From minimal to meaningful: Some of our favourite celebrity tattoos

Dua Lipa and Seth Meyers became the unlikely recipients of matching tattoos this week. The pair decided to get small tattoos that would bond them forever during Meyers' late night show segment 'Day Drinking'. The 50-year-old show host has no tattoos and suggested jokingly that a single dot would suffice. But Lipa, who has about 20 tattoos herself, convinced him that a mini star would be a better idea. Celebrity tattoo artist Bang Bang New York was the artist responsible for executing the spontaneous moment, and managed to ink Lipa's ankle and Meyers' calf in under five minutes while the pair threw back shots of vodka for liquid courage.  

Billie Eilish is the kind of celebrity that isn't afraid to go to the extremes in the pursuit of an aesthetic. Usually, we're used to seeing this aspect of her personality expressed through the trippy visuals of her music videos, but the singer just got a cyber gothic tattoo that extends the length of her spine that proves she's not afraid to push the boundaries when it comes to body modification either. 

You're going to have to use your imagination for this one because the newlyweds are yet to reveal an actual looksie at their latest matching skeleton tattoos. Here's what we do know: G-Flip's sits on the top of their forearm and Stause has had hers placed onto her ribcage. The significance? They met at a Halloween party, both dressed as — you guessed it — skeletons!

Image credit: @chrishell.strause

We’re waiting patiently for Ariana Grande to drop new music, new makeup (there’s a r.e.m beauty foundation in the works) and now, a picture of her new ink.

During a recent interview with Allure, Grande revealed that she’s had her character from the upcoming Wicked film tattooed on the back of her right hand. “This one I knew I wanted to get for a long time, it’s Glinda from the original L. Frank Baum Book. That felt very right,” she said. 

Image credit: @arianagrande

Bretman Rock’s latest tattoo is a beautiful nod to his Filipino heritage. The traditional Filipino tattooing process is called Tatak, which means ‘to mark’ in Tagalog, and it utilises a traditional hand tapping tattoo technique. According to Rock, it’s not as painful as it looks either — it didn’t hurt any “more than [any of] my other tattoos with [a] machine,” he told his fans. “My Tatak ceremony was truly unforgettable,” gushed Rock about the experience. “I can’t wait to share all about it with you guys one day.” 

Image credit: @bretmanrock

Doja Cat only got her first tattoos (a demon cat and a gothic spider) a month ago, but she’s already adding new ink to her body. Her latest tattoo — a slightly scary and macabre antelope skull — is the handiwork of celebrity tattoo artist Brian Wu. We think we spy a spooky theme emerging…

Image credit: @dojacat

A face tattoo may seem extreme, but considering Cardi's new jawline-grazing ink is an ode to her son Wave, it's practically regret-proof. "Love my face tatt," the rapper captioned this snap, which shows off the sweet design in all its glory.

Image credit: @iamcardib

Nothing says commitment like some initial-centric ink, and that's what JLo just got. "Commitment ♾️ Happy Valentine’s Day my love 🤍," she wrote in the accompanying caption. The tattoo (Lopez's first, FYI), features the infinity symbol with an arrow through it, as well as the names 'Ben' and 'Jennifer' in cursive font.

Image credit: @jlo

When Jason Momoa shaved his head earlier this month to bring awareness to single-use plastics, we thought that was the end of things. But it turns out Momoa needed a blank canvas for a new tattoo. The tattoo was a nod to Momoa's Hawaiian heritage and was administered using traditional Polynesian tattooing tools. The spear head design starts at the actor’s temples, curves around his ear, and finishes on the side of his neck. We think we’ll be seeing a bit more of Momoa’s head from now on…

Image credit: @prideofgypsies

Cardi B has commemorated the birth of her second child with rapper Offset by getting one-year-old Wave’s name tattooed in red ink on her face. Cardi also revealed a tattoo bearing her daughter’s name — Kulture — on her arm. 

Image credit: @iamcardib

When you’ve spent your entire adolescence acting as a runaway government experiment, it’s understandably hard to leave that life behind. Millie Bobby Brown commemorated her role as Eleven on Stranger Things with an identical tattoo to the ink she sports on the show. Iconic. 

Image credit: @florencebymills

Just when we thought Jade Thirlwall couldn't get any cooler, she goes and gets herself an Egyptian Pharaoh tattoo. Showing off her toned torso (and of course the aforementioned new ink), the star captioned the snap "Jade Day. I exist, you're welcome." Honestly, our gratitude for said existence is real!

Image credit: @jadethirlwall

It seems Jenner took a little piece of Wyoming back home with her after a recent trip; not only did she rock a hilarious and chic 'J'Adore Cowboys' tank during her time there, but she also had @theghostkat ink this dainty cowgirl boot onto her ankle.

Image credit: @kendalljenner

Demi Lovato isn’t new to the world of tattoos; the “Substance” singer has ink all over their body. The latest addition to the Lovato gallery? A fine-lined spider web that hugs the curve of their shoulder, and a monochromatic spider that dangles from a single thread of the web, and extends down the length of their arm. 

Image credit: @ddlovato

Delicate ink is nothing new for Reinhart; records show this is her sixth tattoo to date. Inked by renowned tattoo artist Kiju, the Riverdale star's newest tattoo spells out the word 'DIVINE', which we happen to think describes Reinhart perfectly.

Image credit: @kaiju.ink

Just when we thought G Flip and their budding romance with Selling Sunset’s Chrishell Stause couldn’t get any cuter, the Aussie musician let their girlfriend tattoo them in honour of their latest single and music video. The pair documented the intimate event via TikTok, where Chrishell can be seen tattoo gun in hand writing out the phrase “Get me outta here” on her partner’s thigh. Epic. 

Image credit: @gflipmusic

Ferreira's latest ink addition appears to be making a convincing case for the return of the lower back tattoo. 'Subtle' doesn't seem to be what she was going for here; the design stretches all the way from her waistline to just above her hips, and showcases some kind of spiky 'creature stretching its wings' style design. It's a statement-maker for sure, and we're loving the Y2K vibes it's serving.

Image via: @barbieferreira

Olivia Rodrigo and Charli D'Amelio (along with besties Iris Apatow and Avani Gregg) just secured their status as the closest/coolest girl gang around with a trip to the tattoo parlour. Rodrigo and Apatow opted for matching heart outlines on their fingertips, while D'Amelio and Gregg got cute smiley faces inked on the sides of their fingers.

Image credit: @charlidamelio

Thought 'cool' and 'heart tattoo' couldn't be said in the same sentence? Well, Euphoria star Barbie Ferreira just proved said theory well and truly wrong. Ferreira's fresh tattoo features three hearts dripping with blood after being strung together on a jagged string of barbed wire; pretty edgy, huh?

Image credit: @barbieferreira

Mendes is evidently a girl after our own hearts, opting for an ink artwork that's more ethereal than edgy: a fairy. "It's better than I ever could have imagined," she wrote on Instagram alongside several fitting fairy emojis. "Only wearing halter tops from now on," she added. Fair(y) enough.

Image credit: @camimendes

Ora's new ink? A featherlight floral tattoo placed on her hip. The delicate rose design isn't particularly small, no, but its intricately-inked aesthetic keeps it looking minimalistic.

Image credit: @ritaora

Lovato's latest ink? A sizeable spider taking pride place on the side of their scalp. The hyperealistic design looks like it's crawling towards their face, but the meaning behind the tattoo is a lot less creepy. Revealing the work of Dr. Woo on Instagram Stories, Lovato also shared the following quote from the Cherokee tale ​​"Grandmother Spider Brings the Light": 

"It was Grandmother spider who taught us many things. She taught us about pottery and weaving. She taught us about fire and light and dark. She taught us that we are all connected on the web — each one of us having our place in this world."

Image credit: @ddlovato

Dr. Woo (AKA the tattoo artist responsible for Justin Bieber’s rose neck tattoo) just made his mark on another neck of the Bieber clan. Hailey Bieber recently had a tribute to New York (her favourite city, if you didn’t know) inked onto the space behind her ear to accompany an itty bitty line drawing of a diamond. Can you say adorable?

Image credit: @_dr_woo_

While many celebrities don’t mind letting us get up close and personal with their new ink, Selena Gomez has been unceremoniously hush hush about her latest tattoo. The body art is located at the nape of her neck and cascades down her back. But besides getting a glimpse at the placement of the thing, we have absolutely no idea what it is. Gomez’s tattoo artist Bang Bang documented her new ink with a far off shot that leaves far too much to the imagination if you ask us. Let us take a closer look at Selena! Please, we beg.

Image credit: @bangbangnyc

A butterfly tattoo isn't exactly revolutionary, no, but damn the detail on Hale's new design (by Los Angeles-based tattoo artist @winterstone, FYI) is breathtakingly beautiful.

Image: @lucyhale

Hudgens is no stranger to ink in general (she actually has 10 tattoos), but this recent ankle addition is definitely one of her biggest and boldest. Surprised by the snake design? Don't forget that this is the queen of Halloween we're talking about; the spookier, the better.

Image: @vanessahudgens/@drag_ink

Committing to a tattoo written in a language other than your native one is always bold; there's definitely a few people running around with the Japanese symbol for 'electricity' rather than 'power'... But considering Hadid's heritage (on her dad Mohamed's side, FYI) and the fact that she recruited renowned tattoo artist Doctor Woo to ink the artwork, she was certainly in safe hands. So, what do the symbols actually mean? One says 'I love you' and the other translates to 'my love'. Stunning and sweet.

Image: @_dr_woo_

Joining the 'J' she had tattooed on her wrist for husband Joe Jonas, Sophie Turner now has a 'W' initial inking, which is presumed to be in tribute to her daughter, Willow.  Jonas has an 'S' tattoo in a similar spot, so it's safe to assume the singer has added to his collection too. Talk about mum and dad goals. 

Image: @sophiet

Mrs Bieber recently added to her tattoo collection with an adorable ‘J’ (three guesses what that stands for). The letter on her ring finger is accompanied by a star, completing the ink dedication to husband Justin Bieber. The model also now sports the Portugese word for beauty ‘beleza’ on her neck – a nod to her mother’s Brazilian roots. Celeb tattooist Mr. K who was responsible for Hailey’s new ink shared his handiwork and the words, “It was PLEASURE for your trust on this meaningful piece.”

Justin Bieber is no stranger to the tattoo gun; the popstar famously started getting a myriad of unusual inkings in his teens. His latest tat is somewhat of a cultural reset — he asked celeb tattooist Dr. Woo to place a delicate rose design on the side of his neck — which can only be described as the soft boi equivalent of neck tattoos. What a time to be alive.

In addition to the gigantic rock she wears on her ring finger, Bieber's hands are also decorated with multiple tiny tattoos (such as a heart she shares with bestie Kendall Jenner). Her tattoo artist recently revealed her latest delicate design: a single needle situation made up of an array of arrows, dots and lines. As for the meaning behind it, we'll have to wait until Bieber herself breaks it down...

Her new balayage hair colour wasn't all that Grande's latest mirror selfie revealed; it also marked the debut of this cartoon-style flower tattoo. Nothing shows off your new palm ink like a peace sign, right?

Best buddies Kaia and Cara recently got matching tattoos in honour of Cara’s 28th birthday. Kaia shared a pic of the pairs new ink, captioning the adorable image with well wishes for her friend’s big day: “Happy birthday to my solemate.”

Opting for a minimalist type, Kaia Gerber had the words ‘Silent Madness’ tattooed on the back of her ankle by popular New York tattooist, Evan Tattoo. This is not the first of Kaia’s inkings, and based on her previous designs, the model seems to favour small, delicate drawings.

It’s hard to know where to start with Rihanna; from a stunning depiction of the goddess Isis to the matching camo shark tattoo she got with Drake, the badgal has accumulated so many amazing pieces of ink over the years. But, in our opinion, this wrist and hand henna-inspired piece takes the cake.

A tribute to her now ex-husband, Liam Hemsworth, Miley Cyrus had an adorable jar of Vegemite tattooed on her arm by Dr Woo, who shared his worth with the caption: “@mileycyrus don't play when it comes to #vegemite 🍴 #halfneedle”

Whether it’s a tribute to her idol Mariah Carey or a subtle nod to her own constant metamorphosis over the years, we don’t really care. All we know is Ariana Grande’s new butterfly tattoo is cuuuuutteee!

In dedication to her new album and new makeup brand of the same name, Selena Gomez had ‘Rare’ tattooed on her neck by Bang Bang Tattoo in New York, who she tagged in the cheeky caption: “Did it again @bangbangnyc 🦋 rare”.

Los Angeles artist Tat2Nene recently gave Ashley Benson this scrumptious little milkshake tattoo, complete with a maraschino cherry on top. Ashley shared the latest addition to her already extensive tattoo collection via her Instagram stories, however, it was without a backstory. We wonder what it means?