PinkLipstick

I can't believe I'm asking this question, and I absolutely hate myself for it but I need an outsider's perspective.

My boyfriend and I didn't get together in the best way. I wasn't single at the time and he was friends with my ex boyfriend. I'd met him through his ex girlfriend. Before anyone asks no, I'm not proud of myself.

I was unhappy in my relationship and I left it. I fell in love with him. He said he'd been in love with me for years, the whole time he was going out with his ex.

While he was in the relationship with his ex, they briefly tried for a baby - something he almost immediately decided was a mistake, that they weren't a strong enough couple to have kids. So they stopped trying.

I'm happy with him. I love him to bits. And despite the fact he has cheated in previous relationships, I trust him. Which might make me sound crazy, and his other girlfriends were very paranoid he would cheat on them but I've never had any cause for concern.

My paranoia, and reason for asking this question that I don't want to ask, is because people (ah those people who get into our heads and make us ask these things....) think he can't commit. I believe it is probably just jaded ex girlfriends - I'm only in my mid-20's but I'm sure an ex boyfriend would come forward to say the same about me - but he DOES have a history of going off relationships and immediately jumping into a new exciting one.

He's talking about engagement. I know I shouldn't get engaged before I feel secure in the relationship. So how can I know that he feels differently about me? And how can I just chill the hell out, trust him and enjoy our lives before I drive myself and him demented?

Can someone please tell me where I am going wrong?

I exercise every day. 30 mins on Mon-Thurs, an hour Fri-Sun.

I'm on a diet. I don't eat more than 1200 calories a day.

I've been doing this for a month now. My weight will go up and down two pounds, but never sits at anything and I can't lose anymore than those two pounds (which I gain back instantly anyway!).

A couple of years ago I went on what I though was a sensible diet, but wasn't really (I got upset when I ate a sandwich for lunch - too many calories. Insane!) and last year the weight all piled back on. However I'm trying to do things sensibly now and I do want to see results, it's so disheartening to work hard and see nothing happening.

What I thought it might be (and you can tell me if I'm wrong!) is that I'm not eating enough calories (I'm eating the recommended amount for my height and weight though...), or I'm not eating enough based on the amount of exercise I'm doing, that I'm eating too much and should be cutting out more or (and this is a long shot!) am I not drinking enough water for the amount of exercise I'm doing?

Any advice is much appreciated!

Thanks.

I have always had a full head of blonde highlights but I really fancy going strawberry blonde but I don't know what to ask for at my hair salon. My hair is naturally dark blonde and at the moment I have a lot of regrowth at my roots but very light bleached ends. Could I get an all over strawberry blonde colour with my current hair or would I need bleach again or highlights? I have quite red undertones in my hair already. I don't know if that's relevant!

She's 27, seems to like hair and nail products but as far as make up is concerned (which is my forte!) she only wears purple eyeshadows. She also has quite expensive taste and I am on a major budget!

Has anyone seen any sales or know of any nice gift sets that would suit her, maybe within a budgeted price range?

Thanks.

In our development we just recently got rid of our factors (maintenance people/property management). They were in a lot of debt and there was a lot of things going wrong in the development so our housing association came to the decision to have them removed.

Since then, they have sent out several bills (some I'm sure we're fabricated) and stated that some of the properties in the development had outstanding debt and that if they did not pay it, it would fall to those who did not have outstanding debt, as was stated in the agreement signed. The property management people have put a notice on our properties to say we have outstanding debt and if we do not pay we will not be able to sell our properties. I'm not sure if this has been done for the properties whose debt it is in the first place.

My boyfriend is under the impression that this isn't legal. I don't know, I just want rid of them, unexpected bills every two months are such a stress. Any advice?

I had a fringe cut earlier this year and after the summer decided to grow it out as it was a pain to style every day, as I have a cow lick.

When I was at my hairdresser's having my roots done she suggested cutting it into a side fringe while it was growing out.

She's made an absolute disaster of it. No matter how I blow dry it, it sits like a full fringe but at varying lengths, and some parts of my hair have been cut so short - way too short for a side fringe!

I've resigned myself to pinning it back until it grows out, but it makes my forehead look huge! I wish I'd never got a fringe cut!

How can I style this hair disaster for the party season? I still want to have nice hair on Christmas nights out!

Any thoughts or tips or links to tutorials would be very much appreciated!!

My dog was poorly socialised as a puppy and as a result has a few issues with fear and other people and dogs. When he was younger this just manifested itself in cowering but now he properly barks and growls at other dogs. It's horrible.

However it only generally happens when he's on his lead, I think it's a fear and control thing though I may be wrong. When he's off the lead he's timid and occassionally runs away but there aren't times of aggression (or obviously we wouldn't let him off his lead!).

It also seems to happen with certain dogs, if they are bouncy and want to play he's terrified, but there are some dogs he tries to get to play with in the park too (though he's not very good at initiating play, most other dogs look confused!).

My partner and I took him to a dog trainer who advised one-to-one sessions before introducing him to dog classes, but she ripped us off, took our money and we never heard from her again.

Is there anything I can do to improve the situation? And how do you find reputable dog trainers?

I recently bought this dress:

http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/P...

and I'd love some inspiration on how to style it. I'm quite short, so it falls a little longer on my frame that it would on other people but I still love it. However I want to make it really edgy and modern and not look old fashioned. Any ideas on shoes or accessories?

Thank you!

A few years ago I purchased a sofa from Reid Furniture in Scotland. I had to exchange the sofa as it was too big for my doorway but I exchanged it for a cheaper sofa and the sales assistant gave me a receipt to say my account with Reid was in credit to the sum of £200.

I am now trying to get this money in the form of a credit note or gift voucher to spend it but I am being told I can't, and that as the Reid policy I would not have been given this refund.

I'm not looking for a refund, just a credit note. The receipt is signed. Surely if they did not give credit notes for the extra paid on the first sofa in the exchange I should have been informed at the time?

What are my rights in this situation? I have the proof that I was told my account is in credit. I don't want the money, just an official voucher from Reid stating I can spend that money in store.

I just bought these trousers and I'm looking for inspiration for a few different ways to wear them.

http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/P...

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks!

I get really bloated, to the point where I look pregnant. Last time I went to the doctor he gave me IBS tablets but other than bloating I've never had any IBS symptoms.

It has got worse in the last few years. I do have a terrible diet (I always eat carbs and I never eat salad!), I drink lots of fizzy juice and I have a ridiculous salt intake. But I've always done that - can my body suddenly change it's tolerances?

What should I do, other than cut down on the above?

Thanks!

I'm hoping to book a weekend away for my boyfriend and I in November. I saw a good deal in Rome and am thinking about booking it.

I've been to Rome twice, both times in the summer but what's the weather like in November? My boyfriend will definitely want to go to all the sights.

I live in Scotland so I'm used to wearing 50 layers in winter!

Hi!

I was wondering if anyone could give me any tips on how to lose two stone by July 2012 (next year). I've got a holiday planned and I would like to reach a certain weight by then for my bikini body and figured if I start a plan now I might actually achieve this goal!

I'm at the higher end of a healthy BMI for my age and height and losing just under two stone would keep me in the healthy category. I have no desire to be underweight.

I currently exercise pretty regularly, but most of the time I can only fit in 15 mins of high energy aerobics a day. My diet is a mess, I eat rubbish and I'm an incredibly fussy eater. I love carbs!

I would like tips on the best way to achieve my goal by next year. I lost weight last year but by January had start to put it all back on again, how can I keep it off?

What sort of exercises should I be doing and is there any way to do this while still enjoying a glass of wine at the weekends! Ha ha!

Thank you!

My best friend called me in May to say that her mother and her Mother's partner were splitting up and having to move out of their flat, where my best friend was living. Her mum apparently couldn't afford to have my friend live with her anymore in their flat and she was now homeless.

She asked if she could move in with me, saying she would pay her way and that she'd be here for a month tops, while she and the girl she was hoping to get a flat with found jobs.

It's been three months now and she still hasn't moved out. She also doesn't have a job, and the friend she was intending to move in with doesn't seem interested in living with her.

I own my flat, and just under a year ago my boyfriend moved in. We were settled in a living routine for the two of us and perfectly happy.

My friend is completely destroying that. She lived here with me a few years before my boyfriend moved in (renting) and now she's back she is acting like it's her home again. She moans about my boyfriend and how he lives (if he leaves mess, or something). She uses all our food and drinks and doesn't replace it, she won't clean the bathroom and if we want to have a night in together she will deliberately hang out in the living room so we end up spending the night with her.

I was helping her out as a friend, but it's got to the point that I don't even want to be in my own home. My boyfriend is miserable too - he signed up to live with me, not my friend. She claims she can't afford to go anywhere, her uncle pays her share for here (which is not very much).

I need help to get her to move out. I don't want to fall out with her but I can't cope with her here anymore. She doesn't understand at all and shows no inclination of looking for a place or a job.

I don't know what to do.

I had a bit of a binge eat on Friday and Saturday and put on half a stone! I thought it was just water weight but it's Wednesday and it still hasn't shifted!

I've been eating under my normal calorie intake and exercising obsessively but it's not made a dent!

I'm off on holiday on Thursday and losing all the weight was partly for this - I have total bikini fear!

I exercised even while on a family holiday a week ago in order to maintain my weight. Although I wasn't as careful about what I ate, the scales still didn't move. Is it that weight that is catching up with me?

I realise I sound a bit obsessive, and I'll freely admit that I am. What have I done to myself and how can I fix it??

My hair is in desperate need of a cut - it's limp, heavy and thick and the ends look like rats' tails! My highlights also need done very badly!

I've booked a hair appointment for next week, but I've just been invited on a big night out on Friday night! I can't get an earlier appointment but I'm not cancelling just because of hair trouble!

Any tips to disguise the state of it??

I usually wear it straight, but it goes beach wave curly if I let it dry naturally.

Help!!

Thanks.

I've just bought the St Tropez self tan to try out, but I've noticed I'm supposed to shower off the excess colour from the tan in the morning. I do my work outs in the morning (in my house) then I shower. Is there any way to get around this? I don't want to sweat off my fake tan but it's also a pain in the bum to shower twice in one morning!!

Thanks!

I have started a new exercise DVD which is pretty tough! However, whenever I jump my Achilles tendons really hurt! I'm frightened I am going to injure myself soon. I do warm up, but are there any warm up exercises I could do to target this area? Am I wearing the wrong trainers for this sort of work out?

Thanks!

I'd like to think I'm good at some things beauty-wise but I have to admit defeat when it comes to fake tan! I'm useless at it. It doesn't matter how much I exfoliate, moisturise or prepare my skin beforehand, I will end up getting streaks.

I don't tan naturally and want a bit of colour this summer so can anyone recommend a very easy to use fake tan? I would go and get it done professionally but I really can't afford to do that every time I have a big night out or want to look like I've got a bit of colour.

I'm not a huge fan of the gradual tanners as I'm so scatty I would forget. One that develops over night or over a few hours is prob what I'm looking for.

Please help! Thanks.

I've been refused credit, but my credit file and rating are fairly good (I checked it on the Experian website). My friend said it could be as a result of me not being on the electoral roll for my address. Is this possible? Does it really make that much of a difference or is there something else that could be wrong?

Thanks!