With 2014 coming to a close, it is a good time to look back and remember ALL the beauty products I have tried! With a tight budget and a lot of other things on my mind, here is my quick n' dirty top ten list ranging from skincare to hair styling products that I have tried and loved. I did not include any DIY products, but plan on sharing those in the new year along with more in-depth product reviews.

Skincare:
Raw.Skin.Ceuticals Acne.Ceuticals Cleanse
Andalou Naturals Ultra Sheer SPF 18 Daily Defense Facial Lotion
Seventh Generation Boosts Skin Serum - Soothing

Body:
Herbal Magic Roll-On Deodorant
Dessert Essence Jojoba Oil

Cosmetics:
Pacifica Stellar Gaze Length & Strength Mineral Mascara
Zuzu Luxe Liquid Eyeliner in "Taureg" (dark brown)
Revolution Organics Lip Gloss in "Truth"

Hair Styling:
Verb Sea Spray
SheaMoisture Yucca & Baobab Thickening Moisture Mist 


What were your favorite natural beauty products of 2014? Comment below or share with me on Twitter @NaturallyCay or Facebook! Stay tuned later this week for what products I am "Looking Forward" to try in 2015 :)

Was in need to bulk up on beauty blogs, Beauty by Britanie's Link Love page did just that.

One of my New Year's resolutions I've already half started is to eliminate gluten and dairy from my diet to see if that helps my skin and digestive issues, so I have my eye on the Send Me Gluten Free subscription box.

I have yet to venture into the whole contour and highlight thing, but these contour and highlight kits may change that.

Out of all the changes moving from a rural town to Chicago brings, one that I have yet to get used to is our hard water. This post explores if filtered shower heads are useful and also has a link to an EWG article listing cities in order of water quality. 

Christmas holiday parties may be behind us, but New Year's parties are just around the corner! Here is a great makeup tutorial to help spice up the night.


Most used product: Raw.Skin.Ceuticals RegenC Eye Cream used at night keeps the skin around my eyes hydrated while not making them itch or burn like other eye cream formulas do. 

Product on my watch list: Avalon Organica Tea Tree Treatment Shampoo for my dry, itchy scalp thanks to Midwest winter weather. 

I hope everyone is having a wonderfully, relaxing holiday week surrounded by loved ones -- or curled up in front of the fire with a good book! This weekend I plan on doing all of these things and am so grateful for where this crazy year has led me.

This year I earned my master's degree, started my first full-time job and moved to the big city -- and those all happened within the same month! While these all seem like the biggest changes of my year, another step I took this year is to better my health. During college it is hard to keep health in mind, but I always "did my best." I could count how many times I cooked a meal (including ones from a box) on one hand during graduate school, so obviously my best was not enough. Now that I entered the real world I cracked down on my own terrible habits with the help from my physical-trainer-in-training best friend who sent me a juicer for my birthday.

I will skip over my ranting and raving of how HEALTHY and DELICIOUS juicing is to start in on some of my favorite juicing recipes so far. Confession: I only started juicing in July and have not been very consistent the past 6-months -- so I am not an expert. On the other hand, I have been slowly educating myself through books like The Complete Book of Juicing and The Funky Fresh Juice Book and have learned to not be afraid to experiment with ingredients. This post is meant to be a beginning of a journey to better health and keeping a consistent juicing diet is only the first step!

Green Refresher

• 1 Apple
• 1 Pear
• 1/2 Cucumber
• 1 1/2 cup Spinach
• 3/4 inch Broccoli Stem
• 1 Lime
• Ice Cubes

Juice all ingredients (except ice), then pour into a glass with ice cubes! Peel the lime for a less tart taste.

Pineapple Ginger Ale

• 1/2 Pineapple
• 1 inch Ginger

Peel* pineapple and ginger, juice and drink. Ginger is great for digestion and adds a little kick to the sweet pineapple. 

*this depends on preference, if you have a strong juicer no need to peel

Tangy Carrot Juice

• 1 lb. Carrots
• 1 Orange
• 1 Grapefruit
• 1 inch Ginger

Peel orange and grapefruit, juice the bunch. I just started juicing with carrots last week and fell completely in love with the thick, carrot taste. If you aren't a huge carrot fan, no worries because the orange and grapefruit will balance it out in this recipe.

Enjoy your holiday season with family, friends and food -- but do not forget about your health! While the new year is a great time to reflect on ways to better yourself, nothing is like the present to put your own health first and foremost.

What are some of your favorite fresh juices (or smoothies!)? Share your juicing experiences or questions below in the comments or tweet me @naturallycay.

Last year my advisor sent me a Facebook event invite for a "Jamberry party." I joined and participated in all the games to win free Jamberry wraps some stranger led while my advisor posted pictures of her pretty designed nails. I never won anything or bought one for myself because: poor college grad student.

Fast forward a year and one of my best friends for over ten years (I feel old) started a Facebook page as a Jamberry consultant. Katie was posting like crazy all these pictures and graphics of why these "jams" were so awesome. I talked to a few coworkers who used them before and shared neutral opinions, but said I should definitely try them for myself.

When ordering my first buy 3 get 1 free sheets I checked the little box expressing interest to host an online party (hey, why not?). I kid you not, I got a text from Katie within the hour asking if I wanted to start right then and there. By the next evening she made the event, posted pictures and had the first game started.

Along with hosting the party, Katie sent me a few free accent nails to try before using a full set. The idea behind this is to put an accent nail on each hand then paint the rest as you normally would. Take a picture on day one, then keep them on for seven days to take a picture of how the jams hold up in comparison with the nail polish. Needless to say, the jams won and I was counting down the minutes to take off that chipped polish.

Accent nail is "Mad Mod" with Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear "Grey Area" -- It couldn't hold up!

Now back track to how this is relevant to a natural beauty blog. Jamberry wraps are vegan as well as gluten, chemical and latex free. The wraps are applied with heat and removed with either heat or by soaking in olive oil or lemon juice. I have had a full set on for almost a full day now and am so in love with how they look, feel and don't break out my skin or burn my eyes! They are actually more affordable than I thought as well. A full sheet costs $15 and includes enough wraps for 2 manicures, 2 pedicures and 8-16 accent nails. All this plus the fact that your nail designs will look way better and more consistent than any $30 manicure -- I promise!

 Accent nail is "First Frost" and the rest are "Crystalline" -- my favorite winter wraps!

If you want to learn more about Jamberry or how to get your own, comment below! When purchasing make sure to follow this link and choose me (Casey!) as your party host, then make sure to show me your awesome jams on Instagram @NaturallyCay.