Jessica Alba is giving fans a peek into her “current chapter”—and that includes a new tattoo.
Tattoos are a great way to mark an occasion, honor a period of your life, or keep a personal mantra close at hand. It’s almost like a rite of passage! The actor and Honest Beauty founder didn’t specify why she got her new tattoo, but given that she recently filed for divorce from her husband of 16 years, Cash Warren, it seems as though Alba is embarking on the next part of her life. And what better way to commemorate that than some fresh ink?
The script is so dainty that it’s a little bit hard to read at first; you might have to squint to make it out in Alba’s black-and-white photo, but it reads “Life in transformation is life.” It’s written in a delicate, slanting cursive and spans the length of her inner forearm, starting just below her wrist and ending near her elbow. Alba got the tattoo from Winterstone in Los Angeles; they’ve also inked Matt Damon and Kristin Cavallari.
The rest of Alba’s Instagram carousel gives more insight into her mindset as she kicks off her single era; it’s a mix of inspirational quotes, sunny Los Angeles hikes, some selfies, and a few cute pics with friends and her three kids.
The word “transformation” seems to resonate with the actor, so it makes sense why she had it permanently written on her arm. “I’ve been on a journey of self realization and transformation for years – both as an individual and in partnership with Cash,” Alba wrote on Instagram when she announced the split. “I’m proud of how we’ve grown as a couple and in our marriage over the last 20 years and it’s now time for us to embark on a new chapter of growth and evolution as individuals.”
Cursive tattoos have been popular for well over a decade, especially super-delicate and often teeny-tiny phrases and sayings. If you like the look, follow Alba’s lead and go a little bigger, font-wise, than you may think. “One of the things I might come across is not being able to do it as small [as the client wants.] That’s very common with first-timers,” Brit Bauzá, a tattoo artist in Brooklyn, told Allure in 2022. “These photos of these micro tattoos are beautiful online, and it’s great for the photo, but then years later, it’s too small as it ages.”