Cardi B's New Year's Eve Glam Was Complete With Colored Contacts
She has blue eyes—and bedazzled nails—for 2024.
Now that the year is over, I can officially make this declaration: No one brought their beauty A-game more than Cardi B in 2023. And after ringing in 2024, I'm happy to announce nothing has changed. While it might be a new year, we can plan on getting the same Cardi.
For her final appearance of 2023 (and first of 2024!), the 31-year-old pulled out all, and I mean all, the stops, combining a number of our favorite glam components from the year into the perfect last/first look. There were skinny brows, colored contacts, and the deepest of side parts. And we have to talk about that stiletto manicure.
A photo posted by iamcardib on
On Monday, January 1, the "Bongos" rapper posted a series of Instagram photos from New Year's Eve, when she performed at Fontainebleau in Miami and took to the town with her estranged husband, Offset.
"What’s love got to do wit it?" she captioned the post alongside a winking emoji—a subtle nod to who she spent the night with.
In the first photo, the New Yorker shows off her appearance from head-to-toe, complete with a skintight dress by Sergio Castaño Peña. In the image, she stands against a wall and glances over her shoulder—the ideal pose to show off her hairstyle. Styled with a deep (and sharp) side part, her back-to-brunette locks were pressed into voluminous, romantic curls by her hairstylist Tokyo Stylez, a.k.a. Mia Thompson.
Cardi rocked skinny eyebrows (a favorite look as of late, which she first wore while making her runway debut for Balenciaga in early December), major lashes, bright blue contact lenses (again reminiscent of the gray eyes she wore last week), and a full face of Pat McGrath Labs makeup expertly applied by celebrity makeup artist Erika La' Pearl.
Travel down the look even further, and you come face to face with a fresh stiletto manicure, bedazzled the way only a Cardi B manicure can be.
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The mother of two first showed off the manicure a couple of days before New Year's Eve, posting a photo to her Instagram Story from a jet. Painted a soft pink, the mile-long stiletto nails by manicurist Jenny Bui feature a French manicure-shaped smattering of gems and jewels. And yes, they look sharp enough to pierce an olive.
"Bringing in the New Year with a successful bling set for Cardi B," wrote Bui via Instagram. "Want to hear about the behind the scenes? We didn’t have that much time cause Cardi is busy busy busy, but I always make sure I come through for my girl! Started her nails from the house to the car to the airport. I think I did an amazing job on the go, how about you? Every stone was placed with love."
Cardi, thank you for kicking off 2024 for us in the very best way. If this is how we're starting, I can only imagine what else the year will have in store.
Sophia Vilensky is a Freelance Beauty Writer at Marie Claire with a beauty, wellness, and entertainment journalism portfolio that includes contributions to Byrdie, Bravo, Teen Vogue, and Us Weekly. Growing up in a family of beauticians—and through her own personal studies—she developed an in-depth understanding of aesthetics, cosmetic product formulation, and beauty treatment development and has also held roles as a senior copywriter, content strategist, and proofreader for top beauty and wellness brands. Even so, you'd be hard pressed to find her with her hair and makeup actually done. Sophia is based in Minneapolis and is a 2019 graduate of the University of Minnesota, where she majored in English and minored in cinema studies. During her time at the university, she was the Arts & Entertainment Editor for the Minnesota Daily, earning the 2019 Editor of the Year award for her work. She connected deeply with the Twin Cities arts scene, collaborating with leading beauty professionals, designers, and artists. Graduating Summa Cum Laude, her thesis—a close-reading of Vanderpump Rules—was featured on NPR. When not immersed in writing or testing new products, Sophia enjoys watching reality TV, reading, and exploring the newest woo-woo wellness trends. Keep up with her on Instagram @sophiavilensky.
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