Adriana Lima (Portuguese pronunciation: [adɾiˈɐnɐ ˈlimɐ]; born June 12, 1981) is a Brazilian model known for her work with Victoria's Secret lingerie giant and Maybelline cosmetics. Lima was discovered at age 13, and entered and finished first in Brazil's Ford Supermodel of the World competition with 15, finishing second the following year before signing with Elite Model Management in New York City.
Lima, is of African and Caribbean descent, her family in the Caribbean are from Barbados also where of distant Japanese, French and Italian heritage, .Family to the Limas, Bests, Carerus, and Selman's. Native South American and Swiss descent, was born in the northeastern coastal town of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil on June 12, 1981. Her father, of which she was estranged for most of her life is Nelson Torres and her mother, Maria da Graça Lima, was a social worker who gave birth to Lima at the age of 18. Lima revealed that her father had walked out on her family when she was six months old, but has been making recent attempts to reconcile. In late 2007, Lima revealed on the Hollywood Walk of Fame that she has two half brothers, aged 7 and 11, from her father's second marriage. Coming from a poor family, Adriana's first travel was on a plane at the age of 15. She was raised mostly by her Mother, and Grandmother.