Selena started small. Just one tiny musical note imprinted upon her dainty wrist kicked off her tatting obsession. Now she’s hooked. She’s got at least ten glamorous tattoos to this day. Many of them represent the sentimentality of friends and family. We know this because she shared it on Instagram.
The most fascinating wasn’t shared by her. Celebrity tattoo artist Bang Bang Instagram’d his permanent gift to her recently. A delicate script curved to her top rib penned in beautiful Arabic. It’s translated: “love yourself first”. More about Bang Bang to come.
Rihanna's Stars
Fact is, Rihanna made Bang Bang into the celebrity tattoo artist he is today. Rihanna found Keith McCurdy (Bang Bang’s given name) working inside the dark entrails of a dingy basement NYC tattoo parlor over ten years ago. Rihanna recommended Katy Perry, and then came Cara Delevingne, and Adele... he’s tattooed at least four Vogue cover celebs and caters to Justin Bieber, obviously Selena Gomez’s link to Bang Bang’s exquisite parlay between fashion and rogue art.
Rihanna sports many of her personal inker’s designs. A trailing henna-inspired decor sprawling across her hand is his work, but the first she commissioned at that dingy NYC parlor is a Sanskrit prayer verse scripted down her right hip. The most stunning has to be the trail of delicate stars streaming from the nape of her neck and trickling down her back. Swank.
Olivia Wilde's Sweet Dedication
Many times, celebs share the personal and intimate meanings they chose to etch into their skin forever. Recently, Olivia Wilde diagrammed the alignment of the stars of her son’s birth down the front of her lower arm, courtesy of Dr. Woo, an unofficial tattoo artist to the stars.
The dedication to her late uncle, the legendary and fierce leftist journalist who passed in 2012, is written in typewriter font down her wrist. His name is Alexander Cockburn, and according to Olivia, her uncle penned her a letter once, signing it: "all love, A". It reminds Olivia of the love he held for all, and her will to emulate him.
Lea Michele's Tender Remembrances
Lea Michele possesses at least 14 low-profile tattoos. Three of them are dedicated to her late fiancé and Glee co-star boyfriend, Cory Monteith.
There’s a “5” under her arm for the jersey number he wore on "Glee," his last words, “if you say so.” inked in along her ribcage, and just to yank on your heartstrings, he was replying to her response: “I love you more.” Crowning her left shoulder are two groovy musical notes commemorating their musical bond on "Glee" and beyond.
Cara Delevingne's Little Lion
Supermodel and Suicide Squad star Cara Delevingne caught the body art bug big time. Her detailed lion fingerpiece was inked by Bang Bang in NYC, and she returned again and again. She’s got, like, 20. Though Bang Bang’s work has been her first choice, Dr. Woo is her go-to tattoo artist in LA.
They all mean something. Her very first tat, the dainty lion etched in by Bang Bang’s tattoo guns, symbolizes her astrological sign. She’s a Leo, so for her, the lion represents fearlessness and serves as a reminder of her inner fire.