For some it’s just a plain tattoo, but for others, it’s called body art.. and our favourite famous celebrities know that.
They aren’t called artists for nothing. In fact, it is rare for a celebrity without a tatt or two. With the public’s eyes on them, celebrities live in a guarded world.
Perhaps, it’s a secret message or a note to self?
Let’s find out which stars had themselves inked..and what it means to them.
1) Rihanna
Rihanna’s mammoth tattoo of an Egyptian goddess inked on her chest is to honour her late grandmum who passed away on July of 2012.
She posted it on Instagram — a closeup photo of her Isis tattoo kneeling with her wings spread along the ribcage — with the caption:
“Goddess Isis – Complete Woman – Model for future generations – #GRANGRANDOLLY – always in and on my heart #1love.”
2) Kelly Osbourne
Kelly Osborne, daughter of Ozzy and Sharon and known through her appearances on The Osbournes and more recently as a judge on Australia’s Got Talent, has several tattoos. A little butterfly tattooed on her right shoulder is one of her 15 tattoos.
via popsugar.com.au
3) Lana del Ray
How many tattoos does Lana Del Ray have? She’s got a handful — literally!
Most of Lana del Ray’s tattoos are found on her hand: 1) paradise 2) die young because according to her:
“Death and paradise for me are linked. I expect after my death, something that is very calm and relaxed. This can already be described as paradise. It is so loaded with meaning. I just like the word “paradise.” I even tattooed it on my hand.”
4) Scarlett Johansson
Hot stuff Scarlett Johansson also has a tattoo on her wrist. A bracelet-type tattoo with the words I <3 NY on it. Guess she must really love New York!
via popsugar.com.au5) Ginnifer Goodwin
Ginnifer Goodwin has a tattoo of an apple on her arm.
via look.co.ukIn an interview with movieweb, she explained what the apple meant to her:
“To me, apples symbolize wisdom and purity, but I love the thought that the apple is something Snow White uses as a symbol of survival. This is the thing she overcame. It’s like a reminder to her.”
6) Eva Longoria
Stunning Eva Longoria has six tattoos found on her body, but the one that has people talking is the word “nine” tattooed on her upper back, just a little below her neck.
Eva got the tattoo as a tribute to his husband, Tony Parker who wears the number 9 on his San Antonio Spurs jersey. She had the tattoo removed after they broke up.
7) Ed Sheeran
Sweet boy Ed Sheeran is a tough guy deep inside. His huge lion tattoo gives us that impression anyway!
via eonline.comEd posted his Lion ink on Twitter, looking orange and mighty:
“Halfway and ouch. Lion is courtesy of @kp_est78, who puts up with me complaining about the pain.”
The lion was designed based on the English football team’s logo and is meant to celebrate the singer’s sold-out shows at Wembley Stadium in London (the home of the football team), where Ed performed for over 290,000 fans last month. I guess the goal is a tatt for every milestone in his life?
8) Drew Barrymore
This famous actress has a celtic cross tattoo with vines on her right calf. All in black ink.
9) Adele
Adele has 6 tattoos. Two on her left wrist, one opposite the two on her wrist and the third is inked on her neck behind her ear. The fourth and fifth is inked on her hands and the sixth is said to be three large doves on her back.
This A tattoo on the back of her right ear is said to stand for the name of her son.
10) Christina Aguilera
Xtina because, duh?
11) Beth Ditto
With an anchor tattoo with MAMA written on a banner, Beth Ditto honours her mother forever.
12) Hayden Panettiere
Hayden’s large Italian tattoo Vivere senza rimipianti made headlines as it was definitely misspelled. Rimipianti should be spelled rimpianti. The tattoo is supposed to mean “to live without regrets”. That’s one major ink fail.
13) Lewis Hamilton
Sporting 8 tattoos that represent his beliefs, Lewis Hamilton’s latest lion tattoo symbolises mastering your emotions.
via askideas.comHe explained the meaning behind his majestic lion tattoo:
“The African lion roars ferociously and the roar can be heard for miles…” he added. “It is summoning the power of the sun to be unleashed at his will, he proclaims his power as a message and a warning.”
14) Emilia Clarke
Emilia Clarke created a buzz with her bumblebee tattoo. She had the tiny tattoo inked on her finger in honour of Game of Thrones and to remind her of her inner Queen Bee.
15) Ruby Rose
The Orange is The New Black star has over 60 tattoos, some she loves, some she can’t WHY she got in the first place, but none that she regrets.
via tattoodo.com
16) Demi Lovato
via eonline.comThe message is for me. It says “Stay Strong.” So every day no matter if I’m putting on my shoes or putting on my makeup, I see it every day..stay strong.
Demi’s tattoos are placed on her wrists, an area that she used to cut, in order to cover her scars as well as to serve as a symbol of her tremendous growth and recovery. So..deep.
17) Katy Perry
Katy Perry is known to get a tattoo for every one of her world tours.
via celebritywotnot.comThis cheery prism tattoo is inked from top to bottom with red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple colours. Obviously, the tatt will remind her of her Prismatic World Tour, a larger-than-life event said to be “a spectacle of costumes and colours.”
via insider.comShe also has an adorable Hello Kitty tatt inked on her finger, which she got to celebrate her 30th birthday as well as the 40th anniversary of the Hello Kitty franchise, which was first developed in 1974.
18) Benji Madden
via heatworld.com
Some say it’s true love. Benji has wife Cameron Diaz’s name tattooed all over his chest.
19) Rita Ora
Singer, Rita Ora has 26 tattoos on her bod.
via best-tattoo.orgOne of which is the love-deity Aphrodite found on her left arm. She considers Aphrodite as the Marilyn Monroe of the goddesses.
20) Sarah Hyland
Sarah Hyland posted a photo of her hummingbird tattoo on social media. Her tattoo is altogether cute and deep.
via cosmopolitan.com“The hummingbird, though it be but little, can travel great distances. It is a carrier of joy and lightness of being Independent and resilient; the hummingbird lifts negative energy from your life and shows you the perfect combination of playfulness and endurance,” Sarah explained.
21) Leona Lewis
Leona Lewis looked stunning in this deep blue body hugging dress. But her light blue feather tattoo looked absolutely amazing on her skin.
via look.co.uk22) Lena Dunham
Lena’s tattoos express much about her childhood.
via look.co.ukShe has a a coloured pair of houses inked on her back and it was said to be an illustration from the children’s book Eloise by Kay Thompson, her favourite. The story of Eloise is about a young girl at the Plaza Hotel with her nanny, pug dog and turtle.
23) Lily Allen
Lily Allen has small tattoos wrapping around her wrist like a bracelet.
via weheartit.comShe started on the inside of her wrist with 7 symbols- 5 to represent different major world religions along with a communist symbol and, oddly enough, Homer Simpson’s head. She later filled in the empty space on the back of her wrist with two more fun and cheerful tattoos of a happy face and a cartoon dog.
24) Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie has the birthplace coordinates of all seven children inked on her left arm.
via inkme.tattooThe tattoos on her left shoulder are listings of the latitude and longitude coordinates of the birthplaces of her children. Shown in this photo from 2007 are the birthplaces of her first four children, but she has added more recently as she and Brad Pitt have welcomed more children into their family.
25) Cara Delevingne
A lion’s face is now inked on the index finger of Cara Delevingne and has become a truly iconic piece of art.
via tattoosbag.comDuring an interview, Cara explained that a lion tattoo was what she initially thought of because she was a Leo.
“I grew up being fearless in everything. I just used to climb anything. But I lost that sense of fearlessness when I started modelling. When you work a lot and don’t really know what you want, you just do it because the work is there. I lost that inner fire, so I got the lion to bring that back in my mind.”
26) Megan Fox
via wolvesband.comMegan considers tattooing an art form, and has always voiced her love for her tattoos. She has 9 of them on her body, each with a special meaning. The one in her arm is a tribal tattoo. It resembles two waves that is shaped liked the yin and yang symbol to show her love for the ocean. However, Megan stated that the tattoo artist was not all there so she didn’t like the outcome of the tattoo too much. She considers this as the least impressive.
27) David Beckham
Let’s all take a moment to appreciate David Beckham’s.. tattoos.
via askideas.comYou can also appreciate his torso, arms, those biceps..err the rest of his body.
28) Audrina Patridge
When you look at it at first, Audrina’s tattoo might look like a snake wrapped around the apple — which obviously was inspired from the Adam and Eve story. But at a closer look, the fruit is actually shaped like a human heart.
via radaronline.comDuring interviews, Audriana is usually asked what her tattoo means. She doesn’t elaborate much on it though so we are left to judge. But it’s one cool design, don’t you think?
29) Alyssa Milano
While other celebrities mostly get tattoo inspo from character and preference, Alyssa Milano’s tatt show off her beliefs.
via glamorous-alyssa-milano.blogspot.comA tattoo of the rosary can be found on Alyssa’s back, near her right shoulder which speaks of her great devotion.
30) Victoria Beckham
Just like her husband, Victoria Beckham has gorgeous tattoos all over her bod as well.
via buzzfeed.comFound on her wrist is the date when the couple renewed their wedding vows V-MMVI and the phrase De Integro meaning “again from the start.” Tattooed on Victoria’s back ” Ani l’dodi li va’ani lo haro’eh bashoshanim” which means “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine”. She also has stars on her lower back, a star for each member of her family.
31) Emma Stone
Emma got a matching a tattoo with her mum after a two year fight against breast cancer. Her mum loves Paul McCartney’s Blackbird song thus the design. She even asked the singer to create the design.
via designpress.com32) Emma Watson
Does this mean she’s saying goodbye to goodie and sweetie Hermione Granger? I guess not, it’s just a fake tattoo for her movie Bling Ring.
via jslfdjshop.com33) Shania Twain
So it’s another fake, a tiger this time. But Shania does have an actual tattoo which is a heart with a sword going through it. Which is appropriate for her as she had a troubled marriage which inspired her country music.
via ohhmymy.com34) Nicki Minaj
This feisty pop singer revealed she regretted having her first ink when she was 16 with this Chinese characters tattoo on her left arm. The black and white hanzi characters reads “God is always with me”. In an interview, she said ” “Way too young. You have no idea what you want to put on your body at the age of 16.You need to wait until at least 21 and decide.”
via popsugar.com.au35) Jessica Alba
The mum of two proves she’s not afraid of anything and adds more tattoo to her sexy bod. Her recent tattoo is a bed of roses on her left arm. Aside from her Sanskrit inscriptions on her wrist, lady bug and daisy on her neck, she also inked a bow just above her booty. She’s just one edgy mama!
via eonline.com36) Christina Ricci
Actress Christina Ricci couldn’t decide between a lion, a ghost or a cloud when at the tattoo parlour. She subsequently opted for an mixture of all three.
Her most visible tat is the lion Aslan on her right shoulder inspired by The Chronicles of Narnia series . “It’s Aslan, the lion from ‘The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe,'” she has said. “I struggled through my oppressive teenage years, and when I turned 18, I escaped. Like Aslan, I was finally free,” the actress said.
37) Kat Von D
Known for having the most tattooed body, this rock chic thinks tattoos give her life meaning. I guess the picture shows you how many tats she already canvassed her body and we’re telling you she won’t miss a spot. She’s grown so in-love about tattoos that she wrote books about it The Tattoo Chronicles and High Voltage Tattoo.
via ohhmymy.com38) Mena Suvari
The pretty lady is quite silent on wha her tattoos mean but I guess its just common sense.
via oddstuffmagazine.com39) Adam Levine
Ladies, ladies… Truth is there’s something about tattoos that make a man even sexier. But Adam takes significant meanings to his tats. Among of his tattoos are paw prints to show his love for animals particularly for his golden retriever dog Frankie who passed away; the Dove and Cherry blossoms are for the victims of the 9/11 attacks; and rose flowers are dedicated to her mum.
via ibreakingnewspoint.com40) Miley cyrus
The wrecking ball singer has over 20 tattoos on her body and they’re so small one can barely notice. Among of these tiny and cute tattoos are designs like heart tattoo which shared with any adult in the family; the word LOVE on her ear which signifies only hearing the positive things and never get drowned by pessimism; crossed arrows on her right elbow which mean symbols of friendship in Native american ; and dreamcatchers on her right side that represents her siblings
via cbsnews.com41) Ryan Gosling
This bearded, sexy guy shares how he values memories by telling us the stories behind his tattoos.
http://addictedtoryangosling.tumblr.com/post/60065224333/these-are-the-tattoos-ryan-has-for-real-ive
via thatswhatsup.com42) Ariana Grande
The American singer breaks free from her innocent self by inking three tattoos: a heart tattoo on her toe, on a writing at the back of her neck and an Italian word Bellissima which means beautiful ,in honour of her grandfather.
via gossipstar.mthai.com43) Lea Michele
The Glee star sings her way through our hearts with her inspiring and sweet tunes. But with 14 tattoos, i would say this chic rocks her tattoos with elegance and feminity.
via zimbio.com44) Jamie King
American actress, model and now a mum to son named James, Jamie King makes a mark into motherhood with her sword with praying hands tattoo.
“I wanted a sword for every Knight had their special one [and] to represent ‘the sword of truth,’ which I believe means to live authenticity, cut through any illusions “” to be a spiritual warrior. It says Knight in the blade. There is a heart at the helm representing the loving trinity of myself, my husband [and] child, ” she writes in her Instagram account.
The hands in prayer signifies the fertility struggles the couple faced years before their little bundle came.
“Praying hands because we prayed for years to conceive a child [and] the stars mean that he came from the heavens blessing us with a miracle,” she shares.
45) Shenae Grimes
It’s no secret that Shenae is known for having numerous ink jobs. The most obvious one is an inscription that reads Myself and I; a heart tattoo with celtic knots at the back of her left thigh; one on her left wrist that says “Keep Calm”; and Peter Pan’s hat on her ear which is a memorial of a friend who passed and is a reminder for her to ” stay young and not take life too seriously”.
https://new2tats.wordpress.com/2013/07/22/celebrity-tattoo-of-the-day-shenae-grimes/
via lefrontal.com46) Zac Efron
It’s hard to count tattoos when those nice looking and adamantine abs are a complete distraction. He’s shirtless most of the time and it’s impossible to notice his tattoos.
There’s an abbeviation of Drake’s song You Only Live Once or YOLO on his left and a feathery ink on his left…ehem biceps!
47) Cheryl Cole
I think it is safe to say that any Chez Cole fan gasped at her provocative cheek-covering rose tattoo. It is so outrageous and just so”¦oh god. Why Cheryl? Why would you do that to your beautiful body?
48) Johnny Depp
With versatility and sublime actor as he is, the best way to know him is to map out his life… according to his tattoos.
“My body is a journal in a way. It’s like what sailors used to do, where every tattoo meant something, a specific time in your life when you make a mark on yourself, whether you do it to yourself with a knife or with a professional tattoo artist, ” the Mortdecai star said.
He’s such a beautiful piece of canvass that counting them can take a lifetime. He has a Cherokee Indian chief head on his right biceps that speaks of his ancestral roots. Above his Betty Sue tattoo is an inverted triangle. He’s also the kind who easily can’t get over with when he inked himself with “Wino Forever” – a dedication to former love Winona Ryder. But after the break up, the actor altered the name by removing the last two letters.
49) Dakota Johnson
She’s good in concealing her tattoos but we’re thankful for paparazzi who didn’t miss a shot of Dakota’s ink jobs.
She has a bird tattoo on her right shoulder, a text that reads “Amor” on the back of her neck, a Latin inscription “Acta Non Verba” which means deeds not words, a tattoo on her ear and another tattoo on her feet that says “Look to the moon”. But we believe she’s hiding more arts somewhere.
50) Avril Lavigne
For Avril being inked means doing it for love sake and trusting your impulse. Most of the singer’s body art are small and spur-of-the-moment. She has two matching tats with ex-love Deryck Whibley of Sum 41; four from ex-boyfriend Brody Jenner; and one from ex-husband Chad Kroeger of Nickleback.
Who’s the next love and what would the matching tat be like? Well, that’s what we have to find out soon.