Hanaa Ben Abdesslem’s remarkable story saw fate turn an engineer into a model. From a small town in central Tunisia, Ben Abdesslem always dreamt of becoming a ballerina, and, as she grew up, her passions ran to fashion and modeling. However, like most of her family before her, she went on to study and work as an engineer. One day, while attending a party at the French Embassy in Tunisia, Ben Abdesslem was discovered by a modeling agent – one who later came to personally represent her. Her incredibly striking features made her a natural choice for the runway, and soon she was walking for Ricardo Tisci at Givenchy. Hanaa Ben Abdesslem is in many ways a pioneer as the first Arab woman to reach high-profile status in the modeling world. She is now the face of the Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra 24H foundation campaign, making her the first Muslim woman in history to become the spokesperson of a major beauty brand.

Read on as we pick her brain about her favorite beauty products, her beauty regimen, and, of course, the contents of her makeup bag.

written by GRACE GORDON