16 Celebs Who Provide Tattoo Inspiration

Celebrities are rarely shy about expressing themselves, so it is no surprise that many stars have tattoos. After all, what better way to express how you feel about something than by permanently inking it onto your skin? Of course, not all tattoos are created equal, and that includes celebrity tattoos. That much is clear from the celebs who have removed past tats. But this is far from being the case with all stars who get tatted up. Some celebrities offer some serious tattoo inspiration.

Of course, this is not to say that you should replicate the exact same tattoo that Rihanna has or base your entire design off of Ed Sheeran's collection of ink. (Unless, of course, you feel as strongly about Heinz ketchup as the "Thinking Out Loud" performer does, in which case, go for it.) But if you are feeling the need to get a tat with a special twist or hidden meaning, celebrities can serve as a great place to start while you brainstorm your ideas. As it turns out, the celebs below have a lot of ideas they want to share with the entire world. The best part? They don't even have to say a word while doing so!

1. Lady Gaga

Gaga got a quote by German poet Rainer Maria Rilke permanently inked on herself. In English it translates to, "In the deepest hour of the night, confess to yourself that you would die if you were forbidden to write. And look deep into your heart where it spreads its roots, the answer, and ask yourself, must I write?" Deep stuff!

2. Cara Delevingne

The model got "breathe deep" tatted on her arm — but with a twist. She opted for white ink making for an intriguing look on her pale skin tone. Blink and you could miss it!

3. Rihanna

The pop star has the quote "Never a failure, always a lesson" tattooed on her décolletage. Its inspirational and a bit unexpected in that the tattoo is actually backwards. That way, she can read it the right way when she looks in the mirror.

4. Kelly Osbourne

A head tattoo is a seriously bold move for anyone. But the reality star has never been one to shy away from bold in her fashion or other ventures, so it's only fitting that Osbourne got "Stories..." tatted to commemorate her clothing line of the same name, right above where everyone's stories come from.

5. Beyoncé

This one is super romantic. Queen Bey got the Roman numeral IV tattooed on her ring finger to commemorate her wedding date to Jay Z, as the hip-hop royal couple got hitched on April 4. It also represents both of their birthdays, Sept. 4 for her and Dec. 4 for him. Jay has a matching one on his ring finger!

6. Ed Sheeran

Sheeran has so many tats it is inevitable that he will be on many lists like this one to come. While some of his ink (like the Heinz commemoration) is a bit goofy, most of it actually does have a deeper meaning. Take this adorable illustration of a teddy bear. It's to remember his childhood nickname, Teddy. Aww!

7. Angelina Jolie

The movie star has "Know your rights" tattooed on the back of her neck, for all walking behind her to see. Simple, yet powerful!

8. David Beckham

The soccer star is certainly no stranger to ink, but one of his latest tats (he got it in the summer of 2015) might be his sweetest one yet. He got a "99" tattoo on his finger in honor of the happiest year of his life, when he married Victoria Beckham.

9. Harry Styles

The One Direction heartthrob got two swallows inked on his chest, and he dished on their meaning to Us Weekly. "I like that kind of style of tattoos, like the old sailor kind of tattoos. They symbolize traveling, and we travel a lot!" he said. Creative!

10. Sam Smith

The British crooner got this tiny anchor inked on his arm for the sweetest reason. He got it as a tribute to his fans, who he called his "little sailors." Aww!

11. Miley Cyrus

You know about her avocado tattoo. You know about her inner lip ink. But did you know the "We Can't Stop" performer also has the word "love" inscribed on the inside of her ear? Surprisingly subtle for a girl for whom subtlety is not her strong suit.

12. Kanye West

The rapper showed off his soft spot by commemorating his mother and daughter by use of Roman numerals for their respective birth dates.

13. Drake

It takes guts to get an emoji tatted on you, like the praying hands one, in Drake's case. But hey, if you feel passionately about one and it has a deeper meaning to you, why not?

14. Lily Allen

The British singer got a world map tattooed on her wrist. Gorgeous!

15. Chanel Iman

The model has her name and a clothing hanger inked on the back of her neck. Talk about making a permanent fashion statement!

16. Ariana Grande

The "Break Free" star got the quote "mille tendresse" tatted on the back of her neck. It's a French phrase that means "a thousand tendernesses." It's also a quote from Breakfast at Tiffany's.

While you might not be entirely ready to run off to the tattoo parlor just yet, these celebs can serve a great jumping off point if you need inspiration. After all, this inspiration is not going anywhere anytime soon!