On Sunday night we went for dinner in Flannerys bistro. We were celebrating my eight years in business. It’s was also the six year anniversary of when We got together. I wore my leather trousers from Bowtique Lane, Cavendish lane Castlebar. I bought them two weeks ago and I love them I’ve worn them a few times already. 

 
 

These were the same leather trousers I wore to the beauty brunch in Galway the week before. They are a label called street one and cost €59.99 from Bowtique Lane. 

 

I wore this short sleeved metallic trim black top from River island. This was a great buy, it’s very comfortable and perfect for chilly nights. It worked really well with the leather trousers.

   

On my feet I wore these shoes from New Look. I bought them for my friends wedding a few weeks ago. They were a great buy too at €29.99 they can be worn with anything really. They are also comfortable. 

 

Today I put a deposit on this coat in Bowtique Lane. At €169 it’s pricy, but it is so cosy and warm it feels like a quilt around me.  It’s good to invest in one or two great quality items that will go the distance and I guess a practical winter coat won’t really go out of style. I will have to pay it off over a few weeks. I think this is a brilliant option to have in a shop. I had my eye on one in River Island that was €160 but being able to pay it off is much more practical for me anyway. 

   
I also spotted this gorgeous clutch bag. I can’t afford it, but I love it. Maybe Mr Dillon will treat me to it if I’m good. It’s another little beauty from Boutique Lane. 

 

So that’s it folks, my favourite fashion picks for this week. Keep an eye on my snapchat. As I always share any lovely pieces that I see in the shops . Just for the record I can’t afford to buy them all. I do love to window shop though and try things on, just to see. 
  
Thanks for all the lovely compliments on my blog and snapchat. You are all so kind.

Much Love,

Maria xx

P.s Don’t forget to share xxx 

Hi Everyone,

Hope you are all enjoying your bank holiday Monday. Myself and Mr Dillon indulged in a little treat last night. We headed off to Flannerys bistro in Ballinrobe for a little piece of foodie heaven. I would much rather sacrifice junk food or take aways and go for one amazing meal like this one. Let me tantalise your tastebuds with a rundown of what I indulged in last night. 

 

So for starter we both went for the belly pork. Slow cooked pork & black pudding with a delicious smoky bbq dressing and a vanilla purée. Absolutely mouthwatering. There was a good selection of starters soup, garlic mushrooms, goats cheese salad, spicy beef salad to name but a few. It was hard to choose as there were so many I’d have loved. I hadn’t tried the belly pork in Flannerys so I said I’d give it a whirl and it was worth every bite. 
On the main course menu there is loads to choose from. Stir fry, pasta, fish, chicken, duck,steak etc. There were also a good selection of specials. A few fishy dishes, but neither of us eat fish.There’s a butternut squash risotto for any veggies that looked amazing. We both decided to go for specials, I had the chargrilled cowboy steak. Mr Dillon went for Duck. We are just too predictable. 

 

 
The chargrilled cowboy steak was absolutely huge. I love my steak medium and it was just perfect with that gorgeous chargrilled smoky taste in the outside and perfectly soft pinkyness inside. It came with mushrooms, onions and pink peppercorn sauce on the side. I had never heard of cowboy steak and I don’t know what cut of meat it was. It looked a bit like a TBone. All I know is it tasted absolutely amazing and I just just couldn’t finish it. I mean seriously it was absolutely huge. 

  
My snapchat followers will have already seen a live running commentary of our delicious meal. I didn’t get a photo of Mr Dillons meal, he is not as social media obsessed as I am. Anyway his plate was clean and he was delighted with the duck, which came with veg and baby potatoes. Yummy!

  
I went for salad and sweet potatoe fries as my sides. These were both amazing, and the salad was deliciously fresh and crisp. I really hope more restaurants start adding sweet potatoe fries to the menu. #sweetpotatoefries are cool carbs and very popular among foodies. Well done Flannerys for being so fashion forward with sides. 

 

 
So next up the dessert menu. All the desserts in Flannerys are amazing. You can tell they are made from scratch in house. There is serious attention to detail and it shines through in every bite. There was an apple and hazelnut crumble, pavlova, sticky toffee pudding and chocolate fondant among others. Again we are just too predictable. I went for the chocolate brownie, while Mr Dillon opted for lemon cheesecake. 

 

Chocolate brownies are my weakness and this one was particularly delightful. Crisp and crumbly on the outside soft and gooey on the inside. Well worth ditching the diet for. Vanilla icecream was the perfect partner to the richness of the brownie. A drizzle of white and milk chocolate completed this indulgent treat. 

  
So Flannerys bistro is located at corn market Ballinrobe Co Mayo. It’s only a 15 minute drive from our house so it’s pretty handy for us. I drove on this occassion and let Mr Dillon have a few pints. I think the food is well worth the drive. You can check out Flannerys on Facebook 

Flannerys bistro
Or at their website 

Flannerysbistro.com
As always folks, thanks for reading. If you decide to try out Flannerys bistro let me know. I’d love to hear how you get on. If you are a restaurant owner and would like us to do a review get in touch at maria@mrsdillonsdiary.ie 

Please share my post on your social media accounts.

Love Maria

Hi Everyone 

Happy bank holiday it’s been  a fairly busy week. This weekend I am celebrating eight years in business. It was the 26th of October 2007 when I first opened Platinum hairdressing. Some of you will already know the story of how I started but I’m going to tell it again just for the craic. 

  
So one hungover Sunday morning I was daydreaming (as usual) trying to find ways to get rich and famous this still hasn’t happened by the way. I was living at home with my parents and Lee was 3 at the time. I was working in a salon in town but Life was far too boring for 26 year old me.  I wanted my own business. I  decided there and then to take the bull by the horns and open my own little salon.

  

  
And so it began,the search for a suitable spot to open, how to get the cash flow, how to become an entrepreneur etc etc. When I think of it now it was a crazy idea but somehow it worked. I got a loan, found a retail unit that was affordable at the time & got started. Luckily my brother came to the rescue and looked after the manual labour which of course I hadn’t a clue about. It took about three months, and so Platinum  hairdressing was born, on a wing and a prayer. I loved that first little salon. I put my heart and soul into it. Literally my blood sweat and tears went into that place, and it was a success. It was hard there were some awful times, but we had some great times there too. With the love and support of the people of Castlebar I managed to keep going through those horrible years when we had no money and life was difficult for everyone.

In 2010 I got the opportunity to move up to Market Sq. Again my brother came to the rescue.This was a great move at the time, as I got a prime location in the busier side of town. Platinum has gone from strength to strength since and I have successfully built a great local following. Some great opportunities have come my way, I’ve met the most amazing people through my work. Ive upskilled at every opportunity. I’ve completed training in Make up to add to my skills. Ive utilised social media to grow my profile and I’ve been very lucky to have such loyal clients who are literally walking advertisement for my salon. I can’t thank my lovely clients and friends enough for this. I owe you guys everything for all your help promoting my salon. I’ve also had the pleasure of styling many brides for their big day. This is an honour and a privilege I’m so delighted to have been part of.

  
2015 has been one crazy year so far. I got married, set up my blog, lost my Mum, went on honeymoon & became an Auntie in six months!!!! How crazy can one persons life actually get??? I honestly think working in the salon has kept me grounded. The routine of coming into work doing a job I truly love was a real help to me through difficult times. I guess I feel most comfortable when I’m in the salon. All my clients have been incredibly kind and supportive to me this past year. Of course Sarah did an amazing job keeping the show on the road while I had some much needed time off. Honestly I don’t know how I’d have managed without her. 
So after all that has happened, it really makes me think. Life is short, and You have to make every year count. Writing this post has reminded me of the intense drive and determination I felt back in 2007. I literally thought that failure wasn’t even an option. I hadn’t even considered that the business might not succeed. Naive stupidity and rose tinted glasses I’d call it these days. As you can imagine I’m delighted with myself. This 8 year milestone is even more special to me as thing were so tough the last few months. I’m living proof that if you want something that much and you work hard enough you can have it.

A good friend of mine passed away recently. Darren trained me as a hairdresser in Galway back in the early 00s. I owe him a lot he was a brilliant teacher and a great friend. He put me on the right road for a fantastic career. I often still practice the basic rules of hairdressing that he instilled into me in those early years. This quote by Eminem is for him. 
Well folks thanks for reading, I know it’s an emotional one. I’m a bit teary eyed after writing it. Thank you for all your continued support.

Love Always,

Maria xx

P.s please hit share xx

Good afternoon Everyone,

Today I am bringing you a little look at the beautiful Bridal party I styled Friday morning in Newport. It was a pleasure to look after Mary and her bridesmaids. The girls were so friendly and We had great craic and banter all morning. Amelda Flaherty from Westport was the make up artist for the bridal party. They all looked stunning by the way. 

 

I had pin curled Mary’s hair in Thursday to ensure the curls would hold. Pin curls work well on most hair types as they help to set the curl in place. I pin curl with a GHD and use light hair grips to hold in place. Covering with a hairnet to keep everything in place. This is comfortable to sleep in. I know because I’ve slept in them many times.

We used clip in extensions to create Mary’s Bridal look. These were also curled on Thursday to allow time to set. I back combed the top section and used a little Schwartzkopf Powder’ful volumizing powder to help it stay in place. I then weaved a few vintage style swirls around the sides and into the back. I love creating a style for a bride and personalising it specifically for them. The style went perfectly with Mary’s Princess style dress from McElhinneys bridal rooms. She looked stunning. 

   
For the Bridesmaids We kept a rustic Autumnal theme. Loose messy chic.

   
 
 

Thanks Mary and girls for having me as part of your big day. It was great fun and I was delighted to be there. Thanks for letting me blog about the lovely experience styling you. 

 

  
 

 
If you would like to see more of my bridal work check out my salon website 

Platinumhairdressing.ie   
As always thank you for reading. Don’t forget to hit that share button.

Bye for now, 

Love Maria xx

  

Hi Everyone 

You have all heard me raving about Image skincare before. I have been using Image since July and I absolutely love it. There is a lot of information out there about all the different skincare brands. It can be confusing at times to know what’s right for you. Firstly let me explain Image are medical based skincare products. This means that Image works beyond the top layer of skin, getting deep into the epidermis. To you and me this means that the new layers of skin coming out have already been treated. A lot of cosmetic based skincare products only work on the first layer of skin where the product is directly applied. As soon as that layer of skin is shed, all the good work is gone with it. Image skincare is a results driven product. This means is it based on what the product can actually do to correct your skin issues. Forget about scents and luxury packaging, because they are not important Image helps you to reach your skin goals. 

Personally I suffer with breakouts on my chin area. My skin is sensitive and reactive it does not respond well to stress.  I can also be dehydrated on the nose and forehead. Last week I started using the Ormedic range from Image to try and deal with the breakouts. I’m using the serum in the morning with my prevention moisturiser. At night I’m using the Ormedic serum and night cream. Aswell as my usual Vitamin c cleanser in the morning, for dehydrated skin and salisylic cleanser at night. I’m very impressed by the Ormedic serum and night cream. They have really helped to can down the breakouts on my chin area. I love the night cream as its so fresh and hydrating. My skin feels so soft after sleeping in it. It’s lovely and calming. 

 

 
Have you tried Image skincare yet?? I’m really delighted with the results. My skin looks much better this week. It’s so hard to get skincare right. Breakouts and patchy skin effect my confidence and make me feel horrible. Thank god I discovered Image. 

  

Pauline Cawleys here in Castlebar stocks Image and the girls are always on hand with loads of tips and advice for me. It’s brilliant to have this fantastic product available here on my doorstep. Pauline Cawleys also do Image facials I haven’t tried them yet but it’s definitely next on my list. Click below to view their website 

Pauline Cawleys Castlebar
 

 
I used Image all week to prepare for my friends wedding last weekend. I felt brilliant on Saturday when my make up went on like a dream.

So that’s my latest update on Image skincare. If you have any questions about Your own skin You can get in touch with Pauline Cawleys beauty clinic Castlebar. The girls there will be able to give professional advice. I would recommend seeking advice from a professional salon before buying these products for the first time. Some of the ingredients are quite strong so you need to know what you are doing. Make sure you mention my blog if you do get in touch. 

As always thanks for reading and please hit share.

Bye for now 

Love Maria xx

Hi Everyone 

 

 
I shared my “Monday brunch” on snapchat earlier. I’m off on Mondays so I usually make myself something nice and tasty while I’m off work.  I nearly always do some meal prep on Mondays to save time during the week.It’s a really easy recipe and super handy for lunch. This is a Unislim friendly recipe but you can make adjustments to suit whatever healthy eating plan you are following. I sometimes take this into work with some salad. It can be reheated in the microwave. So handy for lunchtimes especially when I’m busy and don’t have time to go out and grab something. Anyway here it is, enjoy. 

Ingredients 

• 2 eggs
• 2 rasher medallions 
• 2 fresh tomatoes 
• 4 mushrooms
• 2 yellow pepper
• 1 small onion diced.
• Oregano, basil, black pepper, & pinch of salt.
• 30g parmasen cheese grated. 
• Fry light
•  
  

  ready for the oven

   

Method.

Pre-heat the oven to 190 degrees.Chop the veg and cut the rasher medallions into strips. Fry off the rasher medallions in the fry light and add in the veg. Cook until softened. Spray an oven proof dish with fry light and pour the mixture in. Sprinkle with oregano, basil & a pinch of salt. Beat the 2 eggs and pour over the top. Use the 30g of parmasen to cover the top. Add some black pepper & bake at 190 degrees for 10-12 minutes until the top is browned. 
This recipe is 1.5  Unislim Yums  for the whole  dish, it serves two.  That being for the 30g of parmasen. I served it with a slice of wholemeal brown toast (free to choose on Unislim) some spinach and a little Reduced sugar Heinz ketchup.(free)
Thanks for reading and please share on your social media accounts.

Love Maria xx 

Hi Everyone 

Happy Monday, another week already. As my snapchat followers will know I had a great day on Saturday at my friends wedding. We had such fun getting the bridal party ready. Maureen looked stunning and I was so delighted to have been part of their day. 

 

 
My friend Ashling from Glo beauty clinic did the bridal make up. As always she did an amazing job and all the girls looked stunning. Ashling did my make up for my own wedding back in March. 

 

The wedding was at Breaffy house resort where Maureen works as Wedding Planner. It was a beautiful wedding with fantastic attention to detail. There was a rustic autumnal theme running through the flowers cake etc. 

 
I snapped this gorgeous photo just after I put on Maureen’s veil on Saturday morning. I think it’s a fabulous shot. A great moment to capture. 
 

I pinned curled Maureen’s hair on the Friday evening and left it to set over night. This gives great hold and really helps the style to last all day. I also used a clip in extension from Hairspray to add volume to the style. 

   
For the bridesmaids we kept the rustic autumnal theme going with loose messy side buns. 

   
  

All in all it was a super fun morning and a fantastic day. Massive congrats to Mr and Mrs Toner. If you have any questions about bridal hair feel free to get in contact with me. Maria@mrsdillonsdiary.ie I have styled loads of brides and as a recent bride myself I’ve accumulated a lot of tips and tricks. My salon website is  Platinumhairdressing.ie feel free to have a browse.
Thank you for reading and please hit share.

Love Maria xx

Hi Everyone 

As you know I have been prepping for my friends wedding all week. Any of my snapchat followers will be well up to date on events. So I’ve been skin prepping with my favourite IMAGE products all week. I’ve done some light exfoliating as I’m prone to hormonal breakouts. I usually concentrate on the nose and forehead areas and do a very light sweep on my chin as its very sensitive. I’ve also been using the Image serum and night cream this week. It’s really fabulous and has calmed down the breakout.

 

I done my own tan last night. I rarely do my own tan. I usually get a spray tan. I’ve got six bottles of tan at home that have never been used so I thought I’d use them up. I opted for the Rimmel light matte tan. I don’t wear dark tan at all. I’m quite fair and I love to embrace the pale but I can’t go out totally bare. My Favourite tan is cocoa brown. I thought I’d give the Rimmel a go for a change and I’m very impressed with it. If your like me and you don’t like to be too dark. Definitely try this product.

 

  

So I’m wearing black tomorrow, it’s a River Island dress I bought a few months ago. I’m going to accessorise with Gold. I went for red nails as I’m wearing my favourite lipstick Mac Lady Danger. Keep an eye on my snapchat tomorrow to see my full look.

  

I got these amazing shoes yesterday in New Look in Castlebar. I just love them. They go perfectly with my outfit. This beautiful bag is from Tomorrow’sHeirlooms.ie I just fell in love with it. It reminds me of The Great Gatsby one of my favourite movies. I love the sparkle and extravagance of that era. 

    As I’m styling my friends bridal party in the morning I’m very excited. We done her hair trial on Tuesday and it’s just beautiful. I won’t be able to show you until next week when all the fun is over. My friend Ashling from Glo beauty clinic is doing the Make ups tomorrow. We have worked together many times and it’s always a fun morning in the brides house. Ashling was my make up artist for our wedding back in March. This evening I’m going to prep the brides hair by pin curling it. This will set the curls in place and help to give better hold for tomorrow. 

So that’s it folks. Il do a full post next week with my outfit details. Keep an eye on my snap chat I’m sure there will be loads of wedding selfies going on tomorrow evening.

Bye for now,

Love Maria 

Hi Everyone 

Hope you are all well. As I have mentioned my friends are getting married this weekend. I’m doing lots of prep this week. I think part of the fun of going to a wedding is getting ready. I started off yesterday by drinking loads of water to help hydrate. I also did some food prep. This saves time in the evenings during the week. I have a few jobs to do and fit in a few walks too. So I prepped some meals for the fridge to help keep me on track. 

 

I started off last night by giving my skin a good exfoliation. I used Image skincare total resurfacing masque.  Afterwards I used Glamglow thirsty mud to hydrate. Getting rid of dead skin is essential before a big event. To ensure flawless make up. 
  
Today I went to Pauline Cawleys for my waxing. I get my brows, bikini, legs and underarms waxed. (I know, your thinking she still hasn’t got laser???) That will be my next project after Invisalign. I’m loving my freshly done brows they are lovely and dark and defined. Rebecca always looks after me in Pauline Cawleys and she always does a brilliant job. 

Tonight it’s time to do a super body exfoliation. My favourite product for the job has to be cocoa brown tough stuff. It’s just fantastic. I use it dry first to scrub all over then jump in the shower and wash it all away. This actually doubles up as a great foot scrub too. 

 

 
Followed by my favourite body moisturiser from soap and glory. This is super hydrating and smells divine. 

 

 
I’m going to do another Olaplex treatment on my hair tomorrow. I’m so in love with the results from Olaplex. My hair is so shiny and soft I just love it. 

 

So that’s it for today folks I’m off for a walk now. I need to think of fitting into my dress come Saturday.

Bye for now and thanks for reading. Don’t forget to hit share.

Love Maria  

Hi Everyone 

We have been having great success in the salon this week with Olaplex. We have done some beautiful work. A few transformations that would not have been possible without this fantastic product. As I have explained before Olaplex is a bonder which we add to our colours to help prevent hair breakage during the colouring process. We complete the process at the basin by sealing the Olaplex in with step 2. Olaplex can also be used as an in salon treatment. It goes on dry hair first for ten minutes then step 2 is completed at the basin. Hair is shampooed and conditioned after Olaplex. 

 

This colour change was carried out by Sarah in the salon. 

 

  
I did this beautiful combo of balyage and babylights on Saturday. I love the colour combination. It’s a perfect Autumn shade. 

This full head of meche highlights with Olaplex was done over a month ago before my friend went on holidays. On Friday we done an Olaplex treatment just for some shine and condition after being in the sun. The result is beautiful and it looks freshly done again. Having an Olaplex treatment done in the salon is a great way to freshen up your colour after a few weeks.
 

 
Olaplex is not just for blondes it’s suitable for all hair types. This amazing red shade is just beautiful. The owner of this fabulous mane is getting married next year. We are on a beautiful hair mission in preparation for her big day.

  

  
 

   
You can check out my salon website 

By clicking here

There is a full price list available online. Olaplex costs €20 add onto any service. You can find all information about us on there. As always thanks for reading. As I’m using social media to grow my blog please share any posts you find useful on your social media accounts. 

Love, Maria xx