The Used

1.) Diorskin Nude, Natural Glow Radiant Foundation; 2.) Lush, Dream Cream; 3.) Lush, Eau Roma Water; 4.) Neal's Yard, Wildrose Hand Cream (sample); 5.) Neal's Yard, Rose Facial Polish (sample); 6.) Lush, Grease Lightening; 7.) Batiste, Dry Shampoo; 8.) Oilatum Junior Cream; 9.) Better You, Magnesium Oil Joint Spray; 10.) Lush, Fresh Farmacy Facial Cleanser; 11.) Lush, Full of Grace; 12.) Lush, Dirty Toothy Tabs; 13.) Lush, Ocean Salt; 14.) Rimmel, Precious Stones; 15.) Rimmel, 60 Seconds

Everyone, please take this opportunity to turn to the nearest reader and hold hands. This might get a little bit confusing and we don't want to lose anyone along the way.


I often read the fabulous beauty blog over at Cassykins Vs. The World. She puts together wonderful product reviews each month called "The Used". Cassy told me she jacked the idea from Larie at Eye Heart It. Hopefully, that gives everyone their due credit for coming up with such a great idea because honestly, I got really excited coming across all these lovely new products and have been dying to share them with you.

1.) Diorskin Nude, Natural Glow Radiant Foundation:
The claims -

 Emblematic of the range, this light, melting foundation has become a cult product. It provides a subtle velvet finish with just the right amount of correction, revealing the skin's texture and adding natural, shine-free radiance for a perfect natural glow.

The reality -
Sounds about right to me! I fell in love with this stuff. I actually got to test it for the first time while in Dublin International Airport. I was in the duty free section (A.K.A. "heaven" for a beauty addict.), when I got to test it against Chanel's PERFECTION LUMIÈRE. Both were fabulous and created an incredible velvet finish. If money was no object, I would have happily walked away with both but since we're dealing in reality here and I'm not independently wealthy, I chose Diorskin Nude for my everyday look. It's light, weightless, and your skin truly does look like it's glowing. I liked that it looked just the tiniest bit more natural than the Chanel. If I wore more retro looks on a daily basis, I would've chosen the Chanel. It gave a slightly more matte finish.

2.)  Lush, Dream Cream:
The claims -

A soothing and cooling cream that is designed to go on even the most sensitive and easily upset skins.

The reality -
This is an amazing cream. It's light, soothing, non-greasy, and it leaves my skin feeling fantastic. For me, this is a great day time cream.

3.)  Lush, Eau Roma Water:
The claims -

Can be used for removing traces of cleansers and face products – but can also be used at any time of the day as a quick facial refresher or to cool the face.

The reality - 

I don't even know if I have the words. I'm addicted to this stuff. I love the smell. It really does leave my skin feeling cleaner, fresher, and softer than it does with just cleansers alone. My skin loves it.

4.) Neal's Yard, Wildrose Hand Cream:
The claims -

I can't locate the claims. This was a sample given to me when I asked for rose based products.

The reality -
This is a heavy cream and the smell is completely wondrous  It truly smells like wildrose's and for that alone, you'll find me with my nose sticking in the container. This is a great cream for when you're going out into colder weather and need a little extra oomph to protect dry hands.

5.) Neal's Yard, Rose Facial Polish:
The claims - 

Again, this was a sample from when I asked for rose based products. 

The reality - 
This is a great facial polish. My skin feels soft, smooth and yes, it smells fantastic. 

6.) Lush, Grease Lightening:
The claims -

Grease Lightning is a clever combination of natural ingredients that attack spots without taking it out on the rest of your skin.

The reality -
This gel is clear, light and non-sticky. I applied this to a spot and it definitely made a difference. Unfortunately, it's no miracle product but it's the best I've found so far. Definitely worth a try if you're in the market for a spot treatment.

7.) Batiste, Dry Shampoo
The claims -

Batiste Dry Shampoo instantly refreshes your hair between washes, leaving it feeling gorgeously clean and fresh with added body and texture.

The reality -
 Let's get serious for a minute. This stuff smells nice, it lets me skip a wash, it gives added body and texture, but my hair definitely does not feel gorgeously clean. It also makes my brunette hair look grey if I'm not careful in how I apply it. I think this is a great product because, well - I'm lazy, busy, and often pressed for time. It's still a winner for me despite it's claims not feeling like they're 100% on point.

 8.) Oilatum Junior Cream
The claims-

Specially developed for childrens and babies itchy dry skin conditions. It is effective, gentle on sensitive skin.

The reality -
I was skeptical about this stuff at first. My 7 year old caught a virus which triggered a severe eczema outbreak. I chose this cream to help treat it because eczema needs a weighty cream. This is a cream that you want to apply at night before sleeping, when you don't need to go out of the house or be seen. It leaves your skin feeling baby soft.

9.) Better You, Magnesium Oil Joint Spray
The claims -

 Ideal for application onto joint and muscle areas and as an aid to stiffness and discomfort. The formula is exceptionally well absorbed. The smell is extremely pleasant however little or no aroma remains on the skin (unlike linaments or creams) after a few minutes of application.

The reality -
This stuff is great for stiff and painful muscles. It's helped me with charlie horses, cramps, and stiff muscle aches. It leaves a sort of odd residue on the skin and sometimes tingles when applied so I would save this for evening applications when you're not leaving the house.

10.) Lush, Fresh Farmacy Facial Cleanser
The claims -

To make this soap gentle enough for use on the face, we cut down the amount of soap in it and replace it with other ingredients to help the skin. This makes a mild soap that is great for both face and body.

The reality -
This stuff is amazing. My combination skin is left clean, clear, and oil free without feeling overly dry.

11.) Lush, Full of Grace
The claims -

You can use Full of Grace to moisturise your skin daily, to give yourself a facial massage and is perfect as a night cream. Also great for use before face masks.

The reality -
Seriously, I'm starting to think I'm addicted to Lush products. The smell of this bar is probably one of my favorites. If I'm totally honest this bar is best for night time application for my combination skin. When I apply it twice a day, I tend to break out a little. Make no mistake though, I love this bar and will continue to use it at night. Meanwhile, I'll keep looking for a day time moisturizer.

12.) Lush, Dirty Toothy Tabs
The claims -

By making solid toothpaste, we’ve been able to get away from the plastic and aluminum tubes normally associated with toothpaste. This means nothing need go in landfill from these – just pop the cardboard box in your recycling when you’re finished.

The reality -
No doubt about it, these things are weird. They really took some getting used to but after using them a few times I really liked them. My teeth feel clean and look great. After using them for 6 months, my dentist praised how well I take care of my teeth. The convenience factor of carrying them in my purse when I'm going out is a true bonus.

 13.) Lush, Ocean Salt
The claims -

We have taken lashings of fine sea salt to scrub and clean and mixed it with lots of great things that will moisturise and treat the skin.

The reality -
I'M ADDICTED TO THIS STUFF. I'm sorry but I just can't help it. This stuff is exciting. This stuff is gorgeous. I adore the way it smells, the way it looks, the way my skin feels after I'm done using it. As far as scrubs go, I'm not 100% confident that my dermatologist would approve of the salt flakes over the round granules in the Neal's Yard Rose Facial Polish I mentioned above, but I just don't care. I can't help myself around this product. **UPDATE: I finally realized the smell of this stuff makes me think of frozen margaritas! I don't know about you, but I'm normally having a pretty good time if there are frozen margaritas involved. So go on - grab a frozen margarita for your face everybody!

14.) Rimmel, Precious Stones in Diamond Dust and 15.) Rimmel, 60 Seconds in Silver Bullet
The claims -

Precious stones: This is high coverage glitter nail polish! Supercharged with sparkles, turn your nails in to dazzling gems.

60 seconds: XpressTM brush for 1 second application. Dries in less than 60 seconds.

The reality -
Bam - These polishes do exactly what they claim. The durability is fair considering how rough I am on my hands. I didn't use a top coat but despite that the Precious Stones took several days before they chipped. Once they started to chip though, it took the Silver Bullet polish with it. I can also attest to the Silver Bullet drying thoroughly really quickly.

Well, that's my product wrap up! I hope you enjoyed it. Is anyone else as exhausted as me now?