How Cardi B Went From "Regular Degular" To Red Carpet Beauty Star

Everyone loves a good Cinderella story. Perhaps that's why Belcalis Almanzar, also known as Cardi B, has amassed over 11 million followers on Instagram and Twitter since 2015 — and the numbers keep boomin'. Some OG fans remember watching the college student-turned-grocer-turned-stripper's hilarious Instagram videos back in 2015, where she outlined her sexcapades, her plastic surgery procedures, and anything else you — or she — could imagine.

Her audience grew by multitudes once she landed a spot on Love & Hip Hop: New York. Even though that whole "love" part wasn't all that prevalent (her ex-boyfriend is incarcerated and they ended up calling it quits), America still loved the Bronx native's sharp wit, endless one-liners, and rainbow of colourful hairstyles.

As her spotlight grew brighter, Cardi's beauty game has become stronger. She'll still pull a wildcard by throwing on a fiery red, waist-length wig or a bright green lip, but lately, the star has been playing with softer looks, too. Of course, she's had ample opportunity to do so: She's become a red carpet and Fashion Week regular.

But perhaps the best part of this epic come up? Cardi has solidified her position as an artist, too: "Bodak Yellow" hit number one on the Billboard charts yesterday, making her the first female rapper to do so since Lauryn Hill's "Doo Wop (That Thing)" back in 1998. That means we'll be seeing a whole lot more of the "regular degular shmegular" New Yorker... forevaaa.

To celebrate this rising star, we're walking through her beauty evolution, ahead.