Portuguese model Sara Sampaio made two fabulous back-to-back SI Swimsuit appearances in 2014 and ’15. The former Victoria’s Secret Angel was photographed by Ben Watts on the Jersey Shore for her debut and returned to model for Ben Morris on Route 66.

The 32-year-old has created a name for herself in the modeling industry and is slowly also cementing herself as a fashion icon. From sweat sets, European summer couture and pop culture-inspired looks to barely-there bikinis, magazine covers and full-glam red carpet moments—she sure knows how to put together an outfit and slay a capture the perfect ’fit check.

“When I started modeling I didn’t know anything about fashion, but I’d watched the Victoria’s Secret Show—it was so spectacular and the women were so beautiful, it was something I wished I could do one day. Now it’s the highlight of my year, but I never realized it would be so much work and how tough it is to stay in your best shape. It’s not as glam as it looks,” Sampaio admitted about her career. “People need to realize that models get [professional] hair and makeup, incredible lighting, and we know how to pose. I’ve been doing this job for almost 10 years so I know how my body looks good from different angles. But I don’t look like that in real life. I’m like every other girl; there are things I wish I could change about my body, but I try not to think about them too much.”