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See A Makeup-Free Cardi B Hours Before Her Epic Return To The Stage At The VMAs
![Makeup free cardi b before–vmas performance main](https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/LtQ9HWO4w/480x251/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-main.jpg 480w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/LtQ9HWO4w/640x335/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-main.jpg 640w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/LtQ9HWO4w/768x402/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-main.jpg 768w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/LtQ9HWO4w/1024x536/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-main.jpg 1024w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/LtQ9HWO4w/1280x670/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-main.jpg 1280w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/LtQ9HWO4w/1440x753/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-main.jpg 1440w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/LtQ9HWO4w/1600x837/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-main.jpg 1600w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/LtQ9HWO4w/2160x1130/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-main.jpg 2160w)
Aug. 23 2018, Updated 5:54 p.m. ET
Cardi B brought down the house when she opened up the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday, shocking fans who hadn’t seen her on stage since giving birth to her daughter Kulture last month. Earlier in the day, the rapper was spotted getting ready for her epic appearance in New York City. Read on to see the pics!
Watch!
![Makeup free cardi b before–vmas performance 1](https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/DdD9-9P9Z/480x307/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-1.jpg 480w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/DdD9-9P9Z/640x409/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-1.jpg 640w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/DdD9-9P9Z/768x490/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-1.jpg 768w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/DdD9-9P9Z/1024x653/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-1.jpg 1024w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/DdD9-9P9Z/1280x817/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-1.jpg 1280w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/DdD9-9P9Z/1440x919/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-1.jpg 1440w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/DdD9-9P9Z/1600x1021/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-1.jpg 1600w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/DdD9-9P9Z/2160x1378/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-1.jpg 2160w)
You see this? This is the face of a woman who’s about to OWN the VMAs.
![Makeup free cardi b before–vmas performance 2](https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/KPnPsh9pZ/480x307/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-2.jpg 480w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/KPnPsh9pZ/640x409/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-2.jpg 640w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/KPnPsh9pZ/768x490/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-2.jpg 768w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/KPnPsh9pZ/1024x653/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-2.jpg 1024w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/KPnPsh9pZ/1280x817/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-2.jpg 1280w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/KPnPsh9pZ/1440x919/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-2.jpg 1440w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/KPnPsh9pZ/1600x1021/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-2.jpg 1600w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/KPnPsh9pZ/2160x1378/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-2.jpg 2160w)
The rapper, who went out make-up free, was snapped stepping out of her NYC hotel with a friend hours before she was set to perform. She wore a beige jumpsuit with the hood pulled over her head.
![Makeup free cardi b before–vmas performance 3](https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/0LN1aRnLG/480x307/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-3.jpg 480w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/0LN1aRnLG/640x409/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-3.jpg 640w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/0LN1aRnLG/768x490/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-3.jpg 768w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/0LN1aRnLG/1024x653/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-3.jpg 1024w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/0LN1aRnLG/1280x817/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-3.jpg 1280w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/0LN1aRnLG/1440x919/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-3.jpg 1440w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/0LN1aRnLG/1600x1021/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-3.jpg 1600w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/0LN1aRnLG/2160x1378/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-3.jpg 2160w)
She completed the look with some stylish black boots and gave the cameras a little smirk.
![Makeup free cardi b before–vmas performance 4](https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/oZv5YvLJc/480x307/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-4.jpg 480w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/oZv5YvLJc/640x409/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-4.jpg 640w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/oZv5YvLJc/768x490/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-4.jpg 768w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/oZv5YvLJc/1024x653/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-4.jpg 1024w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/oZv5YvLJc/1280x817/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-4.jpg 1280w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/oZv5YvLJc/1440x919/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-4.jpg 1440w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/oZv5YvLJc/1600x1021/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-4.jpg 1600w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/oZv5YvLJc/2160x1378/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-4.jpg 2160w)
What fans didn’t know at the time was that she would go on to win not one, not two, but THREE awards that evening — Best New Artist, Collaboration (“Dinero”), and Song of the Summer (“I Like It”).
![Makeup free cardi b before–vmas performance 5](https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/9agi6u5sb/480x307/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-5.jpg 480w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/9agi6u5sb/640x409/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-5.jpg 640w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/9agi6u5sb/768x490/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-5.jpg 768w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/9agi6u5sb/1024x653/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-5.jpg 1024w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/9agi6u5sb/1280x817/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-5.jpg 1280w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/9agi6u5sb/1440x919/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-5.jpg 1440w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/9agi6u5sb/1600x1021/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-5.jpg 1600w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/9agi6u5sb/2160x1378/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-5.jpg 2160w)
She also kept the audience talking with a show-stopping opening performance, during which she referred to herself as an “empress,” which some think was definitely a shot at rival rapper Nicki Minaj’s “Queen” album.
![Makeup free cardi b before–vmas performance 6](https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/E1hDa2fDb/480x307/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-6.jpg 480w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/E1hDa2fDb/640x409/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-6.jpg 640w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/E1hDa2fDb/768x490/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-6.jpg 768w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/E1hDa2fDb/1024x653/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-6.jpg 1024w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/E1hDa2fDb/1280x817/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-6.jpg 1280w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/E1hDa2fDb/1440x919/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-6.jpg 1440w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/E1hDa2fDb/1600x1021/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-6.jpg 1600w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/E1hDa2fDb/2160x1378/2018/08/makeup-free-cardi-b-before-vmas-performance-6.jpg 2160w)
What do you think about Cardi B’s pre-VMAs look? Sound off in the comment section!