Nothing is quite as intimidating as bikini season. For many women, the idea of baring all in public is second only to a root canal. Sure, you\u2019re on your third round of a P90X\u00ae and INSANITY\u00ae hybrid, you haven\u2019t even been downwind of a pint of Ben & Jerry\u2019s\u00ae in 8 months, and you have a stomach Gordon Ramsey could chop tomatoes on. Still, the idea of showing off your hard work can be terrifying. Problem is, you can\u2019t avoid summer. Sure, you could opt to spend 3 months inside, watching CSI marathons, but that\u2019s not living! Instead, let\u2019s get strategic. Here are 8 easy steps to get ready for bikini season.<\/p>\n
A couple of triangles, a rectangle, and some string and you\u2019re good to go, right? Not quite. There\u2019s a world of choices out there, and everything from color to cut can make a difference in what flatters your body type. But knowing what looks good on you, and accentuates your best assets, can make you feel like you did. There are a hundred style guides out there that claim to know the perfect suit for your body type, but from experience, you\u2019ll never know until you see it on yourself. Your best bet is to try on several styles of tops: halter, bandeau, triangle, tankini, push up, and then pair them with different bottoms: low rise, high rise, boy short, Brazilian cut, or skirt, and see which flatters you. Also, look closely at colors against your skin tone. If yellow isn\u2019t your color in a sweater, it\u2019ll be no better in a swimsuit. If you prefer a pattern, make sure it doesn\u2019t detract from the rest of you. In other words, it\u2019ll require some trial and error, but the end result will be infinitely better than ordering from a catalog.<\/p>\n
If your six-pack isn\u2019t quite there, or your hips make you nuts, move the attention elsewhere. If you have long beautiful hair, flaunt it. If your eyes can be seen across a room, sweep on some waterproof mascara. If you\u2019re white as an angel and live in sunblock, use a touch of bronzer or a tinted moisturizer. If you have lovely teeth, break out the Crest\u00ae strips and start smiling. Just because it\u2019s a day at the beach or around the pool doesn\u2019t mean you have to pile your hair on top of your head and cover your face in zinc oxide. Take a few minutes to make yourself feel beautiful. Others are more likely to look at your face than they are at the things you\u2019re not as happy with. Remember, no one else is as critical of us as us.<\/p>\n
Beautiful skin is essential when you wear an outfit thatcould fit in a sandwich bag. Human skin has an extraordinary ability to regenerate itself. In the process, dead skin cells can hang out on the outermost layer, making your legs, torso, and arms look dry, dull, and scaly. One of the easiest ways to rectify the situation is to exfoliate. There are a few different ways to go about this. You can buy scrubbies, sponges, and brushes. You can also find more expensive creams and solutions that contain everything from glycolic acid to salt from the Dead Sea. Or you can go into your pantry, and mix up the following: 1\/2 cup brown or raw sugar, 1\/2 cup almond or coconut oil, 2 teaspoons cocoa powder, and 1 teaspoon vitamin E. Once mixed, slather onto your skin, rinse in the shower, and wait for the compliments. Your skin and your significant other will thank you.<\/p>\n
Since bikinis seem to be decreasing in size, a bit of extra trimming may be necessary. Each woman seems to have her own way of dealing with such matters, but if this is a new topic for you, read on. The easiest and perhaps most economical way to deal with this issue is shaving. The results are short-lived, but it\u2019s relatively pain free and doesn\u2019t require assistance from anyone else. There are several creams, sanding devices, and wax strip kits that you can find in a drug store, but you have a 50\/50 chance whether they\u2019ll be effective. Professional waxing is extremely effective, yet rather painful and perhaps inconvenient. The results, however, last 3 to 4 weeks, and might just merit the few moments of ouch. Last but not least, there\u2019s laser hair removal, which, if completed a few times, can permanently remove the hair. Usually a facility will administer a numbing cream before you begin, which makes it a pain-free and easy experience. If they don\u2019t offer a numbing cream, run in the opposite direction. Laser hair removal can be pretty costly, so make sure you\u2019re ready for the dent in your bank account. Oh, the price of beauty in a bikini.<\/p>\n
There is a reason that every \u201cafter\u201d pictureout there shows the transformed with a touch of color: everybody looks better with a tan. Tanned skin helps show muscle definition, while simultaneously covering up the evils of stretch marks and cellulite. This isn\u2019t an excuse to slather yourself in Crisco\u00ae and go bake in the sun until you look and smell like a taquito. We all know the dangers of exposure to the sun and to tanning beds. Instead, there\u2019s an array of self-tanners, Mystic Tan\u00ae machines, and air brushers out there to give you a bit of glow, without fear of skin cancer. Check out what you have access to in your area, and follow the directions accordingly. Nothing kills the look faster than palms the color of a Halloween pumpkin.<\/p>\n
There are times when we can\u2019t avoid a bit of bloating, especially for women, but at every other time of themonth, we do have a choice. Avoiding alcohol can make the difference between a flat tummy and the morning-after belly. Food that\u2019s high in sodium, like chips, pretzels, soy sauce, prepackaged soups, and pizza, can make us retain water and never want to take our sarongs off. Eating large portions of food, as opposed to small meals throughout the day, can also make our waistline look bigger. If you\u2019re going to strut your stuff down the beach, try eating a bunch of meals consisting of lean protein, fruits, and vegetables, no larger than the size of your fist. It\u2019s the perfect size for your body to assimilate without overwhelming your stomach.<\/p>\n
We know exercise has a cumulative effect. If you could get a Brazil Butt Lift\u00ae in a single workout, the program would only last a day. And while it can take weeks to see improvements, there\u2019s something to be said for how much better you feel after a workout. You can see more muscle definition once your circulation is going, you get an endorphin high worthy of three Xanax\u00ae, and you can sweat out any excess water you\u2019re hanging on to. What\u2019s more, if you just crushed P90X2\u00ae Plyocide, you might walk with a bit more confidence around that pool. After all, who cares if you\u2019re not in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition; you just did 60 Jack-in-the-Box knee tucks. So even if you\u2019re on vacation, get up and do your workout before you hit the beach.<\/p>\n
When all is said and done, feeling comfortable in your own skin, even if it contains five extra pounds, is the most attractive attribute you can have. And as tough as it is to feel resplendent in a bikini, it is possible. Start by being kind to yourself. When you look in the mirror, look at all of the beautiful things, not the stuff you dislike. Surround yourself with people who make you feel good about yourself. And remember, it really is just an article of clothing. It isn\u2019t the measure of who you are, how beautiful you are, or your self-worth. Don\u2019t give that silly little yard of spandex the power. Throw one on, and remember you\u2019re perfect as you are, right now. Everything else is just icing.<\/p>\n
by Stephanie Saunders<\/p>\n
This article was originally posted at .<\/em><\/p>\n Much love,<\/p>\n Zippora Rodreques<\/p>\n You can also visit me at www.facebook.com\/zippora.rodreques OR on Twitter at .<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Nothing is quite as intimidating as bikini season. For many women, the idea of baring all in public is second only to a root canal. Sure, you\u2019re on your third round of a P90X\u00ae and INSANITY\u00ae hybrid, you haven\u2019t even been downwind of a pint of Ben & Jerry\u2019s\u00ae in 8 months, and you have […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1686,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-empower-network"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/empowernetwork.com\/zrodreques\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/empowernetwork.com\/zrodreques\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/empowernetwork.com\/zrodreques\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/empowernetwork.com\/zrodreques\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1686"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/empowernetwork.com\/zrodreques\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/empowernetwork.com\/zrodreques\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24,"href":"https:\/\/empowernetwork.com\/zrodreques\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6\/revisions\/24"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/empowernetwork.com\/zrodreques\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/empowernetwork.com\/zrodreques\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/empowernetwork.com\/zrodreques\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Find out more about Beachbody!<\/h2>\n