Ink, Dye, Duels and 'Pankinis': Summer Unofficially Begins and Celebs Show Our 'New Normal' Is Anything But

Look, we get it. Aside from being a historically solemn holiday made all the more so this year by the devastating loss and ongoing anxiety caused by the coronavirus outbreak, Memorial Day weekend traditionally marks the unofficial start of summer. Since the weather now seems to consistently be calling us outdoors, staying inside—and entertained—has become that much more challenging, leading us to some...extreme lengths to keep ourselves entertained while continuing to primarily shelter-in-place. (We hope; y’all, please don’t fall for the okie-doke of thinking we can return to our regularly scheduled seasonal frolicking and festivities.)

Granted, if “stir-craziness” is what’s troubling you most this Mental Health Awareness Month, you can count yourself among the privileged, but take comfort in the fact that some of your faves likely are, too. In fact, the social media feeds of several celebs demonstrated that we’re not the only ones struggling to fill all this extra time we all seem to have on our hands. In fact, a few folks we regularly watch got creative over the holiday weekend, putting a colorful new spin on quarantining.

Take, for instance, Dwyane Wade, who topped the “NBA All-Star Dad” status he earned during Pride Month last year by joining daughter Zaya in another act of solidarity, complementing the adolescent’s deep pink dye job with a...vivid rendition of his own.

Admittedly, this particularly fiery shade of red might not have been the one we’d have chosen for the retired basketball player and devoted dad of four, but at least one of his famous peers was really into the look.

Elsewhere on the interwebs, Cardi B took advantage of the extended break to put the finishing touches on a work of body art that tattoo artist Jamie Scheme says took “60+ hours, [and] more than 10 cities” to complete. We have no details on how Cardi successfully pulled off an extensive inking session or several while sheltering in place and admittedly have questions, but something tells us the woman who made the cry of “Coronavirus!” go viral took every precaution available to ensure that her family was safe. Plus, we have a feeling that this new art—a back-to-left hip tattoo which notably balances out the ink on her right —may have been a crisis coping mechanism.

But still, we have questions about the timing, Cardi.

Of course, Cardi showed off her new in a bikini by Fashion Nova—her partner in fashion and COVID-19 relief and a favorite of a few quarantining celebs (we see you, Thee Stallion!). And further proving that quarantining and fun in the sun can go hand-in-gloved hand, Lizzo took a moment to show off her “pankini”—that’s a string bikini with matching mask and gloves—during a dip in the pool.

“Welcome to summer 2020,” she captioned an Instagram post.

“Priced at $180, Lizzo’s pink tropical-print two-piece is really more like a five-piece, since it comes complete with a matching face mask and gloves,” Page Six noted of the set, created by Thick by Robyn. “Unsurprisingly, the set swiftly sold out after the star posted her pic.”

Of course, no Lizzo appearance would be complete without her now trademark twerk—this time, in bikini bottoms. “Go look in the mirror,” she posted. “That body *is* your summer body. Now twerk w me ho!”

While Megan Thee Stallion has been gifting us with plenty of bikini and lingerie-clad posts of her own, as of late, perhaps the rapper’s most relatable content came courtesy of candy. The star observed a different kind of social distancing while having a play swordfight with a quarantining buddy and her French bulldog, Frenchie—with Twizzlers as the swords—proving there are no limits to the creativity quarantining can inspire. Granted, perhaps Meg was just fighting her way to the top of the Billboard Hot 100, where her “Savage” remix featuring Beyoncé is currently Number 1, but we’re happy to put that Red Vines vs. Twizzler debate to rest for once and for all: We win.