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In January 2012, Rihanna showed off her new tattoo in a photoshoot with Terry Richardson – a bust of the ancient Egyptian Queen Nefertiti. The meaning to Rihanna is unknown, but the tattoo is private and hardly ever seen due to it’s placement. Queen Nefertiti was an icon of beauty and had many titles including Hereditary Princess; Great of Praises; Lady of Grace and Sweet of Love. (more…)
In August 2010, Rihanna got a tattoo of the text “rebelle fleur” written in script on the left side of her neck. The tattoo translates to “rebel flower”. Many people claimed since the adjective usually comes before the noun in French, the phrase should say “fleur rebelle.” However Rihanna stands by the tattoo and swears it’s not a mistake. In a text message to the artist Bang Bang, she said:
“Rebelle Fleur translates to rebel flower, NOT rebelious flower, its 2 nouns so in that case fleur does not HAVE to be first! Fyi, cuz they will ask”.
Rihanna has an Arabic tattoo on the left side of her ribcage which says “Al Hurria fi Al Maseeh.” It translates to “Freedom in God.” (more…)
In December 2009, Rihanna got her personal motto “Never a failure, Always a lesson” tattooed along the right side of her chest. It’s written backwards so she can read it in the mirror. Artist Bang Bang said:
“I asked her why she wanted that and she said, ‘It’s kind of my motto in life for everything.’ Instead of considering things to be mistakes, considering them lessons…. She said that she wanted to do it in gray, rather than black, because she wanted it to be more subtle…. She didn’t want it to draw too much attention.”
Rihanna got a small handgun tattooed below her right armpit in March 2009. She flew her favorite artist Bang Bang out to Los Angeles to give a tattoo to her friend as a birthday gift and decided to get one for herself at the same time. She was considering a few different designs but it was actually Bang Bang’s suggestion to get a gun. He showed her a picture of a handgun that he thought would look good and she loved it. He’s not sure why the image resonated with her, but told Life & Style “if I had to say why she got it, it’s because she kicks ass and everybody supports her!”
Rihanna had wanted a pair of guns above both of her armpits, but Bang Bang convinced her to put one gun on her rib cage instead. He was concerned that having weapons inked in such a prominent place would detract from her face and could jeopardize her endorsement deal with CoverGirl cosmetics. The deal with CoverGirl was already strained by concerns that Rihanna’s recent reunion with her abuser Chris Brown made her a bad role model. A few day before the tattoo session, TMZ revealed that competitor Revlon was conducting surveys to see if consumers felt that she was an appropriate spokesperson.
Regardless of the reasoning, Rihanna is thankful that she changed her mind about where to put the tattoo. She always listens to Bang Bang’s advice because she trusts that he knows what’s best. In the intro to his book, she wrote:
“The thing I value most about Bang Bang is his honesty. He will never tattoo a bad idea—like EVER. That is the best thing about him—he has shut down so many of my crazy ideas. Or he’ll correct them, tweak them, and turn them into something great. Like my gun tattoo—I was sure I wanted two of them on my collarbones, but he talked me out of it and I’m so glad. Bang is invested in his art—it’s not about the money. That’s really rare and very special.”
Rihanna’s hand tattoo is a henna-style tribal dragon claw, which she got on her right hand while in New Zealand on her November 2008 tour. It matches her ex-boyfriend Chris Brown’s tattoo on the same hand. The design is of a geometric dragon claw with small hibiscus that go up to her wrist. Her tattoo was done in the traditional style of the Maori people in New Zealand. This method of tattooing makes the skin appear raised and rough, rather than smooth. She said to reporters:
“It’s tribal. It represents strength and love….It’s their traditional way of tattooing. I always wanted [one]. It hurt like hell!
One of Rihanna’s most visible and famous tattoos was inked in 2008. It was started by a tattoo artist in L.A, then finished in New York by her favorite tattoo artist Bang Bang. The stars match former boyfriend Chris Brown’s trio of stars behind his ear. (more…)
In June 2008, Rihanna got the date “11-4-86” in Roman numerals (XI-IV-LXXXVI) inked on her left shoulder. It’s her best friend and assistant Melissa’s birth date, and Melissa got the same tattoo with Rihanna’s birth date as well.
In June 2008, Rihanna got another finger tattoo. This one is the most copied of her tattoos. It was copied by Lindsay Lohan and Lily Allen, who were unaware at the time that she had it, Cher Lloyd, and many of Rihanna’s fans has also decided to get one exactly like Rihanna’s. The premise is that the tattoo will be revealed when you hold your finger to your lips to shush someone.
Artist Bang Bang shared a picture of the tattoo in 2015 and wrote:
The “Shhh” tattoo is many years old- done in one shot, no touch up needed. If you’re thinking of getting you’re finger tattooed and have heard they “fade” or “fall out” I’ll say, Yes, they can fade during the healing process- though if done properly, they can be great, and last a lifetime?
Not a lot is known about this tattoo, or when she got it. The tattoo is of “Love” written in a simple cursive font on her right middle finger. The tattoo is placed so it doesn’t get shown unless she sticks up her middle finger or holds a microphone. She got it in Los Angeles from one of the artists she used before. (more…)
