Hello Folks 

I’m sharing my client Debbie’s hair journey today. This is a colour change I’m especially proud of . Although all of them give Me that warm fuzzy feeling, this one was a #peach literally 🤣😭

Debbie has been My client for a few Years now. We’ve had some great in salon bants about weight loss, weights, muscles, doms, recipes etc etc I was lucky enough to be Debbie’s bridal stylist for her wedding last May. I always look forward to her visits. Earlier this year She trusted Me to cut her waist length hair up to her shoulder. As always it was beautiful and She wears it so well. 

So a few weeks ago Debbie text Me to ask about changing from her trademark red mane. She told Me her goal is to go blonde but she understands  it will take time. Having just completed my Advanced Colour Specialist degree (My second degree) with renowned colour wizard Ger Hand. Alfaparf tech manager extrordinaire, in January. I was confident I could do the job with a little patience and a few technical tricks. 

So I began plotting and planning the task. Here’s where it gets technical and might be boring for any non hairdressers. Debbie’s hair is in excellent condition and I knew all of its chemical history that always helps. As You can see from the above pic there was quite a bit of red to remove. I began the cleanse with 4 scoops of Alfaparf EQ with 30 Volume I used 40g of HS bond rebuilder (essential for this kind of work) I began by loading the PL and working it through section by section. Half way through I had to mix the same again. Yes I needed that much product to ensure even lift. Soaking the hair in PL is vital to remove cosmetic colour pigments. Once complete I left it process for 55 minutes (  full development time)

After full development time I rinsed and applied Hair Supporters Hair and scalp restore. I dried it off and was left with a natural root, coral midband and peachy ends. I went back with cleanse no 2. I used PL & 30 volume with Hair Supporters on the midband only. I then applied bond rebuilder and water to her ends as a mini treatment & to protect in case of any overlap.  On her root section I applied PL & 20volume with HS scalp protector and bond rebuilder (again in case of slight overlap where the 30volume was) Always ensuring that the hair & scalp are protected. Once the natural hair was covered I skimmed over the ends with PL & 20 volume over the bond rebuilder to clean out any old pigments that might be left. 

After full development time I rinsed and applied Hair & scalp restore for 10 mins. Rinsed, dried and went in with my toner. On the root section (which was now pale yellow) I used Alfaparf harmonisers shade 0.13 which has Biomemetic keratin technology to fill out any porosity issues. I added a pump of red, 2 pumps violet & 1 pump of copper pigments to give me the Dusky peach shade I wanted. I applied this to the root section. 

I needed a little more cool tones for the  ends (which had a peachy tone) I used Harmonizers 01 with a pump of violet and a pump of copper. I used 5 volume 1:3 to blow out the tone and give me an even result. (All I needed really was the dusky part added to pre existing peach) Development time 20 mins. 

The results were stunning and Debbie’s hair is still in fantastic condition. I’m sharing this information to help other hairdressers and also to show how much skill is actually involved. If You are thinking of having this done You need to book with a hairdresser that specialises in Colour change. It’s not just about getting the look on the day it’s about having the knowledge to preserve the condition as it’s always My priority. 

Home care I reccomended for Debbie was Alfaparf Reconstruction shampoo & mask. If You need any advice or would like to book an appointment You can contact Me on 0949035835 

Hope You enjoyed this post and share it with anyone You think might enjoy it. 

Thanks for reading 

Love Maria xx 

www.platinumhairdressing.ie

Hi Everyone 

I’m back with a yummy recipe today. I made a  veggie version of this on good Friday and it was divine. Today I used Turkey in it to keep to my protein goals. It’s lovely with or without meat. I used quark a low fat soft cheese to make the sauce it’s high in protein low in fat. Quark makes a lovely creamy sauce. I hope You enjoy this recipe kindly give it a share if You can.

(The meat & sauce can be served with rice or potatoes instead of a bake. It’s very versatile) adapt it as you like. 

Thanks as always 

Love 

Maria 

Ingredients 

250g quark 

300g diced Turkey / Chicken (optional) 

Breadcrumbs (slimbo in the nutribullet) 

Oxo cube in half cup of hot water 

Frylight 

Chopped veg (mushroom onion peppers spinach)

Steamed Broccoli

Garlic orageno, pepper sea salt. 

Grated cheese 

Method 

Fry off the onions, peppers Turkey in frylight add some garlic, pepper oregano. Add the mushrooms and stir well. Add in the stock and leave on a low heat to simmer for 5 mins. 

Remove from heat and slowly add the quark while stirring until it forms into a sauce consistency. 

(At this point You can serve it with whatever carb source You wish)

To make the bake. Line a baking dish with steamed broccoli. Top with the creamy turkey sauce. Add a handful of spinach. Top with the cheese and finish off with the breadcrumbs. Sprinkle a tiny bit of cheese on top and seasalt. 

Bake for 10-15 mins until golden. 
This amount makes three portions. I made 1 bake and kept two aside for tomorrow to have with potatoes or rice. 

Hello Folks 

Just a quick little recipe for today. Here’s a handy one for some healthy nachos. You can add whatever toppings you like. This is a veggie version but would work with minced beef either. Homemade guacamole would also be fab. I had to make this fit my plan so had to leave out the Avocados on this occasion. This is a great treat for a movie night while still keeping it healthy. 
Enjoy 

Love 

Maria 

Xx

Ingredients 

1 wrap 

Frylight

Paprika 

Chilli powder 

Sea salt 

Toppings 

Cucumber, spinach tomatoes onions finely chopped. 

Balsamic vinegar 

Quark (low fat high protein soft cheese) 

Jalepenos 

Cheddar cheese 

Fresh coriander (optional)

Doritos brand Salsa. (Any salsa but this one has very low macros) 

Method 

Line a baking tray & spray with frylight 

Chop the wrap into triangles & spray with frylight. Coat with paprika chilli powder & seas salt. 

Bake for 5-7 mins until crispy & golden keep an eye on them as will burn easily. 

Arrange on plate as top with cheddar return to oven for 2 mins until melted. 

Mix the salad with balsamic vinegar & arrange on top of the nachos. Top with jalepenos, quark, salsa & coriander. 

Hi Everyone 

Hope You are all well. This week I hit a huge milestone. I hit Four Stone weight loss.   My “lifestyle project” began back in February 2013. Just to give a small bit of background for anyone that doesn’t know. I have run my own business since October 2007. On opening my salon and putting all my time and energy into getting it off the ground despite the finiancial crises of 2008. I really didn’t look after myself at all. I stopped exercising and cooking healthy meals. I picked up some very poor habits. Using wine & junk food to relax, grabbing chicken fillet rolls from delis and frothy full fat cappuccinos. You can fill in the blanks yourselves, by the time 2013 rolled around I had acquired four stone of fat. 

I never hated myself when I was that big I wasn’t even that unhappy at the time but I didn’t feel like Myself. I just wasn’t Me I felt very lost and out of place in my own body if that makes sense. I joined Slimming world at the start of the year and it served Me well as a stepping stone and got Me on the right road. It’s funny I laugh now but I actually thought all I needed to lose was one stone when I first joined. At the end of that year We got engaged and the pressure was on for wedding dress shopping. I guess that’s what really pushed me to try and lose more. The fear of going up the aisle fat was enough to put the fear of God into Me. In 2014 I joined Motivation clinic in Castlebar. There I made Great progress and learned a lot about eating habits. I learned about Myself and why I had problems with self control. I learned how to relax using other methods and slowly I navigated my way out of those bad habits. I took time, a long time but I was changing slow and steady. 

2015 came and Our fabulous wedding. Unfortunately a few months later We got the news that my Mum was terminally Ill. It was a horrific time for us all. Very stressful with a lot of heartache. Those who have lived through grief know exactly what I’m talking about. It really was a terrible time and the months that followed her death in August were just awful. The depression, anxiety and sadness carried into 2016. I was a member of Unislim during that time and I really believe it helped Me to maintain my weight loss. At that point I couldn’t even think about making progress it wasn’t a priority. I managed to maintain throughout that time which is an achievement in itself. 

Joining the gym in 2016 was the best thing I ever done. It really helped Me emotionally through a very difficult time. At that point I felt so low and all I wanted was to feel better. I began an online group plan with Georgiasfitlife.com It was a beginners plan teaching ladies with no experience how to start lifting weights.  If You need help with Your personal goals drop Georgia an email. She has helped Me loads Im currently on my third personalised plan. I have made great progress over the past year.  I love going to the gym and I actually really look forward to it. I love putting on my headphones and switching off from the world. It’s therapy aswell as working towards my goals. 

Keeping up a healthy lifestyle is a lot more mental than physical. We really need to focus on our emotional wellbeing. Dealing with our actual problems and facing them head on instead of becoming obsessed with fat loss, hiit, refeeds, mealprep and lowfat low carb etc etc. The reality is that none of it even matters, nothing matters only the way that You feel inside. Making our own emotional wellbeing and feeling of self worth the number one priority is the first step in the war on fat. In my personal experience weight gain is only a symptom of deeper running emotional needs that have been stifled or ignored for too long. 

When I began to look after myself, I was able to tackle my bad habits one by one. I found ways to unwind that didn’t involve chomping down on junk food. Finding ways to find that “inner calm” was easier than I thought. A hot shower, new pajamas, fresh bedsheets, a roaring fire in Winter.  There are more pleasures in life than just food. Even though I am a total foodie but it’s all healthy stuff these days. Home cooked and yummy and all on my plan. 

And so it continues, it’s a lifelong project by Me for Me. I’m addicted and just love the feeling of progressing while enjoying myself and living the life I love. Eating good food, training for fun. It’s all good and I’m very happy. 

Thanks For reading my story and I hope You found it helpful. Please share it with anyone You think might like to read it. 

Love Maria 

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Hello Everyone 

Hope You are all well. I’m reporting today on a divine treatment I was lucky enough to experience last week. I was invited by Anne Tobin to review her signature treatment Lymphatic drainage massage at her quaint little clinic in New Line Castlebar. 

Lymphatic drainage helps to escort fatty deposits out of the body (no harm in my opinion) Areas of stubborn fat are awakened using a massage technique to help move fluid along the lymph glands giving a helping had to the body’s natural drainage system. 

So what happens during the treatment??

Firstly Anne starts off with a good old fashioned vigorous massage on the legs, bum & back. Getting right into those stubborn fatty areas helping to increase blood flow to the area & encourage those fat cells to move along. 

Next step is the mechanical part of the massage. Using a vibration system to get right into those glutes and hamstrings. This part is so relaxing I was ready to nod off. 

Step three the lymphatic cocoon is placed around the body (kinda like a sleeping bag) This is an air cushioned inhale exhale device. Best way I can describe this is like when getting blood pressure taken. The tightening & loosening effect. Again it’s very relaxing. 

As someone who regularly trains legs in the gym I really enjoyed this treatment. I found the massage really helped loosen out any muscle stiffness. I really noticed the difference in my leg workouts after the treatment. Mobility was improved. As I stand a lot for work my legs can get very tired. Anne reccomends three treatments to get results so I’m having one done again this week. This is a perfect pre holiday treatment to have done for bikini season. Great for busting cellulite while getting the blood flowing into the booty. What could be better. 

As I’m currently working hard on building up my glutes every little helps. I’d highly reccomend this treatment. As Anne is fully trained in sports massage it’s an excellent treatment for anyone who trains regularly aswell as being perfect for aesthetic or relaxation purposes too. 

You can contact Anne at her beauty & body clinic on 094 90  26741 for details. 

Thank you for reading and as always please share.

Love Maria 

Xx