Luzmaria Vargas never dreamed she’d be in an ad campaign for a major cosmetics brand, because she never felt confident about her appearance or her size.

But now the Anaheim, California resident has starred in a glamorous photo shoot with M.A.C Cosmetics after being chosen as one of six winners of the brand’s M.A.Cnificent Me contest.

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Vargas was flown to New York City to participate in the groundbreaking shoot, an experience she found emotionally overwhelming.

“All these emotions put together into one,” she says in her M.A.Cnificent Me contestant video. “My stomach is going crazy right now. This is an experience that when my kids have their kids, [I can say], ‘Hey I was a model for M.A.C.’ ”

Vargas said she has been ostracized in the past because she is overweight.

“It’s happened to me when I’m at a party and they’re like, ‘Oh let’s take a picture!’ And then they tell me, ‘Can you take the picture?’,” she says. “It hurts. Some people think just because you’re overweight, you don’t have feelings.”

Vargas hopes her participation in M.A.C’s campaign can change perspectives about people who many not fit the mold of typical beauty standards.

“With this I’m going to prove, […] I don’t need a gorgeous body,” she says. “It was really the inside that counted, and I don’t need to be size 2, skinny. I’m here.”

She hopes that her participation in a mainstream ad campaign will inspire other plus-size women to gain confidence.

“It feels so good because I know there are so many women out there that won’t express themselves for the fact that they’re overweight, but if I did it, they can all do it,” she says. “I hope that this helps someone out there that’s tucked in their room, doesn’t want to go out or doesn’t want to show themselves out. Just go for it!”

Vargas joins 5 other contest winners, Selena, Tresor, Vanessa, Ji Won and Ben, who were also transformed for the new campaign using the brand’s 2015 fall color collection. Catch their ads below!

What do you think of Vargas’ ad? How about the new M.A.C campaign? Sound off below.

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–Gabrielle Olya