6 Ways Ciara Mastered Her Sexy Bathing Suit Shoot

Updated on Nov 17, 2015 at 5:00 PM

Sitting at your desk one cold Winter day, you realize you've had enough. "That's it," you think, opening up a new browser tab. "I'm booking a vacation!"

But when the day finally comes — the one where you jet set to someplace warm and plan on posting a bunch of photos because, obviously — you start to worry. How can you nail the perfect bikinigram in the middle of hibernation season?

The answer, of course, lies with Ciara, who recently shared a fierce vacation photo shoot of her own. Now, the singer's using social media to do some good, partnering with Unilever for #ShareAMeal, its child hunger initiative. Add the hashtag to a shot of an empty plate on Instagram or Twitter, and the company will donate a meal to Feeding America for every like, comment, or share it receives.

Given Ciara's 'gram expertise, we knew we had to ask her how to nail the perfect vacation pic upon meeting her. Keep scrolling to see the six tips she happily shared, as well as her advice on staying sexy if you're stuck somewhere cold this season.

Plan Ahead

"You need to try on several bathing suits to make sure you have the one that best fits your body. That's important for me. And get a nice wrap that can go around your waist."

Remember Practice Makes Perfect

"Practice your angles at home and see what works for you. Just remember those — don't try to overpose or anything like that."

(That's Actually Ciara's Red Carpet Secret, Too)

"I do practice [posing]. I do look in the mirror. Before you walk on a red carpet, you need to test your outfit out and see what the best angle is for the dress. Sometimes I practice angles to see what the best angles are for my body. I think that's important."

Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

"I'm glad that I challenged myself to wear color [on vacation] because I normally wear black."

Because There Are More Colors Than Just Basic Black

"You know, red almost works like a black as well. That family — the white, the black, the red, the grays — it's clean and classic. You can't really go wrong, and there's still edge to it."

Whatever You Do, Don't Stress the Photo

"I think [what makes] the perfect picture is authenticity. Whatever you authentically feel, express that. When you try too hard, I don't think it translates very well, but when you're just being your true self and telling your own story, I think that's the best Instagram."

Not Going Away? Don't Let the Cold Keep You From Rocking Sexy Ensembles

"Have a nice jacket on standby to accentuate what you're wearing. So then, when you drop your jacket off, it's like, 'Wham!' You still have the moment that you want to have. Rock what you want to rock underneath, and you're still going to be sexy."