Cardi B is part of the 2026 Essence Festival of Culture lineup. Don’t miss out—tickets here.
Cardi B just made game day much more glamorous. Last night, the Bronx-bred rapper performed at her surprise half-time show for game three of the NBA Finals in New York. And, although the New York Knicks took their first loss against the San Antonio Spurs, Cardi B’s beauty look was a still a win.
She began her night court-side with her 4-year-old son, Wave, where she debuted a hairstyle so long it almost swept the court. Her long-time hairstylist Tokyo Stylez used Kendra’s Boutique’s 50-inch full lace wig to achieve the silky straight, off black look, which was parted straight down the middle.
When half-time hit, she, and her hair, bounced out of a court-side seat to perform “Bodega Baddie” and “Bodak Yellow,” which showed just how bone-straight, yet full of movement her hair was. The hairstyle was paired with pearl-white stiletto nails by her nail artist Jenny Bui, while makeup artist Erika La’ Pearl used a $5 dollar set of beauty supply store lashes: iEnvy lashes in “Flick’d 06,” an intensely dramatic D-curl strip lash.
Cardi’s latest beauty look comes less than a month before she performs on the first night of ESSENCE Festival of Culture’s Evening Concert Series, where the Grow-Good Beauty founder will undoubtedly don another jaw-dropping hair moment. But, for now, as we all anxiously await game four, the Knicks fan’s buss-down wig will keep us well-fed until then.
