She oozes sex appeal, and the lovely Irina Shayk was selected as the cover girl for the December 2011 issue of ELLE Spain . The Russian supermodel wasn’t shy about showing off her figure as she stripped down for a Esteban Santiago shot spread in which she was covered with more than 3,500 Swarovski red crystals which were applied to her skin by a team of three MAC makeup artists. Of the ambitious effort, Irina told that "the shoot was difficult because I had to be lying on a table very hard and had lots of crystals pinching the skin. But I felt very sexy. I thought it was some place, not a bathing suit but pure body art." In the issue, Miss Shayk also spoke about ascending the ranks of the modeling world, telling, "I do not depend on a man. I have success, money and an education. I did not become a top model overnight. I moved to Paris without money and had to do "castings" without being able to speak English. I had nothing to wear and saw other girls by buying clothes for the tests, when I had no food." Taking her breathtaking looks south of the border, Irina Shayk spent the weekend situated in sunny Cancun, Mexico for Cancun Moda Nextel 2011. The SI Swimsuit model tossed on an emerald green Luca Luca frock as she tended to a press conference and photocall at the Le Blanc Spa Resort. Hoping to bring a little extra attention to the Cancun Moda Nextel runway festivities, Miss Shayk - who was paying her first visit to the country - told local press that she was delighted with the warmth of Mexicans. "Mexico is wonderful," she told, adding that the North American locale has it all including "vacation, fun and work." She’s one of the hottest models in the world, and Irina Shayk’s beauty is featured in another magazine this month- Men’s Health. The 25-year-old sizzles in a range of skimpy ensembles as part of a feature in the December issue titled Tech Guide 2012. She also partakes in a short Q&A about topics ranging from her own tech tastes to what she considers to be the perfect date. Highlights from Miss Shayk’s interview are as follows. On trying new tech: "I just finished appearing as a character in Need For Speed: The Run. I’ve never been a gamer, but I loved that experience and love playing this game." On too much tech: "Some people are really obsessed with their gadgets and Facebook. I can’t allow myself to lose that real connection. Technology is moving too fast sometimes." On her favorite app: "WhatsApp. I’m loving it! You can message people on all different phones and have group chats." On the perfect date: Download whatsapp for pc "It doesn’t matter. If you’re with the right person, anything can be perfect." ©2011, GossipCenter.com. All Rights Reserved