Selena Gomez Wows at The 8th Annual UNICEF Snowflake Ball

You may only know her as a singer (and actress, and famous bestie of Taylor Swift, and on-again-off-again girlfriend of Justin Bieber), but there is more to Selena Gomez than meets the eye. Did you know that Gomez is one of UNICEF's most ardent supporters? After getting involved with the charity in 2008 as the spokesperson for their Trick-or-Treat program, she was appointed a UNICEF Ambassador in 2009--at 17 she was the youngest to be awarded that honor. Since then, Gomez has been hard at work promoting the charity that raises funds for impoverished and underprivileged children around the globe. She has personally visited countries like Ghana and Chile to raise awareness for issues like early childhood development and preventable diseases, and cites her work with UNICEF as an exciting opportunity to use her fame for positive change. How refreshing is it to hear about a young starlet using her fame for charitable purposed and encouraging fans to get involved?

On November 27th, however, it wasn't field work for the gorgeous 20 year old. Gomez shone in a Dolce & Gabbana gown and Judith Leiber clutch at the Eighth Annual UNICEF Snowflake Ball in New York City alongside stars like music legend Tony Bennett, "Girls" actress Allison Williams, and fellow UNICEF Ambassadors Téa Leoni and Marcus Samuelsson. Everyone's favorite "California Gurl" Katy Perry was in attendance as well, in a sparkling Naeem Khan dress (complete with cape!) that almost distracted us from her toned down hair and makeup--there's a naturally gorgeous girl underneath those crazy stage costumes after all!

The Snowflake Ball is a black-tie gala that honors individuals that have made key contributions to the charity's mission of saving and improving lives of children worldwide. This year’s event honored singer, civil right's activist and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Harry Belafonte with The Audrey Hepburn Humanitarian Award. The occasion also highlights the UNICEF Snowflake that hangs at the intersection of 57th Street and Fifth Avenue every year to serve as a beacon of hope and compassion for vulnerable children and reminds us all of the charity's commitment to reduce the number of daily preventable deaths of children from 19,000 to zero. The snowflake was designed with 16,000 Baccarat crystals.

Gomez worked the live auction at the event, along with New York Knicks' center Tyson Chandler and helped raise $2.5 million, while all the celebrities danced the night away to DJ Mia Moretti's tunes at the UNICEF Next Generation after-party.