Nicki Minaj covers the April issue of ELLE magazine, on newsstands nationwide 3/26. She opens up to the magazine about facing childhood bullies, her advice for women in business, and her plans for world domination. A dramatic make-under for Nicki, the shots were done with minimal makeup and no over-the-top wigs. I think you’ll agree- she really shines.

On her dramatic make-under for her ELLE photo shoot:

“When I saw myself with barely any makeup at, it was such a… like, I’m so, so attached to my pink lipstick, it’s hard. I feel that it’s become a part of me. To go in front of the camera, without pink lips or big ol’ crazy lashes- you know, nothing – I felt naked. It was scary! So this photo shoot was a real accomplishment in my eyes.”

RELATED: Nicki Minaj launches her new fragrance at Macy’s!

On experiencing bullying in school as a child:

“I went through a lot of bullying early on. Girls made my life a living hell. We had come to America from a different country. My brother and I had accents. It was very tough. So I’ve always put up this wall – it was a self-defense mechanism growing up – because I was almost expecting people to attack me. And I still have it. It’s sad.”

Her advice for women on how to command respect:

SEE IT HERE! Nicki Minaj gets her own OPI line!

“My advice to women in general: Even if you’re doing a nine-to-five job, treat yourself like a boss. Not arrogant, but be sure of what you want- and don’t allow people to run anything for you without your knowledge. You want everyone to know, Okay, I can’t play games with her. I have to do right by this woman. That’s what it’s all about.”

On her plans for world domination:

“My goal in the beginning was to buy my mother a house. Now I realize, Okay, if I really focus and become a key player in business, then I can build an empire. I’m thinking of a legacy that I can be proud of and wealth that my grandchildren can use to go to college. So world domination- in terms of providing for my family – is absolutely my goal.”

More from Elle Magazine here!

Nicki Minaj is the latest celebrity to launch her own fragrance. This week marks the launch of her debut fragrance, Pink Friday.

Sporting a blonde wig, and neon clothes, Nicki looked rather plastic at the New York launch. Doesn’t she? She doesn’t even look real! I don’t know what it is, but she sorta creeps me out, like a walking wax figure.

Pink Friday, a blend of sweet florals, vanilla and musk is packaged in a bottle crafted in the likeness of Nicki, and she couldn’t be happier with the final product.

Nicki Minaj Tweeted a photo of her first perfume, Pink Friday (above), which is out at the end of September. According to the star, it smells “like angels playing”

Of course she is.

Nothing surprises me anymore in the world of perfumes. Who DOESN’T have their own fragrance line these days?

Nicki Minaj is launching a fragrance! The rap superstar’s first scent will roll out to stores this fall. “I designed the bottle and scent with by Barbz in mind,” Minaj told WWD of her new venture. And if her colorful wardrobe and high-octane hair hues are anything to go by, we’re expecting to see a bottle decked out in the boldest of colors. This isn’t Minaj’s first foray into beauty—the rapper launched a line of nail polishes with OPI last year, along with two MAC lipsticks.

What do you think?

Source

Nicki Minaj goes blue for Steven Klein in a new picture that appeared in this month’s Vogue.

There’s no real reason for why she’s Smurf-blue, but hey, it’s Nicki – she doesn’t need to explain herself, right?

She tells Vogue that when she was in high school in Queens, she wasn’t into fashion until a chance encounter:

“I was dressing in Tommy Hilfiger baggy shirts and Boss jeans, but then I met a person who dressed like a tiny lady—pantsuits, heels, lots of makeup. I thought she was larger than life. She once did my makeup—I had never seen myself made up before. I didn’t want to wash it off; I felt like I had one day to live this fantasy of being a glamour girl.”

On her style, Minaj claims “If I can combine designer things with other things, I’m a happy camper.” Not so with accessories. At one time she was spending $50,000 a month on “Giuseppe, Versace, YSL, and Fendi shoes. And I bought tons of Vuitton bags. When you’re a young girl from Queens, you’re going to stock up on those bags.”

Minaj is adamant that her legacy will not be one of a free-spending, know-nothing celebrity. She’s planning “an enormous foundation to nurture girls. The Nicki Minaj girl is a fun, artsy girl who can become a fierce force to be reckoned with on Wall Street! They hang on my every word, so I tell them, go to school, be ambitious. The worst position is to be financially dependent on the man.” And what of that alternate Nicki, serving her lord and master a martini by the pool? The fuchsia waves shake furiously. “I could never be that girl!”

More at Vogue.com

This is a match made in heaven! Nicki Minaj is bringing her colorful style to OPI in a gorgeous and fun new collaboration!

According to sources, this new collection should hit shelves (or your nails) in January 2012. The line is full of glitter, neon, metallic and confetti!

These aren’t polishes for everyone – but they sure look fun! Check out some of the polishes below!

Super Bass Shatter

Did It On Em

Fly

Metallic for Life

Pink Friday

Save Me