Plus Size Diva: ‘I Am A Masterpiece’ | SHAKE MY BEAUTY

A FEARLESS body positive influencer has returned to Barcroft TV with a new movement celebrating big, bold and beautiful women. Carmen Rene, 31, is the co-host of the Plus Size Divas, an LA-based weekly talk show promoting body acceptance and self-love. Carmen featured on the Shake My Beauty series in 2018, where she embraced her curves and her lymphedema. “I had so many people message and comment saying they saw me on Barcroft, and that they had lymphedema and had never seen anybody who looked like them. It gave them the courage and confidence to feel safe and feel loved.” Carmen developed lymphedema as a child, causing extreme swelling to her legs, ankles and feet due to a compromised lymphatic system. With over 120,000 followers on Instagram and an array of fierce, semi-nude pictures online – Carmen has become a strong voice for self-love and size inclusivity. However, living with an online presence invites unwanted criticism over her appearance. “I wish I could just wear a huge sign around my neck telling people to stop staring at my feet and legs.” Carmen moved to Los Angeles and quickly grew tired of the underrepresented amount of plus-size bodies in the media. She quickly joined forces with Deanna “Bomb Chica” Colon. The Plus Size Divas promotes body positivity through conversation, events and apparel. Carmen said: “What makes Plus Size Divas so special is two big, fabulous women celebrating each other and collaborating in an industry where you don’t see enough of that.” Most recently, Carmen and Deanna teamed up with the Plus Bus, a plus-size clothing brand, to host their ‘Shake Your Cake’ event – an evening dedicated to celebrating women of all sizes and ethnicities. Carmen said: “We told all the ladies coming out to come with their body as is and feel safe and sexy. It’s a really fun celebration of all these bodies.”