Celebrity Tattoos To Inspire Your Next Design
Summer time is new tattoo time.
All the tattoo shops downtown are open and calling your name-but what should you get? Whether it’s a small flash or a big planned-out piece, we’ve got your inspiration right here with these celebrity tattoos.
Getting a tattoo can be a daunting activity. It’s going to be on you forever, so it’s important that you’re really sure of what you want. But with so many options, it can be hard to know where to start looking for ideas. That’s where this list of fifteen celebrity tattoos come in handy.
Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande’s very first tattoo was an adorable little heart on her toe; sweet and simple, perfect for new tattooers. In fact, she’s pretty much the queen of small, cute tattoos, as she’s got over sixty of them; alot of them on her hands! But she’s got a few bigger pieces too that show off her nerdy side, namely the Pokémon Eevee and Chihiro from the Studio Ghibli film Spirited Away.
Billie Eilish
This one deserves a zoom-in; Billie Eilish’s beautiful hand tattoo of three fairies is truly magical. While not having nearly as many as Grande, Eilish’s tats are bigger and fiercer. She’s got her own name tattooed on her chest (her first tattoo, and a very common celebrity tattoo), a huge dragon thigh tattoo and most recently, an abstract piece that goes all the way down her spine.
Cardi B
My personal favorite place to get tattooed (it looks amazing and it’s basically painless!), Cardi B’s beautiful and massive thigh tattoo is absolutely gorgeous. She’s also got ink on her other thigh; flowers that spread from her leg up her back and finally to her neck. Her newest addition is a sweet face tat of her son’s name, Wave. A bold placement that really shows how much she loves her little boy.
Demi Lovato
Demi Lovato’s many tattoos show their journey and struggle with their mental health, substance abuse, and trauma. The twelve birds on their arm specifically represent the twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. Lovato’s tattoos are an important reminder of how meaningful tattoos can be, and how they can help to be hopeful messages of strength.
Harry Styles
No matter how you feel about his music or his fashion choices, you can’t deny that he is such a good sport for getting a tattoo live on The Late Late Show with James Corden. But it probably wasn’t a huge deal for Styles, as he’s got over forty tattoos, all of them unique in various ways. Some of them were ones he tattooed on himself, like his hilarious big toe tattoo that simply reads: Big.
Jason Momoa
The only thing that could make Jason Momoa more attractive: tattoos. This shark-teeth tattoo on his arm is a tribute to his Hawaiian heritage, as well as his matching tattoo on his head that depicts the same pattern. He also has multiple tattoos for his children, including a matching tattoo with his step-daughter, Zoë Kravitz, and two tattoos on his chest of his children’s signatures.
Justin Bieber
Remember when Justin Bieber didn’t have a chest full of tattoos? Since this interview with GQ a whopping eight years ago, Bieber has gotten many, many more, including one giant bear and lion on each pec, as well as a bald eagle on his stomach. A lot of Bieber’s tattoos include religious symbolism, showing Bieber’s Christian faith.
Katy Perry
Everyone knows about Katy Perry’s iconic performance at the XLIX Superbowl Halftime Show, but what you may not know is that she commemorated the experience with a small XLIX tattoo on her finger. Her other tattoos are much more cutesy, including a Hello Kitty tattoo, a smiley-face peppermint, and a smiley-face strawberry.
Lady Gaga
Every tattoo tells a story, and Lady Gaga’s tats are no exception. Her trumpet tattoo was designed by the legendary jazz artist Tony Bennett, who was a close friend of Gaga’s. Touching, but apparently not for Lady Gaga’s father, whom she promised to only get tattoos on the left side of her body; the trumpet is on her right inner arm. Since then, she’s gotten multiple other tattoos on her right side.
Machine Gun Kelly
No celebrity tattoo list is complete without Machine Gun Kelly, who is known for his extreme style. It’s only fitting then to have extreme tattoos, and in his case, he’s got them pretty much everywhere. In February, he got his most wild tattoo yet; a full black-out piece on his upper torso, covering many existing tattoos. Those new to tattoos should steer clear of this one; he’s got plenty more to get inspiration from.
Miley Cyrus
Who else can say they’ve got a handwritten note from Yoko Ono tattooed on their back other than Miley Cyrus? Probably nobody. But just like me, she’s got tattoos of her beloved pets, which is a very common thing to get tattooed. She’s also got a beautiful portrait of her grandmother on her inner arm, as well as a matching tiny heart tattoo she got with her mom.
Rihanna
Don’t annoy Rihanna, she’ll shush you with her convenient finger tattoo that simply reads: “Shhh…” Despite going on record saying she wouldn’t advise anyone to get tattoos on their fingers due to the pain, she’s got multiple, and a big henna-style tattoo her right hand. She’s got plenty of other tattoos in other spots on her body, including a beautiful tattoo on her chest of the Egyptian Goddess Iris.
Scarlett Johansson
The only one of Scarlett Johansson’s tattoos with color, she’s got an adorable sunrise on her left inner forearm. She’s got multiple tattoos that reference Marvel movies, a nod to her role as Black Widow in the franchise, including a bracelet tattoo with Thor’s hammer, Mjölnir, and matching Avengers tattoos with the four original Avengers actors.
Shawn Mendes
While we don’t know the meaning behind this little elephant tattoo yet, there’s no doubt we love how adorable it is. Mendes has an abundance of tattoos that range from tributes to his previous lover, Camila Cabello, to a tattoo based on a fan-made edit that he liked so much, he got it done. His largest tattoo is my personal favorite; a lightbulb with his mom’s favorite flowers inside.
Wiz Khalifa
Wiz Khalifa has got too many tattoos to count, making his body a piece of art itself. A few of his stand-out inks include a quote from Martin Luther King Jr., his sleeve tattoos, his giant back tattoo that simply reads “Khalifa”, and his knuckle tattoos that read “SUPR ST*R”. Perhaps the cutest one, however, is the tattoo of his son’s nickname, “Bash”, on his forehead.
Now You!
The most important thing to remember when getting a tattoo is that in the end, it is your body, and your decision. Get to know your artist, be detailed with what you want, and trust them to do their job. And tip! Tattoos are expensive, but they’re also hard work. Now, I’ve got to go book an appointment for myself! This list of iconic celebrity tattoos has got me seriously inspired.
Looking for more inspiration? Check out the latest tattoo trends.
Want a tattoo that will never go out of style? You’ll want to read this article.
