Cardi B's style is as over-the-top as her personality. It is vibrant and loud from head to toe, which gets us excited to see what look she is going to do next. From red carpets and concert stages to music videos and her day-to-day life, Cardi delivers with her looks every time. Becoming a mother to Kulture in 2018 didn't get in the way of her slayage at all. Soon Cardi will be a mommy of two, and we're sure her slay game will remain intact. One of the most critical components of her style is her super-long, embellished nails, which look like incredibly detailed, gilded works of art. They are often opulent enough to rival her diamond-encrusted jewelry!
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Nail artist Jenny Bui, aka the "Queen of Bling," has been keeping Cardi's nails on point ever since the day they met in 2013. The rapper fell in love with her work and has been hooked ever since. Jenny's specialty is dressing nails up with rhinestones, Swarovski crystals, and basically anything that can make them look like jewelry. She has been honing her skills for over 20 years, and you can tell she is an expert by taking a close-up look at her work on Cardi.
If you can't help but think of reggaeton star Ivy Queen when you look at Cardi's nails, it's for a good reason. Ivy is also known for her extravagant nails, and Cardi has cited her as one of her biggest inspirations. "This is my Queen for real a[n] idol for me @ivyqueendiva," she captioned a picture of the two of them on Instagram, which has since been deleted. "Her music was one of the first reggaeton songs I ever listen too [sic]. She also inspired me to get my nails how I get them done."
We're glad Cardi was inspired to have fun with her nails, because they are so interesting to look at. Here are some of the most opulent designs she has worn over the years. They aren't for the faint of heart.
Wait, WHAT in the WHAT is going on here?!
Look at the length. Look at the embellishments on each and every nail. How does one even go to the bathroom with nails like these? They are so, so EXTRA. They are not the kind of nails that most people could rock, but Cardi is not most people.
That time her nails perfectly matched the vintage couture she wore.
When Cardi posted a video of herself looking like a ruby-encrusted goddess on February 23, 2021, part of her caption read: "I want to thank @manfredthierrymugler @muglerofficial for allowing me to wear your vintage couture pieces.This is a honor for a person that loves fashion! You our family at this point and that’s FINAL!." The dress is a work of art, and so are those perfectly matching nails.
These were Cardi’s 2020 birthday nails.
Jenny Bui shared a photo of the nails that Cardi requested for her 28th birthday and wrote:
"Whatever the birthday girl wants, she’ll get ! @iamcardib birthday nails set by the Queen of Bling herself Something classy and elegant from last night. So beautiful and stunning ✨. Happy birthday again my love ❤️. I used @opi_professionals @opi gel Nude color."
Cardi's nails at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards were next level, of course.
The rhinestones on her nails were almost powerful enough to steal the shine away from the massive rings she wore. Her nail artist Jenny outdid herself with this set.
This is Cardi's version of glam for the Grammys.
She wore this bedazzled set to the award show in 2018. We can totally make out a snake and a bee on her nails. So cool! Also, that ring of hers looks great with the nails.
No length is too long for Cardi.
The longer, the better for her. Here she is wearing a pink set, which her nail artist said is one of her favorite colors, and they are completely covered in a variety of crystals.
Who needs diamonds with nails like these?
Cardi wore this bejeweled set to Rihanna's Diamond Ball in 2017. The rhinestones and crystals in multiple sizes made her nails look three-dimensional.
The nails for Cardi's "Money" music were her most extra set to date.
She flew Jenny out to California to work on them. It took the nail artist three hours to complete the outrageous gilded nails. Cardi took them off as soon as she was done with the video.
Nails are such an integral part of the star's look that they were incorporated into her 2018 Met Gala look.
Cardi stunned in a regal Moschino by Jeremy Scott gown at the event. The outfit included fingerless gloves, which allowed her signature talons to poke through.
Cardi has even gotten pictures of her husband, Offset, added to her design.
Cardi obviously loves hard. It's only a matter of time before she is rocking nails with their baby girl Kulture all over them.
Cardi perfectly matched her nails at the 2018 American Music Awards to her floral outfit.
Rhinestones in multiple sizes helped Cardi's red nails get extra attention. Her statement headpiece, bold makeup, and oversized earrings were major competition.
Cardi has also gone all out on red nails.
The mix of icy blue and iridescent Swarovski crystals make this a crowd-pleaser. The colors work so well together.
Cardi doesn't always rock pointy nails. She switches it up with a square design.
"I feel like crying," Cardi captioned this post. "I’m so happy I got my nails fleeked out again! I missed you so much @nailson7th @jennys_spa_bx!!! Thank you for doing my nails!!"
Cardi was definitely in love with these nails.
These black nails match her enormous engagement ring thanks to their iridescent crystal border. A set like this goes perfectly with anything she has to wear.
Cardi's nail artist earned her "Queen of Bling" nickname with this design.
It's like every nail was a Swarovski crystal jigsaw puzzle that she solved perfectly each time. That takes some serious skill and time on the job to get right.
But who needs colorful nails when crystals can do the heavy lifting?
The colorful crystals sparkling in the light make these nails the center of attention. It's a match made in heaven for Cardi.
Fans were in love with these pink nails.
It's bright, blingy, and totally Cardi. People literally travel to get a bejeweled look like this from her nail artist.
These Cardi nails were ready for their closeup.
They looked impeccable projected onto a massive screen at Coachella last year. Even fans far away from the stage got to bask in their level of extra.
This bold blue, pink, lavender, and yellow striped set got the crystal treatment.
"I loooooveeeeeeeeeeee my nails," Cardi wrote of this design on Instagram. No matter how much she travels, there's no place like her hometown of the Bronx. "I had to come to the X to get my nails done!" she added.
This pink set is so Cardi.
The crystals and gold details make them look so luxe. We wonder how much an expensive looking set like this costs.
Cardi has rocked pearl accents too.
These scream money. "Naaaa cause my nails are just tooooo fire," Cardi wrote of this set. "Of course @jennys_spa_bx @nailson7th did my nails. You know I'm loyal to my bihh."
These multi-colored nails were made to be seen.
Cardi had fun showing off this red, white, and blue design on Instagram. They complimented her blue mermaid hair perfectly.
Cardi has tried the ultimate combo.
She rocked her go-to rhinestones with different nail shapes and a glow-in-the dark base. It doesn't get any more epic than that (unless you bring up her nails from "Money," of course).
