After working in Milan for a few years, in 1999 Yamila was featured in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, and made the cover in 2002, and again in 2006 (in the 2006 cover she appears with several other models for an "All-Stars" special). She also appeared on the cover of magazines such as GQ, Glamour, Maxim, Elle, Shape and many more. She has also appeared in the Victoria's Secret catalog and print ads for bebe, Swish jeans and many more. She was the first Latina spokesmodel in CoverGirl history. She has also starred in the 1999 Italian film Il pesce innamorato.