The Peacock On Cardi's Butt And Hip Area
Cardi's most prominent and longest-running tattoo is the giant peacock that begins near her hip and trails all the way down to her knee, often visible whenever she wears anything that shows leg. She first got the design inked back in 2010, long before fame, money, or magazine covers were part of her life. A full decade of wear and tear eventually left the colors faded and dull, so in June 2020 she brought in celebrity tattoo artist Jamie Schene for a complete makeover. "So after ten years I gave my peacock tattoo a makeover. This whole week I been takin hours of pain getting tatted," she wrote on Instagram alongside a striking before-and-after photo. The refreshed version now includes a new pink butterfly fluttering among the feathers, along with extra flowers and detailing that brought the once-faded piece roaring back to life. It remains one of the boldest and most photographed tattoos in her entire collection.The Sprawling Flower and Butterfly Back Piece
During that same era of touch-ups, Schene also gave Cardi one of the largest tattoos of her career: a sprawling cascade of colorful flowers and butterflies that begins at the top of her back and winds its way down to her left thigh. Cardi debuted the finished work in May 2020 through a video showing off the full design in motion. Schene later shared the same clip on his own page, revealing the painstaking project had taken more than 60 hours of work to complete. The sheer scale of the piece makes it impossible to miss in swimsuit or red carpet photos, and it has become something of a signature look for the rapper.
"Wave" on Her Jawline
The newest and arguably most surprising addition to her collection is also her most visible placement. In the summer of 2022, Cardi tattooed her son Wave's name in red cursive lettering along her jawline, a spot that's often partially hidden by her hair but still catches the light in certain angles. She'd hinted at the idea months earlier, tweeting in January 2022 that she was "1% close" to getting her son's name on her face and that she "really really" wanted to do it. By September, she made it official, debuting the finished tattoo to fans during an Instagram Live session. Artist Robinson De Los Santos was behind the needle for this deeply personal piece.
"Kulture" on Her Inner Elbow
During that very same studio visit, Cardi also added her daughter Kulture's name in a thicker black font on the inside of her elbow. Pairing both tattoos together in one session gave each of her children a permanent, matching spot on her body, cementing motherhood as one of the central themes running through her ink.
The Butterfly Covering an Ex
Not every piece in Cardi's collection was meant to last forever. In June 2020, she shared a photo on Twitter showing a delicate butterfly design now covering up what had previously been an ex's name on her neck. "I never showed ya my cover tatt . . . What ya think?" she asked fans, turning what was once a painful reminder into something new entirely.
"Hennessy" and Roses for Her Sister
On the inside of her left bicep, Cardi carries a black-ink tattoo reading "Hennessy" surrounded by three delicate roses, almost certainly a tribute to her younger sister, Hennessy Carolina, who has remained one of her closest confidants throughout her rise to fame.
"Loyalty Over Royalty"
Inked in flowing black cursive on her right bicep, this phrase has never been publicly explained by Cardi herself. Still, given her trajectory from reality television to global superstardom, many fans interpret it as a personal mantra about staying true to the people who supported her before the fame arrived.
"I Love You" Behind Her Ear
Tucked behind her right ear is a small black-ink rendering of "I love you" in sign language, accompanied by a tiny red star. Cardi has never spoken publicly about the design, leaving its true meaning a mystery among fans.
"Belkis" on Her Wrist
Her right wrist features the word "Belkis" written in black script, widely believed to be a shortened version of her legal name, Belcalis Almanzar, serving as a quiet nod to her identity before the world knew her as Cardi B.
The Cheetah on Her Hip
An outlined cheetah sits upright and facing forward on her left hip. While she's never explained the design directly, the animal has shown up repeatedly throughout her career, most notably in the music videos for both "WAP" and "Bodak Yellow," suggesting it holds personal significance even without an official statement.
"Offset" on Her Thigh
In July 2019, Cardi got her husband's name tattooed in black cursive on the back of her left thigh. Offset proudly shared a photo of the fresh ink on his own Instagram shortly after, and months later Cardi posted an up-close video showing off the design in full detail.
The Mysterious "Samuel" Tattoo
At one point, Cardi had the name "Samuel" tattooed in red ink on the back of her neck, though she's never revealed who he was or why the name was chosen. Fans have long speculated it referenced a past relationship, especially after Cardi told Ellen DeGeneres during a 2019 appearance, "I have like three different men tatted on me, you know what I'm saying? They gotta go!"
"Tommy G" on Her Left Wrist
Finally, on the underside of her left wrist, Cardi carries a faded red-ink tattoo reading "Tommy G," a tribute to her ex-boyfriend Tommy Geez, whom she dated during her time on "Love & Hip Hop: New York." The two split in 2016, but the tattoo remains, a permanent footnote in her ever-evolving story.
