Sweet (July) Successes In 2023

Looking back, this has truly been an unforgettable year. 2023 was all about reuniting with myself and my surroundings, and what an exciting journey it’s been. My family has always been my bedrock, and this year more than ever, I’ve had an opportunity to celebrate my culture in a way that has deepened my connection and appreciation for how it’s shaped the woman I am today.

A little over three years ago, I put a dream of mine out into the universe, which was to create a skincare line inspired by my Jamaican roots. We had just launched Sweet July, a brand all about gratitude and finding joy in life’s everyday moments, and Sweet July Skin felt like the perfect complement to the world we were creating. Diving into this incredibly niche world of skincare was a total education for myself and the team. While there would have been countless avenues easier than the one we took, we were determined and willing to learn how to build it ourselves the right way, from the ground up.

The formulation process was by far my favorite part of the experience, spending endless hours learning more about the properties of the Caribbean ingredients I grew up with. Things I thought I knew but realized there was so much more to learn. I also became fascinated with researching actives, proven and tested ingredients to combat common skin issues, and their synergistic properties when paired correctly. In a way, it felt familiar building these products in a similar way to how I develop a recipe. How should it look? How should it smell? How does it make you feel? I had tried countless products that were either effective or enjoyable, but rarely both. I quickly realized that there was nothing on the market like the products we were creating. Turning these ideas into reality—tangible products that not just worked but were more effective than anything else I was trying—was truly one of the highlights of my career. And appropriately, this past July, after years of quietly toiling away, we finally got to share Sweet July Skin with the world.

I’m not sure if anyone could have prepared me for what came next, and I still pinch myself every day thinking about how this baby of mine has been embraced with open arms. Seeing people loving the products, finding joy in their skincare routines and feeling a renewed appreciation for their skin has made all the bumps and bruises along the way completely worth it. In October, we learned that our towel set earned a coveted spot on Oprah’s Favorite Things—a fact I am still processing because it’s just too incredible for words. Our skincare was positively reviewed by Vogue, along with a handful of other highly respected beauty editors, and just recently, we learned that our Irie Power Face Oil won the Byrdie award for Best Face Oil of 2023. Grateful does not even begin to scratch the surface, this year has exceeded every expectation, and I know we’re just getting started.

While 2023 marked the birth of Sweet July Skin, it also was the year of rebirth for another passion project of mine—Sweet July Magazine. Since our last issue in 2022, we’ve recalibrated and took on the daunting challenge of publishing independently. Our small but mighty team really came together to make it happen, and I really couldn’t be prouder of the issue we put out. The theme we chose was ‘Reunion’, appropriate given the journey we embarked on to bring it to life, and it is chock full of incredible stories, recipes and spotlights on leaders cementing bold legacies and paving a path for a brighter future. It really hit home the impact of this beautiful magazine, when I was able to look around the room at our launch event generously hosted by our friends at the Prisoner Wine Company. Restaurant owners, cookbook authors, wine purveyors, local business owners, wellness experts, friends, and family came out to support, many of whom we have featured and celebrated in the pages of Sweet July Magazine. We toasted our glasses of Domaine Curry, another big highlight of my year, to the beautiful community we’re all so grateful to be a part of.

I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you for being a part of this beautiful Sweet July family. Your support really has meant the world to me and my team, and is truly what motivates us every day. We have some exciting things in store for all of you in the new year, but for now, I want to wish all of you a very happy holidays with loved ones and a restful new year.

xo Ayesha