Hope You are all well. As I’m sure You have all heard I’m organising an event in Breaffy house resort on Sunday September 4th. It’s a ladies afternoon there will be Hair & Make up demos, a fitness talk and I have a fabulous lady to chat to You all about the importance of emotional well being. There will be a break for afternoon tea and a glass of bubbles and a chance to chat and browse stands. 

We will be holding a raffle and a collection on the day to raise funds for Breast Cancer Research. As You know this is close to my own heart and I’d love to contribute in some way to the cause. A few business have already got in touch to donate raffle prizes. Thank You to all who have contributed so far. If anyone else would like to donate a voucher or a prize please contact me on Facebook or at Maria@mrsdillonsdiary.ie 

I’m hoping the day will be a huge success I think it’s time We had an event like this in Castlebar. It will be a lovely opportunity for a girls day out for a bit of fun and hopefully We all come away from the day having learned somthing. Let me know what You think??

Tickets are available to purchase at eventbrite. 

Here
Please note this is a ticket only event, as there is food being served and goodybags.  Please purchase Your tickets in advance to avoid dissapointment. Keep an eye on my snapchat for updates on the coming weeks Mrspdilly2b 

I’m looking forward to meeting Some of You at the event. Let me know if Your coming along. 

Love Maria xx

The post Ladies Afternoon September 4th Breaffy house resort.  appeared first on Mrs. Dillon's Diary.

I hope You are all well. This week I tried out the Cailyn o! Wow brush along with the Cailyn BB compact foundation. I have to say I was very impressed with both. I have dehydrated skin and it has taken me ages to find a foundation I love for everyday wear. The Cailyn BB compact in shade no 2 sandstone (for me) gives lovely coverage but it’s not too heavy. It’s creamy and hydrating. I can be dry and flaky around my nose area. After a few hours my foundation can look very cakey. This was NOT the case with the Cailyn BB compact. Even after 7/8 hours on it was still perfect. I didn’t have that tight itchy feeling. I didn’t need to use any powder to set it as it dries to a lovely velvet finish while still remaining dewy. 

I had heard of Cailyn from a few other bloggers on snapchat. I was very interested in trying out the o! Wow foundation brush. So I had a look on the Cailyn Ireland website  and purchased the brush and the foundation. With postage It was just under €60 for the two. I love this brush, it’s just fabulous. So easy to blend and it’s the perfect size with a pointed top for hard to reach areas. It’s ideal for applying foundation and to blend in consealers, contour and highlight. You can also use it with powders but I think it really excels with liquid or cream products. It blends foundation and consealers effortlessly leaving a flawless finish.

I don’t really tend to write many product reviews but when I find something that’s really good I will share it with You.  I know a few of my snapchat followers have already ordered the brush after watching me use it on Friday. Don’t forget to snap me and let me know how You get on if You order it. 

I actually wore the foundation again on Saturday and even wore it out on Saturday night. It’s perfect for my skin and lasts very well. 

As always thank you for reading and please share this post.

Love Maria xx

The post Cailyn o! Wow brush & BB compact review. appeared first on Mrs. Dillon's Diary.

Magic stuff

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. 

My skin is much better this week

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
 

Skin prep using Image

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

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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. 

Quiona and lamb salad lunchbox

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. 

Best body scrub ever

Available from Boots

€20 add on to any service

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

Love Maria  

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We are just home from the first ever Mayo Style awards in Breaffy house. The style awards were ran by the Connaught Telegraph and a great night was had by all. I was very lucky to make it into the final three in the category for Best in Hairdressing. I was very excited as it was my first time getting through for any kind of award. The category was won by Allure hairdressing with my salon PLATINUM hairdressing  and LS hair parlour as runners up. 

  
 
It was wonderful to be selected as a finalist and to be part of such a great event. There was loads of publicity for the businesses involved in the Connaught telegraph which created a great buzz locally.  The night itself was a very glamorous occasion with great craic and banter from MC Toni Bourke. Breaffy house did a great job looking after us with a lovely meal, there was dancing later on too. We had just arrived home from our honeymoon in Mexico today so we were exhausted otherwise We would have stayed much later. 
 

With Lynda mc Nally from LS hair parlour in Westport

So very proud

Even Mr Dillon enjoyed the night

  
My clutch  & earrings are from Tomorrow’s Heirlooms.ie .I did my own hair & make up. Face is Benefit foundation, Youngblood powder, pippa palate, the lipstick is MAC honey love which I bought in America. Benefit they’re real mascara. All in all I thought I looked great for a lady who only got off a plane from the U.S at 7 am.

I cant resist a bathroom selfie

Fresh faced , thank god for make up.

  
Bye for now,

Love Maria xx

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Hope You are all well, I’m relaxing poolside here so Just thought I’d write a little post on the Holiday essentials I really couldn’t live without. I hadn’t really time to dwell on the packing situation, due to the horrendous few weeks we had leading up our honeymoon. Under normal circumstances I would have been much better organised but that couldn’t have been helped.  Il be much better prepared for our next holiday. 

Available from Platinum

New York was really humid and my hair was a disaster.One thing I will definitely do for my next holiday is get a lisse design smoothing treatment done before I go away,we do this in my salon. As my hair was just impossible to style. I’d start blowdrying it and by the time I had finished it was nearly damp again even with aircon. There was a different voltage on the power points here and even with a plug adaptor my hairdryer wouldn’t work properly. Disaster.com!!!! There was a dryer in the hotel but no nozzle on it agggggghhhhhhh! I really loved New York but I really don’t know how anyone has nice hair in the place. 

Available from pauline cawleys castlebar

Skinwise, this image prevention tinted moisturiser was my saving grace. I wore it during the day in New York and I’m wearing it all the time since we arrived in Cancun. It’s hydrating but lightweight and comfortable for wearing in the heat. It gives just the right amount of colour but still looks natural. Trust me walking around Manhattan in 30 + degree heat  is not the place for a full face of make up. 

 At night I wore a light foundation(benefits) with Youngblood powder, mascara, my brows (of course) a little shadow, blush and lippy. I took my pippa palate with me on holidays. It’s absolutely perfect for taking away as its so neat and handy saves a lot of space. I picked up a few bits from MAC over here I will do a full post on my purchases soon. 
 

Carmines Italian on Broadway for MrDillons birthday.

 The next essential item for New York is a pair of suitable walking shoes. I took my Nike Thea’s I wear these at work so they were perfect. We walked for miles around the city. This was a great way to explore and see as much as possible. We packed a lot into our three days. I tell you I was glad of my Nikes because we were walking for hours. 

Available from Lifestyle sports castlebar

Another item I could not have lived without was a pair of New look patterned light trousers from last summer. They are so handy here in Cancun , light and comfortable and perfect to wear for dinner with a vest top and flip flops. I’m so glad I packed them. Shorts and skirts are great but in hot sweaty weather a pair of light pants can be a godsend. 

I’d definitely recommend taking , a bottle of aloe Vera gel. I burnt my shins of all places. I wouldn’t mind but I never get a colour on my legs EVER! I had to buy aloe Vera gel at the hotel and it was something ridiculous like $16. For my next holiday I will definitely bring my own. Anyway they are on the mend so no harm done. 

  
I also read two excellent books. The girl on the train  and Gone girl. I honestly couldn’t put them down. I would highly recommend both. I love reading on holidays I will definitely try to read more once I return home.

Well that’s all for today folks, if anyone has any questions about our trip or is thinking of booking somthing similar. Feel free to comment or contact me privately on maria@mrsdillonsdiary.ie

As always thank you for reading.

Love Maria xx 
 
  

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So dare I say it? But since I am in the mid thirties zone, my skin has really changed. I suffered with oily skin and breakouts for years. I had loads of excellent products to deal with oily skin.  I always used a full coverage foundation like MAC studio fix fluid, set with Mineralize skin finish powder. This combo worked brilliantly, for years. It covered up my breakouts, acne scars etc, it was fantastic. However that all changed in recent months, I began to notice my MAC foundation was really uncomfortable, my skin was patchy, itchy and red after use. At first I thought it was the product, until I realised. My skin has changed.

Of course It makes perfect sense, How can the same foundation still suit You after nearly TEN YEARS, Yes You read that correctly, I have been wearing Studio fix since around 2005. Of course I don’t have the same skin at 34 that I had at 24. How silly of me, but I had become so used to the product that I never changed. I did change my shade back in 2011 from NC35, What was I thinking??? To a much more realistic NC20. Now don’t get me wrong, If I am going to a wedding or a long day out, I will always use Studio fix fluid, as my foundation. Its fantastic for long wear, it really lasts all day. But for daily use It no longer suits me, as it contains too much talc and dries out my dehydrated skin.

Available from Glo beauty clinic castlebar

MAC is my favourite brand to work with, When I’m doing a make up application in the salon. I feel I can trust it 100% I know it will last for clients. If a lady is coming into me for her make up she’s usually going to a wedding and needs it to last all day. I tend to stick with MAC foundations, powders, eye shadows & Lipsticks, while working in the salon.

My daily foundation

However, I have had to re-evaluate my own personal make up bag lately. I now need very hydrating make up products for my skin. I’ve recently been introduced to the Benefit “hello flawless” foundation, I love it, I use it with the YOUNGBLOOD mineral powder. These two seem to work really well on my skin. I have loads of coverage but I’m still Hydrated. I feel like my skin can breathe, and It lasts all day. I can wear this combo to work and it has not dried out my skin so far so good. I’ve recently been given a sample of YOUNGBLOOD liquid mineral foundation which I will try out soon and review it. I’ve heard great things so I’m dying to give it a try.

Next to try

So the question is, are You stuck in Foundation Rut?? Have You used the same foundation for years like me, and failed to re-evaluate Your make up bag. Change is great, don’t be afraid of it. Fresh dewy skin is all the rage these days. Matte powdery faces can be aging. Ask at the cosmetic counters for a sample and try before You buy. I’m glad I took the leap and tried something new.

As always ladies, thank You for reading,

Leave me a comment, Share this post if You found it useful.

Love, Maria xx

The post Re-evaluation of my foundation. appeared first on Mrs. Dillon's Diary.

We are busy getting ready for Race week, and of course the bank holiday weekend. I just thought Id do a little post on “the prep” required as its something I’m asked about regularly. These are just a few hints and tips that help to prep for a big event.

* If You are coming to the salon for curls or an up-style, Wash and dry Your hair the night before. Its better to blast it dry with a hairdryer as this will help to smooth the cuticle down and it will have a better shine the next day. Letting the natural oils settle overnight will ensure the style holds better for You.

*If You feel that Your hair might be oily or feel a bit sticky, or You just prefer it freshly washed. This is me by the way.   Its fine to wash and dry it, but it MUST be 100% DRY by the time You arrive at the salon, to use heated styling tools. So set Your alarm and have Your powerful dryer at the ready for the job.

*Ghd curls or wand curls are quick and very effective, You can be in and out in thirty minutes for this appointment. We do these regularly in the salon and they are always popular. Due to our crazy Irish weather I recommend Ghd or wand curls as I know they have good lasting power. When Your poor hair is up against wind, rain & possible humidity, Heated styling tools and extra hairspray is the only job to guarantee hold. This is also a hell of a lot more pleasant than having Twenty hot brushes stuck in Your head. Ouch  

*For the faces, I recommend exfoliating, lightly a few times in the run up to a big event. My own skin can be sensitive and reactive to salty exfoliators so if You are prone to breakouts go easy on the grainy exfoliators. There are some lovely gentle exfoliators out there like the decleor phytopeal, or Dermalogica gentle cream exfoliant. These are nice and mild and shouldn’t cause a reaction. If Your skin is able for it, Boots botanics microdermabrasion polish is brilliant. Do not use this on sensitive or reactive skin.  It is great for removing dead or dull  skin leaving You with a smooth fresh complexion.

*This advise goes for the body too if you are using tan regularly a good exfoliation and moisturise after with a good body cream will really help with Your tan. I love the Cocoa Brown Tough Stuff to exfoliate and I use a Dove body cream for afterwards.

*Make sure You hydrate Your skin by drinking plenty water, use a heavier cream at night. my favourite is the Glamglow thirsty mud. Its fantastic stuff, I sleep in it, but my skin is dehydrated and needs the extra moisture. Use a good eye-cream morning and night. I love the Benefit “its potent” at the moment.

* Have Your eyebrows shaped and tinted professionally. Honestly this is so important. No make up will look right if there’s tiny hairs left on Your brows. having them shaped professionally will take years off You and You will feel so much better with them done. It will lift Your whole face, and a little bit of tint makes it easy to fill them in Yourself. I always get mine done in Pauline Cawleys in Castlebar. Rebecca does mine but all the girls are good. Check the salon out,

here

So that’s it ladies, I hope I’ve answered Your questions, feel free to comment or ask a question. I hope this helps With Your preparations and enjoy Race week.

You can contact me on 0949035835 for hair and make up appointments.

Thanks for reading

Love, Maria

The post Hair & Make up Prep for Wedding\Races appeared first on Mrs. Dillon's Diary.

We had lunch from 1-2 so I stopped by the Benefit counter in Brown Thomas Where I met a lovely lady called Pamela. I am only recently becoming aquatinted with Benefit. If You have been following me for a while You will know I recently wrote a post on

“They’re real” liners and mascaras over on my Platinum site, read it,

here

So Pamela sat me down and talked me through, Its potent, eye cream with contains apple seed extract and is great for dehydrated under eyes, which I suffer from. She also showed me the fabulous serum “Instant Comeback” I loved these two products,they are definitely my next purchases.

I treated myself to the “They’re Real” Purple liner, I already have the black & I tried the green a few weeks ago. I love the purple with my blue eyes and its so easy to use too. I love the pop of colour its a refreshing change from black.

Pamela introduced me to “fake up” which is a fab, hydrating under eye concealer, its literally on a stick, and contains rich hydrating cream as well as colour, it hydrates and brightens, in one go. Excellent product and perfect to have in Your handbag.

The real gem for me, and I have raved about it on my previous post, is the “They’re real” Eye make up remover. Its just amazing stuff, its strong enough to take off the heaviest eye make up, but gentle on my dehydrated sensitive eyes. An amazing product definitely well worth the investment, as a lot of rubbing on the delicate eye area is not good and can be very aging, and lets face it no one needs that.

The main thing I love about Benefit is the Benefit girls are so friendly and full of helpful information. It is also available to us here in Castlebar. It can be annoying sometimes reading great reviews of products online but I cant try them out locally. I need to see them to make up my mind, but that’s just me being nosey

The Benefit girls Triona and Laura in Stauntons pharmacy are always on hand to explain how to use the products. This makes such a difference to the customer, as we need this valuable information to use the products properly. Ive had two brilliant experiences at Benefit counters in the last few weeks. One with Triona in Castlebar and Yesterday with Pamela in Brown Thomas. I think the Benefit counter will be seeing a lot more of me in future.

Benefit is available here in Castlebar in Stauntons Pharmacy and are also available from Brown Thomas online, buy them.

here

As always thanks for reading, and make sure You mention me when You stop by the Benefit counter.

Love Maria xx

The post My new love Benefit cosmetics appeared first on Mrs. Dillon's Diary.

I did my own make up, I used my new inglot eyeshadows.

I did a cranberry inspired eye with a skinny black line.
Sarah put on a few individual lashes for me to add impact.
I used MAC mineralize foundation with Youngblood powder over it on my face and MAC cream blush in hush to highlight.

Here I am leaving the salon ready to go.
I wanted a chic sixties inspired look, but with a summery feel.
I left my hair with a loose messy, finish, to keep it soft and summery.
I added a coral lip colour to complete the look.

My Dress is from River Island and Its a really good fit.
Hugs the curves perfectly.
I wore a pair of rose gold block heeled sandals from Dorothy Perkins.
My hat is from Jennifer Wrynne.

I loved my look, I felt really glamorous all day and night.
I feel this dress suits my shape.
I always tend to go quite classic when it comes to dresses.
Fitted dresses are kinder on the tummy area, for me anyway.
Also I need a long hemline.
I love the mesh effect on this dress, understated sexiness at its finest.
Myself and Mr Dillon had a great time at Mount Falcon.
We treated ourselves to an overnight stay as well.
It really is a lovely hotel, the food was amazing, & the rooms are gorgeous too.

Thanks for reading folks,
See You again soon,

Love, Mrs Dillon xx

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