Celebrity tattoos are a brilliant way to be inspired for your next ink idea, as each tattoo tells its own unique story and has its own meaning.
Ever since our article about a Malaysian singer getting tattooed while performing her latest single, we’ve been totally tattoo crazy and have been looking everywhere for ink inspiration.
So, we’ve compiled our own list of best female celebrity tattoos that we’re in love with and hope that you’ll be as obsessed as we are over these gorgeous tats.
South Korean Celebrity Tattoos
Tattoo artists in South Korea require a medical license due to an archaic law that fines those without a legal medical license. The stigma against tattoos there can be quite strong.
Yet there are many South Korean celebrities who are inked up, and we love them even more for standing up for themselves and going against the status quo.
Bae Suzy
A back is usually saved up for bigger pieces, but we really dig this delicate and simple tattoo Bae Suzy has. We’re sure that if she wants to, there’s always room for expansion, but this little tattoo is perfection on its own.
Featuring a mini cross stuck into a small heart, we’re not sure about the meaning of the tattoo as she has not come forward about it.
BoA
Multi-lingual singer BoA has one tattoo that is well known to the public. It is located at the middle of her back and features the letter ‘B’, likely to represent herself.
What’s interesting is that there are two angels peeking through the holes of the B, making it seem like they are playing together.
Chaeyoung
Chaeyoung has been part of the girl group TWICE since their debut in 2015 and has at least 10 tattoos known to fans. First spotted at the Incheon Airport in 2019, this tattoo behind her ear and is among one of her hidden tattoos.
According to fan theories, this shot through the heart tattoo could be about another member, Sana, who wrote the song Shot thru the heart.
Gong Hyo-jin
One of the few Korean actresses that flaunts her tattoos, Gong Hyo-jin’s most visible one is on her shoulder, which features a cross and ribbon with the words laurel, ‘lubere’ (which means ‘to be pleasing’ in Latin), and money.
We love how open she is about her tattoos, having proudly shown it off in magazine covers like Harper’s Bazaar Korea, Maire Claire Korea, and W Korea.
Han So Hee
This is a story with a sad ending for tattoos. Before her acting career debut, Han So Hee was a model. There used to be many beautiful tattoos on her arms before they were removed later.
While we mourn for her erased tattoos, we must respect her decision to become tattoo-free. Still, we can’t help but adore that elegant sprig on her arm.
Han Ye-Seul
Back on 16 November 2019, Han Ye-Seul posted new photos of her tattoo on Instagram, and it was met with mixed reactions.
Representing strength, courage, and protection, this celebrity tattoo is one of our favourites as it is so simple and elegant at the same time.
Hyorin
Hyorin, a member of the girl group Sistar, sports a cross tattoo on her abdomen to cover up the scar on her belly from suffering from congenital biliary atresia.
As she was self-conscious about the scars, she felt unable to wear ‘pretty’ clothes, but now is able to show off her body confidently, and we’re all for it.
Hyuna
Wonder Girls legend Hyuna has multiple tattoos on her body. The one that stood out the most to us were the four smiley tattoos on her arm.
We love how they’re all in different colours and expressions. You certainly don’t need a wrist accessory if you have these cuties on your arm.
Jung Ryeo Won
Australia-raised actress Jung Ryeo Won has many inks on her arms, including this arm tattoo which says ‘epignosis’. She explains that it means ‘what your head knows, the mind and spirit knows’.
We really love the deep meaning behind this word and the beautiful script its written in. It almost makes us want to grab a dictionary to find a special word like that.
Lee Hyori
We totally dig Lee Hyori’s mandala tattoo on her shoulder, which is a geometric configuration of symbols and generally represents the spiritual journey, starting from outside to the inner core, through layers.
It may signify her journey as a person and artist since her early days with girl group Fin.K.L. to award-wining solo artist.
Narsha
Narsha from Brown Eyed Girls’ did a bikini photo shoot back in 2018, revealing her stomach tattoo. While Korean netizens were very disappointed, international fans were quick to accept it.
We low-key dig the placement. If you’ve got that flat, toned stomach like Narsha’s, why not flaunt it with a strong, multi-coloured stomach ink?
Taeyeon
Former Girls’ Generation member Taeyeon has multiple small, adorable tattoos on different parts of her body, but the one that stuck with us the most is the UV tattoo on her index finger.
This tattoo only shows up under black light, making it otherwise invisible to the naked eye. This single unique celebrity tattoo is already giving us more than a few ideas.
Tiffany Young
Did you know that Tiffany Young from Girls’ Generation fame is a tattoo artist herself? Turns out it was her dream job for a long time, and she has used fellow tattoo artist Jonathan Valena as her test subject.
One of the tattoos we love is this minimalist tattoo of a rose on her finger, which leaves also look like a heart. It’s such a simple design yet fits her personality so well.
Western celebrity tattoos
Celebrity tattoos have always been trending in the west especially in the United States but have gained even more traction as of late with male rappers sporting face and finger tattoos.
Other than the list we’ve gathered here, we’re excited to see the newest ink that pops up on our Instagram feed from these stars.
Angelina Jolie
Mega superstar Angelina Jolie has intricate tattoos all over her body, with the most notable one being on her back. Her back tattoo is actually composed of several different tattoos.
We especially dig the one in the very centre, which depicts a Buddhist temple design that reminds the wearer to have mercy on oneself and others.
Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande has always been a style queen, and she has won us over with this adorable Pokémon tattoo. Featuring the evolution Pokémon Eevee, we wonder if she’ll plan to ‘evolve’ it anytime soon.
Do you think she’s a fiery Flareon, or perhaps more suitable for the icy Glaceon? Perhaps this little brown bushy-tailed Pokémon is already the perfect partner for her.
Billie Ellish
When Billie Ellish finally hit 18, it was time for her to get inked up. Perhaps one of our favourite celebrity tattoos, her hand tattoo of three fairies together is from one of her favourite childhood books.
Indeed, it reminds us of traditional fairy tales and we could not be more in love with them. But we can’t help but wonder how many tattoos is this artist hiding?
Cara Delevigne
The tattoo on the back of Cara Delevigne’s neck is actually inspired by Yantra tattooing, a form of inking with sacred meanings introduced by the Khmer people.
The hyper realistic eyes on the top were later added by artist Keith “Bang Bang” McCurdy, and we have to say, they look surprisingly well matched.
Halsey
Singer Halsey sports a minimalist image of two lovers kissing on her thigh and we love how simple and clean it looks.
This image seems to tell a story with only a few shapes and lines, and we can’t help but be impressed.
Katy Perry
Katy Perry has gotten a tattoo for each of her albums near the end of her touring cycle, and for Witness, she flew out Los Angeles-based artist Dr Woo all the way to Sydney, Australia.
This eye has a very outer space feel, featuring geometric shapes and a teardrop in the corner. Eyes have been a prominent feature in her Witness album, on the cover, and on her stage costumes and backdrops.
Kendall Jenner
One of the rules of getting a tattoo is to not do it while drunk, but Kendall Jenner accidentally did just that.
The star got the word ‘meow’ tattooed on the inside on her lip, a hidden spot that not many might have noticed had she not posted it on Instagram.
Kylie Jenner
Another rule of tattooing is to stay away from significant other’s names as you never know how the relationship might turn out.
The reality TV star had a tiny ‘t’ on her ankle during her relationship with the rapper Tyga, but transformed the ‘t’ into an ‘la’ to signify her hometown of Los Angeles after the breakup.
Lady Gaga
Singer and actress Lady Gaga is known for having lots of ink on her body, but the one we’re most in love with is this monster claw tattoo with fierce scales and long fingernails.
A tribute to her ‘little monsters’, this tattoo matches her personality well. We’re obsessed with how unique and well done it is, especially with the details of the scales.
Lana Del Rey
Lana Del Rey has a few tattoos on her hands, such as ‘trust no one’ on her right hand and ‘paradise’ on her left, which is referencing her song and EP of the same name.
‘Trust no one’ is certainly wise words to live by, and maybe we should all take her advice.
Lena Dunham
Underboob tattoos are always cool because they complement the shape of the body so well, so when we saw this underboob tattoo on Girls fame Lena Dunham, we couldn’t help but be a tad bit jealous.
Interestingly, this celebrity tattoo is done by a female tattoo artist from Oslo called Trine Josefine Grimm. Maybe if we had the money, we’d fly over to Oslo to get tatted up too!
Lily Collins
Lily Collins, star of Netflix show Emily in Paris, sports two tattoos on her upper back between her shoulder blades. Originally, she had ‘Love Always and Forever’ inked in her own handwriting back in 2012.
She later had a Seoul-based tattoo artist called Tattooist Day to do the tattoo of a girl with her hair up in a bun and sitting on a lily pad, representing herself and her namesake.
Megan Fox
‘We will all laugh at gilded butterflies’ is inspired by Shakespeare’s play King Lear which is about the mythological Leir of Britain who relinquishes his power and land to two of his daughters.
Apparently, this tattoo is portraying Megan’s attitude towards life, she is often seen flaunting this ink at red carpets and events.
Miley Cyrus
The face of Gucci’s new Flora Gorgeous Gardenia Eau de Parfum campaign, Miley Cyrus has this gorgeous tattoo of a dreamcatcher on the side of her body – right on her ribs, which is one of the most painful spots to be tattooed.
A dreamcatcher is a handmade willow hoop which is traditionally hung over a cradle or bed as protection. We can see why this dreamy protective charm has made its way onto this celebrity’s body.
Rihanna
It’s no secret that Rihanna has tons of tattoos, and our favourite is her underboob tattoo which is of the Egyptian goddess Isis believed to help the dead enter the afterlife.
The tattoo is in honour of her late grandmother, Gran Gran Dolly, and now that we know the meaning behind the tattoo, we can’t help but admire it more.
Selena Gomez
Selena Gomez has an ever-growing collection of small tattoos that are discrete and hard to be seen by the public. One of them is the Arabic text on her back, which says ‘Love Yourself First’.
This is yet another tattoo with wise words to live by, we think it may also be a hint to her hit single Lose You to Love Me.
Sophie Turner
Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner got herself a tattoo to commemorate the show back before the finale had aired. This fierce tattoo features the words ‘the pack survives’ which has been said by her character Sansa Stark throughout the series.
It also has the symbol of a dire wolf, the symbol of House Stark. While its obvious why she got the tattoo, we can’t help but geek over it ourselves. Perhaps this might inspire you to display your own fandom proudly?
Featured image credit: Republic World and Jonboytattoo
