Adriana Lima

Since being named "Supermodel of Brazil" at the age of 15, Adriana Lima has been touted as one of the world's most beautiful women. She was born Adriana Francesca Lima on June 12, 1981 in Salvador, Brazil. Her exotic features resulted from a mixture of Native-Brazilian, African-Brazilian, Portuguese, French and Caribbean heritage. Lima began modeling in her teens and entered local competitions before winning "Supermodel of Brazil" in 1996. In 1999, shortly after signing with Elite Model Management in New York City, she landed a coveted GUESS ad campaign, and walked the runway for top designers including Valentino, Giorgio Armani, and Vera Wang. That same year, Lima made her debut on the Victoria's Secret runway alongside fellow Brazilian beauty Gisele Bündchen. The duo made such a splash that the company promoted them into the elite Victoria's Secret "Angels" lineup, appearing in ad campaigns and headlining its annual fashion show. In 2008, Lima starred in a Victoria's Secret commercial that aired during "Super Bowl XLII" (Fox) and was watched by more than 103 million viewers, making it the most-seen ad of the game. The following year, Lima married professional basketball player Marko Jaric. Aside from modeling, she pursued other projects, from making cameos on hit shows like "Ugly Betty" (ABC, 2006-2010) and "How I Met Your Mother" (CBS, 2005-14), to working with charities in her hometown. In 2012, Forbes magazine put Lima in the No. 4 spot in its top-earning models list with a reported $7.3 million annual paycheck.

By Candy Cuenco