Dear James, I heard about negative calorie foods, that when you eat them you don’t actually consume calories, but burn them instead. Is this true?

James says: There are several weight loss programs that claim to utilise "negative calorie foods" to help you burn fat and lose weight quickly. The idea behind these programs is that some foods require more energy (calories) to eat and digest than the

“Dear Charles, I know that our skin changes from season to season but particularly in winter my skin seems to become dry and uncomfortable! Any suggestions on what should change for the winter season?”

The winter touch up collection: There are some essential items you should have in your makeup bag to help ravaged winter skin look great.     A touch up concealer stick that is yellow in tone which is great for covering

12 days to glowing Christmas skin…..

It’s that time of year again where I start giving my clients the Christmas countdown to the party season. Like most things to do with the festive season, getting prepared for the influx of party invites, carol concerts and school plays, frenzied

“Dear Charles, I've read that high eyebrows are on trend next season, mine are close to my eyes so should I shave off my eyebrows and use an eyebrow pencil to make them higher?”

Charles says: “We have to be very carful about what we are doing when it comes to removing mass amounts of hair from the eyebrows and unnaturally shaping them. Some of us are lucky enough for them to grow back fine and can then just put it down to one

Is there a quick way to get fit and lose weight?

Q: I am so confused by all the diet pills, miracle weight loss adverts and all the pieces of home gym equipment on the market which promise so much…is there really a quick fix to getting fit and losing fat? Sandra, Norwich   James says: Hello

I'm coming to the end of my fixed rate mortgage. How do I remortgage and how do I find the best deal?

Ian says: When I meet a new client for the first time to arrange a mortgage, I always have the conversation with them “What happens at the end of my fixed rate/tracker rate deal?” because normally the deals we arrange are for a set period of time from

"Dear Charles, should I apply a primer before my foundation and do they really make a difference or is it a way of makeup companies making more money?”

Charles says: Priming the skin is essential for the perfect makeup application, but this doesn’t mean that you need to buy an entirely separate product in which to do so!     Over the years I found that transparent gel based makeup primers

Q. Is it really necessary to spend a lot of money on skincare products?

Louise says: ‘You get what you pay for’ and this saying is true in relation to your skincare products too.      We know that we can buy reasonably prices cosmetics that will take off our make up and stop our skin from feeling

How can I drum up the motivation to exercise?

Q: How can I drum up the motivation to exercise? I know it’s important to do, but I never have the urge to do it and even if I try to do it anyway, I have a hard time fitting it in.   A: People who work out are as busy as people who don’t.

Q. Could stress be ruining your skin?

Louise says: Fast paced lives, social commitments; carving out a career, having a family, marriage and friends gives us all an element of stress in our lives to one degree or another.      Many clients that I see that have a skin

Good credit, bad credit

A question I have to ask when I see clients for the first time is ‘Have you had bad credit, such as late payments, county court judgements or even bankruptcy?’   With the type of market we are in at the moment having bad credit makes getting a

“Dear Charles, I have several tones in my skin which makes my complexion appear uneven, what’s the best way to resolve this to create a more even and flawless finish?”

Charles says: It can be frustrating if you feel particularly self conscious about having an un-even skin tone, especially when you want to go lightweight for the summer-time with a tinted moisturiser!   Pick the tone in your skin that you prefer

Q. I have just ended a two week spiral of parties as a result of finishing University and don’t want to arrive home for the summer looking grey, spotty and tired.

Louise says: Hmmm lack of sleep, too much alcohol, bad diet and probably a few too many nights of sleeping in your make up will take its toll. But hey I’m not here to lecture you you’ve had enough of that, so here’s how to get that preppy spring back

Can a facial help get rid of problem skin?

Q: I have problematic skin - can a facial help or can it make my skin worse?   Louise says: I’m no magician nor do I claim to be, however I increasingly have clients coming to me to assist them with a specific skin concern.     

Ten steps to owning your own home

Recently I’ve been trying to break down the financial jargon and helping you understand mortgages. Now I would talk you through the house buying process.   Step one- When you’re serious about buying a house or moving home your first port of call