Adriana Lima

Adriana Lima is a Brazilian model and actress, best known as a Victoria’s Secret Angel since 2000, as a spokesmodel for Maybelline cosmetics since 2003 and for her supermodel good looks. She has appeared on the cover of numerous fashion magazines, including Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire, GQ and Esquire. In 2012, she was ranked the second highest paid model in the world by Forbes Magazine, with estimated earnings of $7.3 million in one year.

Lima was born in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, to Maria da Graça Lima, a social worker, and Nelson Torres, a carpenter. She was raised Catholic. Her mother died in a car accident when Lima was 15 years old, after which she moved in with her father and two sisters. Lima has cited Gisele Bundchen and Alessandra Ambrosio as her biggest inspirations.

Lima’s modeling career began at the age of 15, when she entered and won the Ford “Supermodel of Brazil” contest. She subsequently entered and won the “International Supermodel of the Year” contest two years later. She has appeared in ads for a wide variety of products, including clothing, cosmetics, fragrances and jewelry. In 2009, she signed a deal with New York & Company, for which she has been the face of a line of women’s apparel.