Martel was born in Nancy, France to a modest family of Italian ancestry and was raised in Piennes.

Martel's runners-up in the 1953 pageant was Myrna Hansen of the USA, followed by delegates of Japan, Mexico, and Australia.

Shortly after her reign, Martel embarked on a successful career in international films, appearing in movies such as Yankee Pasha, So This Is Paris, Drop the Curtain, the 1956 version of Corazón salvaje (playing the villain Aimée), Viva el Amor!, Rosa Blanca and her last film to date, 1961's Leoni al Sole.

[citation needed] Martel was married briefly to Ronnie Marengo, a department store heir, whom she divorced in 1955.

Their son, Miguel Alemán Magnani, is a stakeholder of Televisa and is the former owner of low-cost airline, Interjet.