The X-Factor: Ariana Van X Coming on Strong

A version of this feature appears in the February issue of AVN magazine. Click here for the digital edition.  LOS ANGELES — Ariana Van X tells AVN that flirting comes naturally for her. The gorgeous Venezuelan performer says it’s the personality trait for which she is most known. “If you met me, at first you might think I’m very shy, but it’s just my way to observe and read the room,” Ariana explains. “Once I know you and I get comfortable, I can be very outgoing. I love making people feel good when they are around me… I can be very goofy sometimes, but I’m a natural flirt. "I love flirting with life in general, I think it’s my trademark.” Thanks to her passionate sex scenes and sultry good looks, Van X is flirting with a new level of stardom and critics and fans alike have taken notice as the 25-year-old received a nomination for Best New International Starlet at the 2022 AVN Awards last month. “It feels really good to be acknowledged for the work that I’ve done. It means I’m doing something right,” Ariana says. Van X at press time had about 30 professional porn credits and two of her most memorable scenes so far were among her first: “A Girl Can Dream” with Jesus Reyes for Blacked.com and “Best of Your Time” with Alberto Blanco for Vixen.com. “Those are two of my favorites but I have yet to shoot my best scene in my opinion,” Ariana says. “The atmosphere on set is really important to me. I like to actually have fun and enjoy myself in the process.” Born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela, Ariana says she has an Italian and Portuguese background. She left Venezuela for The Netherlands, where she worked as a babysitter and waitress while also trying to be a photographer. It was the latter endeavor that helped her meet a lot of friends. “I currently live in Madrid, Spain. I have been here for the last four years and I love it,” she says. “I started out as a webcam model on MyFreeCams while in The Netherlands. Then I started creating my own content and selling it on ManyVids and I did that for a while. In October of 2020 I decided I wanted to try shooting for productions so I asked my fans to tag and mention me on Julia Grandi’s Instagram and she reached out to me shortly after that. A week later I shot my first scenes.  “My first scenes were for Vixen and Blacked, and I shot them in Ibiza in October of 2020." Ariana continues, “I love being a part of this industry. It’s one of the best things that has ever happened to me. It’s been a crazy experience and really fun. I’m enjoying it. I hope it has more for me in the near future.” Van X says her work in adult “has helped me discover and expand my own sexuality.” “I’ve learned a lot of things about myself and it has made me observe the things I need to work on,” Ariana explains, adding that she loves to watch her scenes later and learn from them. “Working in this industry has given me a lot of self-love and confidence. But my favorite part has been all the really cool and interesting people that I’ve met. I think some of them I can consider friends.” When she isn’t on the set, Ariana says, “I love taking care of myself.” “I have a lot of energy so I have to go to the gym and workout,” she reveals. “I need to exercise for my mental health and also for my physical strength, obviously. I love food a lot, and I try to keep it healthy and cook for myself most of the time, but if I meet friends at a nice café or restaurant, I sometimes fall victim to my guilty pleasures. “It’s hedonistic for me, it’s all about balance. I hate being stuck in the house for too long. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy staying at home and chilling, resting, reading, and taking care of my plants. But I love to have plans to get me out of it.” Ariana adds, “I love traveling and being in the sun and in the water. Lately, I’ve also wanted to spend time in the mountains and going on trails. I like being out in nature and disconnecting sometimes. It’s much needed when you spend so much time talking to fans online. “When I’m in the city, my favorite things to do are going to live music shows, catching a movie, going to the theatre or hitting up museums.” A self-styled “bad ass bitch,” Van X already has started her own venture that she is producing along with her partner Edi Santos—The Baddies X-Perience. “It’s a new project and it’s something we hope can grow into a production studio. For now our episodes are available on OnlyFans,” Ariana says. In the meantime, she is all about improving herself and her content this year. “I want the quality of my own content to keep getting better and better,” Ariana adds, noting there are many companies for which she would still like to shoot. “It is a fact that I haven’t shot an amazing girl/girl scene yet, so I’m looking forward to that… As far as performers I’d like to work with, I would love to shoot with Gina Valentina and Abella Danger. That’s like a dream casting. “But I’d also like to work with any other girls who are giving their very best in their work—like Emily Willis, Rae Lil Black, Jia Lissa and of course Liya Silver and Eva Elfie, who I have already met and they change the energy in the room—it’s magnetic.” Photography by RIKHUNA