We thought we’d seen it all last year in terms of celebrity tattoos. After all, what could possibly top Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott’s matching butterflies, the Game of Thrones cast tributes, or Justin Bieber’s… entire chest? Nothing — or so we thought. Then 2019 hit, and all our favorite stars flocked to their favorite artists asking for even more.
From dainty designs to awkward cover-ups, celebrities can’t seem to stay out of the tattoo chair for long. In fact, stars like Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga, and Miley Cyrus are getting inked so frequently, we’ve started keeping a running tally of the most standout designs. Curious? Ahead, the most unforgettable celebrity tattoos to happen this year — so far, at least.
Frances Bean Cobain
Cobain frequently shows off her growing tattoo collection on Instagram, but her newest addition is perhaps one of our favorites — and far less spooky than that ghost tattoo. The 26-year-old recently visited tattoo artist Daniel Winter to ink a quote from artist Jenny Holzer on her forearm. It reads, "It is in your self-interest to find a way to be very tender."
Busy Philipps
After getting her first tattoo back in July , Philipps just added another — and it’s no coincidence both are inspired by her memoir, This Will Only Hurt A Little. She explained on Instagram that the new design is pulled from a chapter of the book, originally illustrated by Geoff McFetridge.
Lady Gaga
After racking up nearly 50 nominations for her acting and songwriting chops in A Star Is Born, Gaga decided to commemorate the experience with one extra-large tattoo right down her spine. The rose, sketched by tattoo artist Daniel Winter, is anchored by four words that, together, make up the song title that landed Gaga the role as Ally in the film: "La Vie En Rose."
On the same day Gaga got the rose inked on her back, she also added some musical notes to her forearm spelling out her name: GAGA. But the tattoo didn’t look this good the first time around — thanks to one too many tequilas, Gaga left out one of the staff lines, making the four notes incomprehensible. Luckily, within an hour, Winter fixed the tattoo to include all five.
The only thing better than Gaga’s honest, albeit tipsy, mistake is that this tattoo might have a double meaning. Some fans pointed out on Twitter that since Gaga didn’t include which clef the notes were in, the tattoo can be read in treble clef as her desired "GAGA," or in bass clef as "BCBC" — you know, for Bradley Cooper, the director and her co-star in ASIB.
Halle Berry
Just in case you thought Lady Gaga’s back tattoo would be the last, Berry posted this revealing photo on Instagram to prove you wrong. Although the origins of the massive vine tattoo are elusive, Berry’s sure to spawn some copycats.
Demi Lovato
Demi Lovato’s dog, Buddy, passed away after a reported coyote attack several years ago. It wasn’t until 2019 that she got her foot tattoo, created by celebrity artist Dr. Woo, as a tribute to her late pet.
Paris Jackson
Jackson is one celebrity offspring who might be more famous for her tattoos than her parents. (Well, not quite — this is Michael Jackson’s daughter we’re talking about.) The latest tattoo in her collection of over 50 was created at Tattoo Mania in West Hollywood and inspired by Led Zeppelin. The ink extends from her shoulder to her elbow, showcasing the symbols representing each member of the band that they used to promote their fourth album, 1971’s Led Zeppelin IV.
Miley Cyrus
Another famous youth who has too many tattoos to count in one sitting: Cyrus. Although she has a collection of delicate pet-dedicated designs all over her body, her latest addition is her most… Miley. Sometime this past summer, the singer visited Keith "Bang Bang" McCurdy to get the word "pussy " inked on the side of her foot. Although it happened months ago, fans didn’t see it until this January — but the wait was totally worth it.
Ariana Grande
Grande got a reported 16 tattoos in 2018 alone, but at this rate, she’ll probably beat her own record before we’re halfway through 2019. In fact, on the second day of the new year, Grande visited New York-based tattoo artist Mira Mariah to get "let’s sing" in Japanese inked on the ditch of her arm.
Later that same month, the "Thank U, Next" singer visited tattoo artist Kane Navasard to have Eevee, Grande’s favorite Pokémon, inked on her upper arm forever.
Two weeks later, Grande’s single "7 Rings " became her second No. 1 debut on Billboard’s Hot 100. To celebrate, she got what she thought was the Japanese translation of the song’s title. In reality, it meant "shichirin," which is a Japanese-style barbecue grill.
Grande replied to fan criticism of the misspelling with a legitimate(-ish) excuse: "It hurt like fuck… I wouldn’t have lasted one more symbol." A day later, the singer returned to artist Navasard to add more symbols in an attempt to amend the ink — but even after consulting with her Japanese tutor, Grande still ended up with a tattoo that now translates to "Japanese BBQ finger. "
Zoë Kravitz
With nearly 60 dainty designs in total, Kravitz’s 2019 additions are definitely on-brand for the actress. Thanks to Dr. Woo, Kravitz now has "baby" inked on the right side of her neck and a dragonfly on her left shoulder, which also happens to be one of the best celeb tattoo cover-ups we’ve ever seen — the dragonfly replaced some Arabic text Kravitz had in the exact same spot.
Pete Davidson
Although Davidson spent the latter half of 2018 covering up the couple tattoos he got with — and for — Ariana Grande, it wasn’t until early February that the comedian hid his very last: "mille tendresse " on the back of his neck. (For the record, Grande has the same exact tattoo in the same spot on the back of her neck, which she got in 2014 in honor of her favorite movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s.) Although the tattoo is good — it means "a thousand tendernesses" in French — Davidson decided it was time to bid adieu with a clever cover-up that now reads, "CURSED."
Halsey
Whether she likes it or not, the "Without Me" singer often ignites a headline firestorm every time she gets a tattoo. In November, it was her Libra tattoo — which she got just minutes before performing on Saturday Night Live. Now, it’s her rib tattoo inspired by…. Marilyn Manson?
Justin Bieber
Odds are Bieber got his infamous face tattoo in the summer of last year, but it wasn’t until January that we finally got a glimpse of the rumored ink. Although we don’t really know where the dainty script spelling out "grace" has gone now — seriously, where was it on the cover of Vogue? — we know it happened… even if it’s since been removed.
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Source: Refinery29 – Samantha Sasso