It used to be that getting a tattoo set you apart from most other people, but as tattoos continue to become a part of mainstream culture, inked-up pop stars like Rita Ora, Cara Delevingne and Ellie Goulding are turning to red, blue and even white ink in an attempt to make their tattoos more distinctive. Always the trendsetter, Rihanna may have started the white tattoo craze with the “Thug Life” knuckles tattoo she had done in January 2012, but plenty of other pop stars have followed suit in recent years, upping the ante a bit with bold tattoos inked in red, blue and even purple!
Rihanna’s Tattoo Reading “Thug Life” in White Ink
We have to start off with Rihanna, because it seems like whenever there is a new trend in the tattoo world, our very own RiRi is behind it in some way, shape or form. Most of Rihanna’s early tattoos were done in the traditional black ink, but in 2012, the singer had celebrity tattoo artist Mark Mahoney ink her infamous white “Thug Life” knuckles tattoo, which marked one of the first times a celebrity opted for white ink over black. Since then, countless other pop stars have followed in her tattoo-loving footsteps.
Rita Ora’s White, Red, Blue and Purple Text Tats
Rita Ora has cemented her status as the queen of colorful tattoos, and the pop star currently sports at least five text tattoos inked in not just white, but also red, blue and purple. On the inside of her right-hand ring finger, Rita has a cute “Love” tattoo inked in red, and on the inside of her middle finger on that same hand, she has a “Hope” tattoo inked in blue script. The singer also sports a white tattoo of her best friend’s birthday in Hebrew on the inside of her right bicep, a red tattoo reading “love me” on the inside of her right wrist, and a Hindi tattoo of her brother Don’s name inked in bright purple on the inside of her right forearm.
Ellie Goulding’s Red and White Tattoos
Black tattoos are the norm for most people, but for unconventional pop star Ellie Goulding, red and white are the colors she leans towards when it comes to tattoos. On the inside of her left wrist for example, Ellie sports a bold red tattoo designed after the Tibetan mantra “Om mani padme hum,” which means “jewel in the lotus.” She also has a red outline of a triangle inked on the inside of her right wrist, a mysterious “J” tattoo inked in white on her side, and a discreet white arrow tattoo located on her right index finger.
Cara Delevinge’s White and Red Tattoos
British model Cara Delevingne may be the newest addition to the tattoo world, but that hasn’t stopped the wacky 22-year-old from racking up a whopping 16 tattoos in the past year and a half. 
Cara started off with a few tattoos inked in the traditional black, including the famous lion tattoo on her finger, but the model has recently started playing around with some color, adding a red heart outline tattoo to her pinky finger in 2013. Since then, Cara has also gone under the needle for a large “breathe deep” tattoo inked in white on her bicep, and a discreet white dove tattoo on her finger with a red heart nearby on her pinky.
Other Celebrities With White and Red Ink
There are plenty of other celebrities out there who have hopped on the white and red tattoo bandwagon recently, including Kelly Osbourne, who added a white bumblebee tattoo to her shoulder in October, and Lindsay Lohan, who sports red tattoos on both her arm and her foot. We have to admit that bold red tattoos are pretty cool because they stand out and are an interesting deviation from the traditional black ink, but we are really digging white tattoos too, because they are easy to hide and are far more discreet and mysterious. What do you all think of this new celebrity tattoo trend??
