not kidding you when I say he was absolutely amazing with my daughter. He made sure to get her consent before any step in the process. He explained things and gave her the time she needed to calm down. She did not have any pain with the piercing and didn't cry at all during the piercing. You won't regret coming here for a piercing. Now I have the happiest daughter in the world. Thank you Marcus! :) read more

Took my teenager here to get ear piercing. Highly recommend. Much more professional than going to some shack in the mall and worth the bit of extra dough it cost. read more

I got my nostril pierced this week. I was nervous for more piercings because when I was younger and had my helix pierced (which never healed properly) I was so scared it would hurt (and it did) so I held my breath and passed out a few moments after I stood up. When I got my belly button pierced that was also very painful. My anxiety was unnaturally high going into this. A little back story: I've contacted many tattoo shops recently and Monster Ink has been the most responsive to my ideas and setting up a consultation so I naturally chose them for a piercing. I made an appointment with Samantha Jones without knowing anyone at Monster Ink and was pleasantly surprised. I told her about my previous piercing experiences to explain why I was nervous. She was friendly, patient and very skilled. I don't know if nose piercings are generally less painful than others but I hardly felt a thing. Honestly, her technique was great, I'm still shocked at how much that did NOT hurt. I sat for maybe 5-10 minutes while everything was prepped and sterilized. Quick and painless. Perfect placement of the jewelry as well. I didn't think I'd want more piercings but now I might want more. Will be going back for the tattoos! read more

I'm currently in the process of having something done by Taylor. 2 sessions in and I couldn't be happier or more impressed with the outcome. This is my first tattoo and I definitely picked the right place and artist for what I was looking for. If you're looking around, doing research, on places to get a tattoo, stop your search here. You found the place right place. read more

See all

Some of the people are nice but make an appointment, even just to buy a nose ring like I was trying to do, or you will be waiting for hours for them to even acknowledge your existence if your lucky. read more

Danny did my wrist tattoo and although it was simple, he made sure that it was evenly placed, straight, and made sure I was happy with it before starting. The shop has a lot of great pieces, we even bought a piece to have at home cause we loved it. Place is clean and is probably come back again. Definitely would recommend coming here if anyone is looking for a tattoo home and artist to work with. read more

Staff is extremely nice and accommodating. I came in to get my dermals removed. Marcus was very thorough in explaining the process as well as potential issues that could occur. It was refreshing and eased my mind as to what to expect. Clean and friendly.. Highly recommend. read more

Monster Ink is my favorite tattoo place for multiple reasons. First, my go-to artist works here (Glick) and he always does a fantastic job. Not only has he done nearly all my boyfriend's pieces, he's also done a couple of mine and they are by far my best. This ink shop in particular is also very comfortable and welcoming; it seems like all the artists here are like family! Plus, it's in a neat shopping center with a Buffalo Wild Wings-like wing place and a bar for those waiting for a friend or partner's tattoo to be done. Highly recommend trying Monster Ink for any color or black and white piece you're looking for. read more

long story short the artist doing my tattoo spelt it wrong. the stencil was correct when she put it on, the tattoo should say "geneisis" but it says "genisis" this is one of my biggest insecurity's and i will never recommend going here ever! read more

Monster Ink Tattoo & Piercing - Tattoo Near Me - Crystal Lake, Illinois

Just took my 8 yr old niece to get her ears pierced and I'm so happy we brought her to Monster Ink. There were basic options of earrings to choose from. Not a ton, but definitely enough for a little girl to pick from. Tj was "nice and silly" according to my niece. He made sure to sterilize everything before starting, explained the process every step of the way, and talked to my niece the whole time to ease her nerves. Tj patiently explained after care, gave us tips, and told us what to watch for during the healing process. Thanks for a great experience! read more

We love this place! We LOVE Taylor & Sunshine. Very clean & professional. Highly recommended. We will only go here for our tattoos. Appointments required. You email them what you want & they are ready when you arrive!!! Great location. Plenty of parking. Awesome work!!! You will not be disappointed!!! read more

Monster Ink Tattoo & Piercing - My husbands awesome tat by Taylor! - Tattoo Near Me - Crystal Lake, Illinois

See all

For those of you considering earrings or other piercings for you or your children: I found the best place! My 7 year old decided that she was ready for earrings. I called friends and many studios I Chicago and suburbs. Believe it or not, there are select piercers that will do children, and they often work limited hours. Also- know that you have to take a state issued ID for yourself and one for your child (or a birth certificate plus a school photo- think yearbook- or other proof of identity) if you aren't seeing your pediatrician to do it. We chose Monster Ink in Crystal Lake. It was a hike, but it was so. worth. it. First: their sterilization and autoclaving of instruments is especially above board. Second: TJ, the piercing specialist, was absolutely appropriate for a nervous 7 year old. He was patient, respected her body and readiness, and was focused on her consent and comfort. He also knew how to help her stay in control and not let her nerves take over. He explained to HER (and checked in with me separately) what would happen and how it would feel. He took extra time, supplied her with popsicles in between ears (!), and told her stories to focus her attention elsewhere. Listen, this guy was the epitome of kindness and balance and respect. Third: the entire place was just indulgent in her experience. From the moment we walked in the door, we were met with kindness and excitement. They played up the big event, made a big deal out of letting her choose her gorgeous earrings (real opal chips!), and every tattoo artist, pierced and customer gave her a standing ovation as she walked back to the front from her piercing room when it was over. Fourth: they have a great selection of piercing studs included with the service. I chose the place based on a reco from another location that didn't take minors. The woman shared that there are two places in IL that share the same standard of jewelry and sterilization techniques, and this is one. (Other in Mundelein, FYI.) I cant verify this, but I'll share for you to dig in if you want. We didn't solve any world problems today, but we sure did have a special, safe, giddy experience for my daughter. BTW, she was really nervous when it started happening. Tears, debating if we should go through with the second, etc. I was ready to support whatever she chose, and TJ and team helped her feel safe and happy. She also told me 15 min after that it didn't hurt anymore. PS- I've had my share of piercings over the years (14, but who's counting) even though I'm a "business mommy" now with all previous signs erased. These guys take the cake. read more

The Studio was very well done overall. When I went in for my consultation they were very helpful, and gave off very positive and professional vibes. They gave me very clear instructions on what to do before coming to get my tattoo. They were very good about sanitation, and making sure the studio was safe during covid-19. Everyone (Clients and artists) wore masks the whole time, and they did a very good job sanitizing the work station (and me) before and after the session. Dan Smith did a great job from finish to end. I gave him a general idea of what I wanted in the design, and made it better than I could have ever thought of. He was very understanding of it being my first tattoo. He also had no problem with me taking bathroom breaks or getting sips of my drink. Even though he had other appointments later in the day, at no point did I feel rushed, or that he was doing sloppy/rushed work. I would highly recommend this studio and Dan to anyone looking to get ink done. Prices were very fair overall, but you can't put a price on a creative mind who invests time into their craft and artwork. I will definitely be paying Dan and Monster Ink a visit for more work. read more

Monster Ink Tattoo & Piercing - Christopher Robbin handing Winnie the Pooh a blue balloon. - Tattoo Near Me - Crystal Lake, Illinois

Travis! A spectacular artist ! He is so creative and precise in his tattooing ability. He listens and wants to make the experience a positive one. My second tattoo with him and will go back for more. read more

This place is wonderful! My sister and I both got a daith piercing. They autoclave the instruments as well as the jewelry before piercing, and make it incredible sterile. TJ did a phenomenal job explaining everything and answering all our questions. Not to mention he made us feel at ease and always made sure our comfort was the top priority! Would highly recommend to anyone looking for a piercing! read more

Got an industrial yesterday, TJ did my piercing and damn is it good. Funny too, we talked about animals we hate. A surreal and life changing experience to listen to them talk about Pablo Escobars cocaine Hippos as they stab my ear. Definitely just got a regular out of me. Procedure was quick and easy. I never felt uncomfortable or nervous and the safety & sanitation standards here are clearly very well done. Really can't wait to come back, thanks everyone at Monster. read more

This place is awesome! It's in a little strip mall type area I didn't even know existed, but I'm glad I do now. I went here with my mother to get a helix piercing and the process was quick, painless, and easy. Everyone was very nice, considering how most tattoo parlors can be intimidating. I felt welcome and respected through the whole experience. My mother plans to come back to get her tattoos touched up because she enjoyed the experience so much. I would highly recommend monster ink tattoo and piercing! read more

I recently visited here to get a tattoo with Danny. He was friendly, professional, patient and willing to make any changes to my tattoo that I wanted. He helped me feel a lot more comfortable in the chair. The studio itself was very clean, and the staff seemed very prompt and helpful. I'd highly recommend this place if you're considering a tattoo or piercing! read more

Had a great experience getting a tattoo with Taylor. He answered a ton of my questions and was quick to reply to emails prior to even officially booking with him. I was nervous about getting the tattoo because I don't have the best pain tolerance. He was super friendly and easy to talk to. Helped keep my mind distracted. Most importantly he did a beautiful job with the tattoo and fully explained how to care for it during the healing process. The shop itself had a real fun vibe. Music playing and everyone was very friendly. I will definitely be back if I get any more tattoos. read more

Just got my ears done here. I thought they'd closed up but he was able to get some new jewelery through. He was pretty gentle so it barely hurt. The shop was clean and he sterilized the jewelery in front of me so that was nice. I would come back again if I was looking for any other piercings. I commented on some of the tattoos the piercer (TJ) had and he said they some were done by one of the artists (Taylor) at the shop. If that's representative of their work I'd definitely recommend them for tattoos as well. read more

TJ was awesome and I love my piercings!! Everything went really well, he did a really good job of letting me know everything that he was doing and helping to calm any nerves. Loved it and will definitely be going back! read more

We had TJ for my daughter's belly button piercing tonight and I would highly recommend him and this shop! TJ made us feel super comfortable, everything was super hygienic, and everyone there was super nice! Overall SUPER EXPERIENCE! Thanks TJ and Monster Ink read more

I had asked a friend of mine if she knew of a great place that I could take my 11 year old daughter for her birthday to get her ears pierced other than a place that uses the not-so-sterile guns. She recommended this place right here, and told me to ask for TJ. From start to finish we had an amazing experience. I called and TJ happened to answer. He was super kind, and flexible with his schedule, he even recommended a good time to arrive before the shop would become too busy. Love it so far. So then on our way we're running about 20 minutes late for our appointment, so I called to give them a heads up and make sure it wasn't a problem- again- super kind, no worries at all, just arrive safe and we'd be taken care of. So as we're approaching, I thought I was *reminding* my daughter how the procedure is done with a needle one side at a time... turns out she didn't hear me the first time I told her this and she became super nervous and a bit uneasy. I reassured her that I had heard only great word about TJ and that he was super skilled, and all would be well, let's at least go in and see what it's like. Well, the other reviews are 100% true to their word. TJ was sweet, funny, and easy going. He has a super kid-friendly demeanor that my daughter couldn't resist. He helped give her ideas about which earrings would be best for her first set, and then when we went back to his room she noticed all of his certificates on the wall and also pictures of his cutie-pie kiddos. This put her at even greater ease. Still a bit nervous though as she was, TJ was super patient and kind to her. He made fun jokes and conversations with her as he prepared her ears for the piercings. Allowing her to take as much time as she needed, he only proceeded when she gave him the green light. She squeezed my hand so hard for the first one that I yelped, lol, it hurt my hand more than it hurt her ear I think. Then he let her have all the time she needed (which was only a couple of minutes) before completing the other ear. Wa-lah! It was done and she was all smiles. TJ had told me that he likes to schedule an hour or so time just incase a child should have the jitters. Very thoughtful and smart! Also, he let me know upfront how much it would cost roughly, so there were no surprises. It's been almost 3 weeks since she's had them pierced and she's had no pain, no infections, no redness. I'm super happy that we went the route we did by coming to this shop, super clean, friendly, and very reasonably priced! I'm looking forward to coming back for myself to get additional piercings and maybe another tattoo! Thank you so much TJ and team, you guys nail it! read more

Went here for the first time today as I've been struggling to find anywhere around here to get titanium jewelry. Their jewelry is BEAUTIFUL. The staff there are SUPER nice. Everyone is super easy to talk to and super knowledgeable. I will definitely be returning here! read more

I've never left a review in my life but Monster Ink is so incredible. I've gotten four tattoos done there by Danny and each one is amazing. The lines are so clean and so even, I get complimented almost every day on the work he's done!! read more

Scott Johnston did a great job with my tattoo! He made it look exactly as I asked him to and was thorough with his cleanliness and strict after care procedure. read more

Got my nose pierced there for the first time. People are super friendly and very clean. Many options and good price. It's a shame it doesn't have many reviews. My husband and I plan on getting tattoos there in the future (since we still have to think about what to get) After I got my nose pierced I got a free bottle to take care of my piercing and specific instructions on how to take care of it as well. I will definitely come here again. read more