Photo: Courtesy of Natia Araujo / @nadia.araujo

Having the right look helps, but time and time again the refrain boils down to: Personality is a model’s greatest asset. Luckily for London-bred rising star Nadia Araujo, she has that in spades. After beginning her modeling journey in her teens, Araujo honed her craft for years with work for brands like Kenzo and Adidas before getting her big break and a much-coveted beauty contract. Now posing alongside the likes of Georgia May Jagger and Kate Moss, Araujo is set to hit the big leagues in 2016–find out more about this beauty here— before she’s everywhere.

Don’t let her English accent fool you.
“I’m from Portugal, but I moved to London nine years ago when I was 13. My accent sounds a bit posh as well but I’m from South London, and I went to a rough school—so I don’t know where the posh accent comes from!”

Want to be a model? Show a little initiative.
“I wasn’t discovered, I was a walk-in. I went to a few agencies with a classmate just to see if I could model. I was studying psychology at the time I got signed, I had weird hair, and I looked like a 12-year-old kid, but they were able to see something in me—and I’m glad they did.”

If she wasn’t modeling she’d be studying the sciences.
“Growing up I always liked science; I was doing psychology, chemistry, and biology. I wanted to be an astronaut as a kid, but I changed my mind and then wanted to be a psychologist, then a research scientist. I applied to go to Nottingham University and got in but wound up leaving. If you’re doing such intense studies, you have to be completely focused. Since I’d had a gap year and lived abroad in New York and traveled all over, it was hard to go back to being confined in a little space.”

Photo: Courtesy of Natia Araujo / @nadia.araujo

The best part of being a model? Getting to work for brands you grew up seeing the ads for.
“When I did my Rimmel London campaign, it was pretty exciting. We shot the TV commercial and print on the streets of London, and people kept coming up to us asking what was going on, trying to see and be a part of it. For the commercial, I shot with Georgia [May Jagger]; print was me and Betty [Adewole]. When I get any job I get really excited—when I got this, though, I was over the moon! Especially since growing up in London, you see all the Rimmel TV commercials and ads everywhere.”

Next up? Smart investments.
“My boyfriend and I just made an offer on a house in London, and when you’re doing anything with a property you have to be fast! I grew up in the area and it has changed so much in the last five years. The gentrification of London is unbelievable—much like in New York. I walk around the neighborhood and see places that used to be little restaurants and now these really upmarket shops have replaced them.”

She’s not afraid to run to the grocery store in her PJs.
“My personal style changes with my mood, sometimes I like to be very girly, sometimes I prefer not to try. I have been to the grocery store in my pajamas—you just dress it up with a fur jacket and Airmax trainers! I do like to wear heels at times though; being a model you get dressed up so often but usually, you’re embodying another persona or bringing someone else’s vision to life. It’s exciting to be able to choose the hairstyle you want, the makeup you like and just do something nice for yourself. I dress quite differently in London than I do here or when I go in Paris. When you go to castings you have to be a bit more sleek; here in New York, you can be a bit more out there. It’s not so much about caring what people think; it is more about adapting to each place.”

When in doubt, coconut oil does the trick.
“I think looking after your skin and looking after your body and health is a thing everyone should do it. It makes you feel good, look good and it’s a circle. I make sure I always watch my face, I drink plenty of water, I use coconut oil religiously—I put it on my hair, on my skin—it’s good with scrambled eggs too!”