The 2019 Grammys were a big night for Cardi B. First, she won her first Grammy award for Best Rap Album of the Year which was also the first time a female has won the category. But alongside her incredible music accomplishments, she also totally nailed the Grammy fashion. She went big in the most Cardi B way and we are here for it. Think vintage runway fashion, a pearl-adorned wig and epic nail art.
First up, her dress. She hit the red carpet in a structural dress that looked like it could’ve come straight from the museum — And it almost did. The rapper wore a vintage Mugler dress that was straight from the archives. The showstopping look came from their fall 1995 Couture show which took place at the Cirque d’Hiver in Paris as reported by Vogue. She even wore it exactly how it was originally styled on the runway over 20 years ago. The form-fitting mermaid skirt fanned out at the pearl-encrusted waist so she looked almost like a flower blooming. The top half of her look was complete with a sheer blush bodysuit, over-the-elbow gloves and a pearl necklace.
Even her pearl-filled bouffant bun was a tribute to the original ’90s look. Hairstylist Tokyo Stylez created the look using wigs. Even though it wasn’t her actual hair, a ton of prep went into getting the pearl-covered wig red-carpet ready. First, he washed it two or three times with Suave Professionals Coconut Oil Infusion Damage Repair Shampoo. Then he put the wig in Suave Coconut Oil Infused Damage Repair Conditioner for 45 minutes to get it silky soft. He let it air dry for 20 minutes before blowing it completely dry with a Dyson Supersonic Pro Hair Dryer with a diffuser.
Then for a bit of shine, he used Suave Professionals for Natural Hair Define & Shine Serum Gel but blowing dry against for 10 minutes, “before I use the smoothing nozzle to begin molding the hair into a nice updo, securing style with bobby pins.” Throughout the process he continued to spray in place with hairspray.
But Cardi had another beauty trick up her sleeve — or, rather, inside her gloves. Once they came off for the awards show she revealed a manicure covered in small Swarovski crystals. Popsugar reported that on top of her OPI Gel Polish in Machu Peach-u, her manicurist Jenny Bui carefully placed 15-20 small crystals around one large crystal in the middle of her nails. She did her nails the day before, working from 10 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. with some breaks. However,
she said the look would’ve only taken an hour without stopping.
It was a look you certainly couldn’t tear your eyes from — exactly what we’ve come to expect from Cardi B.
