Lottie Moss’s tattoos range from small, easy-to-hide pieces to the cursive “Lover” beneath her right eye, which she later began removing. Teen Vogue documented three birds across her ribs and matching hearts she got with her friend Thea Roberts. In a Los Angeles Times interview, Moss said a small heart on her right wrist was her first tattoo.
The designs have different stories, and the face tattoo changed meaning for her over time. The photos and interviews make some details clear; they don’t explain every mark.
Lottie Moss’s three bird tattoos climb across her ribcage
Teen Vogue photographed three black bird silhouettes running across Moss’s ribcage. They grow in size along the skin and follow its long shape, with enough space around each bird to keep the group light.
The change in scale gives the row a sense of movement without adding a background or fine interior detail. It’s also a placement most clothes cover, though a cropped top or swimwear can reveal it.
A friendship mark came first
The same Teen Vogue report mentioned matching stenciled hearts Moss got with her friend Thea Roberts. The report doesn’t assign the hearts a larger meaning; the shared design is the point.
The hearts and birds use familiar shapes in different ways: one mark shared between friends, and a row arranged across one person’s ribs. Matching tattoos can stay simple. A small change in placement or line weight can make each one feel personal without making the design hard to recognise.
The first piece was easy to hide
In a Los Angeles Times interview about a PacSun collection, Moss said the small heart on her right wrist was her first tattoo. It’s compact, but the wrist is visible in everyday gestures and short sleeves.
A clean outline suits the limited space. If you’re considering a wrist design, look at it with your hand relaxed and turned in different directions; the angle changes how visible it is.
“Not Yours / Never Was” is a hidden phrase
The Los Angeles Times also reported a script tattoo reading “Not Yours / Never Was” on Moss’s butt. She said the phrase inspired a T-shirt after a breakup. Its placement keeps the words private most of the time.
With script, spacing and letter shapes matter as much as the wording. Check the phrase at its intended size and position so it remains balanced on the body, not only in a design file.
The famous Lover face tattoo was impulsive by design
Glamour reported that Moss got the cursive Lover beneath her right eye in Bali. She described the decision as impulsive and connected it to feeling free after years of being controlled. The tattoo was one word, but its placement made it hard to miss.
In 2022, Moss spoke about it as an expression of freedom. A few years later, she began having it removed. Those accounts can both be true: a tattoo can fit a moment in someone’s life and later stop feeling right.
The face ink sat alongside smaller body tattoos
An Independent portrait shows the face tattoo with fine-line work on Moss’s shoulder and upper arm. The word below her eye draws attention first, while the other visible pieces are smaller and less prominent.
Some marks in the photo are too small or cropped to identify, so it’s safer to leave them unnamed. Tattoos can sit together without matching exactly; placement and spacing help a mixed collection feel considered.
The face tattoo was documented while it was being inked
ET’s collage includes a panel of an artist working beneath Moss’s eye. A separate panel shows a family photo, which is contextual and not tattoo evidence. The tattoo-specific image documents the process and the lettering’s position near her eye and cheekbone.
For facial ink, check the stencil from several angles and give yourself time before committing. A word can look different when you smile or turn your head than it does in a still photo.
The fading tattoo changed the look of the face
A Standard red-carpet photo shows the Lover tattoo after it had begun to fade. The script is lighter than in earlier close-ups but still visible. Lighting, makeup and camera distance can also change how the same ink appears, so the two images show different points in its timeline.
Fine lettering can lose contrast as it fades. That doesn’t mean every faded tattoo needs removal, but it’s part of what to consider when choosing thin lines and a highly visible spot.
The decision changed place in her story
The Daily Beast reported that Moss began a public removal process in 2024, including treatments for the face tattoo and some arm designs. By 2026, the Lover tattoo appeared to be gone. Moss also said she didn’t love any of her tattoos, putting the face tattoo in the context of her wider collection.
Removal is part of the story too. The birds, hearts and script can be considered on their own, without copying the circumstances around the face tattoo.
Practical takeaways from the collection
Moss’s tattoos show how much placement changes a design: the ribcage birds can stay hidden, the wrist heart is visible in daily life, and the word beneath her eye became part of every close-up. If you like a design but not its visibility, choose a different spot.
Use references for scale, spacing and line weight, but don’t assign a meaning to a symbol unless the person wearing it has explained one. Think through how the tattoo will look as it heals and ages, and take time with a choice that will be difficult to hide.