Hi,
okay so I have the compass and I have the magnets so let me make sure I'm doing this right. I make the compass face north, when I put the magnet up to it and it makes the needle stay where it is then that is the positive and that's the side on want facing down on my skin?

Yes - if you want grow.

The side of the magnet which faces the north is the positive side, and the side which points to the south is the negative side.