The Working Closet
with Susan Wagner
The Working Closet is your source for the best of what's hip and fresh in fashion and beauty. Susan Wagner keeps you up-to-date on trends and offers tips and tricks for making everything in your closet truly work for you.
You can also catch Susan over at Working Closet.
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You know what’s back for spring? Bare arms! We can thank Michelle Obama for this, with her fantastic wardrobe of sleeveless sheath dresses. We can also look to Jillian Michaels to get us ready for the sleeveless dress, although I’ve found that carrying a toddler around all day will do just as good a job as any thirty day exercise program.
Seriously.
Summer weather has already arrived at my house, but if you’re just seeing the first signs of spring, it’s time to think about getting your arms ready for summer. You can commit to the 30 Day Shred, of course, but there are other ways to get great arms. Other less painful ways.
Push up. Do ten push ups three or four times a day; if you’re not sure you can do a full push up, start on your knees, or even just leaning on the kitchen or bathroom counter. Start now and by Memorial Day you’ll see a difference, I promise.
Push up, part two. Great arms are a good start, but you need to get the girls up where they belong. This is the time to have a bra fitting — and take a chance on a bra that does some of the work for you. But don’t go overboard; you want to lift and shape your breasts, not shove them in everyone’s face.
Tone your skin. While you’re working the inside, don’t forget the outside. Exfoliate your arms in the shower; follow up with a creamy moisturizer. Soap & Glory’s Scrub of Your Life Body Scrub is the perfect pick-me-up. And speaking of pick-me-up, pick up a tub of The Righteous Butter and slather it on after you scrub. Both are available at Target for $14.99.
Get some color - the safe way. If you’re going sleeveless, the last thing you want is a tan line where your tee hits. Start wearing sunscreen now, before you really get out in the sun; choose an everyday lotion with at least a 15 SPF and apply faithfully. And then, when bare arm weather hits, give yourself a little glow with a self-tanner, like Neutrogena Sun Fresh Sunless Tanning Lotion ($9.00 at Target).
What are you doing to get bare-arm ready? Or will you be covering up this summer?
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I love sleeveless tops. I have toddler-lifting arms (OK, OK, regular use of a workout DVD involving light weights but many, many reps helps a lot too), and I figure why not show them off? In the summer I wear tank tops as much as possible. I’m blonde and Norwegian, though, so even with sunless tanner (I prefer the gradual “glow lotions” that allow for mishaps and result in fewer orangey ankle bone and kneecap issues), I’m as fair as can be.
I think Mrs. Obama looks absolutely stunning in her classic, sleeveless dresses. GORGEOUS.
Shannon | March 24th, 2009 at 11:01 am