Even the most confident beachgoers can feel a little shy about their first appearance in a swimsuit during the summer season. And if you're not the overly confident type, picking out and wearing a bathing suit to the beach can actually cause a lot of anxiety. However, there's no need to panic. Take a look at a few tips that can help you look your best in a swimsuit this season.

1. Take Your Time Swimsuit Shopping

Trying on swimsuits in the fitting room may not sound like a fun way to spend an afternoon, but try to set a reasonably long block of time aside for your swimsuit shopping anyway. Cute bathing suits come in dozens of different styles, and one of them will be right for your body, but you may have to spend some time trying on different suits in order to find it.

Narrow down your search by focusing on what's important. Don't be afraid to try a larger or smaller size than usual – different cuts affect the fit of the suit, and what matters is how it looks on you, not what the tag says. Look for dark colors, because they can make your skin look smoother. Patterns are also a good choice – they keep the eye too busy to notice any flaws in the body underneath the pattern.

2. Avoid Salt Before Swimming

You can spend hours in the gym toning up your body, but the food you eat the day before a beach trip can spoil your hard work and make your suit look like a lousy fit. Foods high in salt cause bloating. It's only temporary, but it will last long enough to make you feel uncomfortable showing skin. Choose low-sodium meals and snacks in the days and hours before a beach trip.

In addition to salty foods, dairy, carbonated sodas, and certain veggies – like broccoli and asparagus – can also cause bloating and swelling. Plan your menus with that in mind.

3. Add Some Color

Staying out of tanning booths and using a high SPF sunscreen can help prevent skin cancer, but a tan can make your skin look smoother and cover a multitude of imperfections. There's an easy way to get a healthy glow without the cancer risk – invest in a high quality spray tanner.

Not only can you use the artificial tan to make it look like you've already been breaking in that bathing suit, you can use it to create darker shading in certain areas of your body. This can create the appearance of toned muscles, even if you've skipped the gym more often than not lately.

Once you actually arrive at the beach, you've already done all you can to look great, so it's time to forget about how you look and focus on having a great time. Enthusiasm for fun in the sun accompanied by a great big smile looks good on anybody.