The Best Of A Very Sweet Blog 2022

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Happy New Year Everybody! Wishing you happiness, love and an abundance of everything good in 2023. So far, so good for me! I can't complain. I'm one day earlier this year, putting The Best Of A Very Sweet Blog 2022 together. I always try and complete this before the end of the year, but I always have too much to do. So I just remember that this is a hobby and do the very best I can. So without further ado, here is what was SWEET and SUPERSWEET in 2022.

Lancome (L'Oreal) Collaboration

It's been an honor, collaborating with Lancome in 2020, 2021 and 2022! It's definitely been a dream come true for me, collaborating with them. I've had the chance to try so many of their products. I love all of their Idole perfumes. They just came out with Idole Nectar this year. It's supersweet! I'm also a huge fan of their La Vie Est Belle perfumes. A new one for 2022 was Oui La Vie Est Belle. It's really good! Lancome has some of THE BEST lipsticks! They're rich in color, moisturizing and lay beautifully on the lips. I even love their matte formulas. I've been super impressed with their L'Absolu Rouge Drama Ink formula. I also got to try all of Lancome's fabulous mascaras. There are so many to choose from and each gives a certain effect. My favorites for myself are Definicils, Monsieur Big and Hypnose Drama. Plus, they all now come in WATERPROOF FORMULAS. If you want to enhance your lash look, definitely try Lancome's CILS Booster XL Enhancing Lash Primer. It is so good and will make your lashes longer & thicker. Another new item is their CILS Booster Lash Revitalizing Serum, which has been helping my bottom lashes to grow. Thanks Lancome!

Brand Collaborations

I had a number of brand collaborations in 2022.  Let me take them two at a time. I worked with New York luxury lip care brand Emile Cordon. Their lip balms are THE BEST I have ever tried. They are super moisturizing and come in the most delightful scents. I am hooked. They were even nice to host a giveaway for my readers. Very generous, because their products are expensive. I collaborated with AVEENO this year. I was a brand ambassador for them, for many years. They came out with a new shampoo and conditioner collection. I love their Oat Milk Blend Shampoo and Oat Milk Blend Conditioner. If you have dry hair, and don't want to bust your budget, these two products work.

I collaborated with Honest Beauty! I've always wanted to try their makeup. I'm a lipstick girl and their liquid lipsticks lay beautifully on the lips. The color payoff is really good. I was impressed. Plus, the price is definitely right. I got to work with the fun brand Demeter Fragrance. I've always been impressed with them. If you can think of a scent, they have it. One scent, they sent me was Watermelon Blossom. I'll definitely be spritzing it on this Spring.

I got to collaborate with Gourmetgiftbaskets.com TWICE! They sent me a beautiful Valentine's Day and Christmas basket. Many people (including myself) feel these baskets are not fresh, loaded with calories and overall not good for you. Well, they have proven to me otherwise. Many of the products were low calorie, gluten-free, super fresh and contained appropriate proportions. I even sent a get well basket to a friend from them. His family enjoyed it.

I did a Christmas collaboration with LUSH Cosmetics. It was a nice end-of-the-year surprise via a New York PR Agency! I love New York! HaHaHa They've been good to me. They get the best of the best stuff there. I wrote a post about LUSH's Holiday Collection and they said they would send me some items from the collection. Well, I wasn't expecting THIS! They sent me their DREAMLAND Gift Set and ART OF CHRISTMAS BATHING Gift Set. Both sets contain an assortment of their bath bombs, bubble bars, body wash, body lotion and body spray. My bathroom smells like a spa. I'm truly thankful. It was a wonderful Christmas surprise. You can order LUSH products through Doordash.

I got to collaborate with NEST New York! Do you know, I've never tried NEST candles? I've tried Diptyque via my blog friend Little Luxury List, Bath and Body Works, Yankee Candle and Lafco. They sent me their Hearth Candle. Ohhh, it is really really really nice! HaHaHa I enjoyed burning it during the Thanksgiving holidays. You definitely experience and see the difference in the quality of the candle (in comparison to others). I also got to collaborate with an International woman-owned startup brand Madalyn et Rose. It is an Artisanal Gourmet French Subscription Service. She is based out of France. It's an exceptional way to try authentic French products and learn about French brands.

And last but not least, DO YOU LOVE COOKIES!?! I've always LOVED cookies! When I was little, my favorite character was cookie monster on Sesame Street. Well, I'm particular about cookies. I like to bake them myself and I also like Great American Cookies. Well I was sent a box of cookies from a company called Bells Cookie Co. You have to read my post. It is a family-owned brand. They bake their cookies fresh and ship nationwide. They featured me in their Instagram story. I love their cookies! They are sooooo good! So if you want a homemade cookie, look no further.

My Favorite Makeup, Skincare and Haircare For 2022

You guys know, I love trying stuff. So what did I LOVE in 2022. I fell in LOVE with Chanel's Spring Summer 2022 La Pausa De Chanel Collection. I hadn't seen a collection so beautiful, for years! I've really toned down my makeup. I'm wearing a lot of neutrals. I loved the terracotta earth tones in this collection. They just really suited me. Laneige came out with a chocolate sleeping mask for the lips. I've been enjoying this delectable scent all Fall & Winter. It really moisturizes your lips. They make really great lip care products. I tried a new makeup brand, SHEGLAM. They came out with a Willy Wonka Collection. Anybody that knows me, KNOWS I love Willy Wonka. Can't wait for the new movie, the end of this year. Don't discount cheaper beauty brands, because this collection was a hit. Nice makeup and packaging.

Chocolate must've been the thing last year, because Glossier collaborated with Swiss Miss Cocoa. Their Swiss Miss Balm Dot Com is a beautiful brown on the lips and adds just the right touch of moisture. If you're looking for a product that both moisturizes and plumps your lips (without any hurt), look no further than Lawless' Forget The Filler Overnight Lip Plumping Mask. It's really good and gets the job done. At the end of every year, I purchase Too Faced's Melted Matte Liquid Lipstick. I always love the colors. Last year it was Pumpkin Spice. In 2021 it was Cinnamon Bun. In 2020, it was a Gingerbread Man lipstick. In 2018, Gingerbread Man and Girl. Also, The Smell Of Christmas in 2018. And does anybody remember Candy Cane in 2016 (chocolate and candy cane). Yes, I can go way back! HaHaHa

BTS & Amorepacific collaborated on a lip sleeping mask (just like the chocolate one above). This time gummy bears! It came out just in enough time for Easter and I loved it. Again, excellent moisturizing properties. Sally Hansen always does really fun collaborations in the Spring months. This time with the popular Easter PEEPS candy. Really fun colors! This was my first time trying Kopari! They came out with a Guava Body Wash and Lotion. Really nice scent you guys. Hope they keep it around.

The brand Bobbi Brown (because she no longer owns it) came out with a beautiful face & cheek palette. I've been using it as an everyday face palette. Farmacy came out with a makeup remover called Peaches N Clean. It smells so good. It helped benefit Second Harvest Food Bank. My blog buddy, Little Luxury List sent me a Laneige Layering Lip Bar Lipstick in Candid Brick. The color is so beautiful and it's really moisturizing on the lips.

Another fairly new makeup brand I tried was Hipdot. They came out with a Girl Scout collection that focused on the popular cookies the Girl Scouts sell every year. The collection gave me inspiration to try green makeup. Green looks great with brown eyes. I'm loving Briogeo's Don't Despair, Repair Rice Water Protein + Moisture Strengthening Treatment. I'm seeing some hair growth! So we shall see. I am very serious about sun protection. I use COOLA Sun Silk Drops everyday and I've added COOLA Classic Liplux lip balm to my everyday sun care regimen.

Another optional sunscreen brand besides COOLA is Supergoop! I love their Play Everyday Lotion and Unseen Sunscreen. I love Tarte Shape Tape Concealer and have now started using their ULTRA CREAMY FORMULA. It's amazing if you have dry skin. I love it and it hides everything.

The Best Blog Friends

I would like to give a HUGE SHOUT-OUT to all of my blog friends. These ladies have stuck by me throughout the years. They never waiver in their commitment or loyalty. They always wish me a Happy Birthday, send me Christmas cards, birthday presents and Christmas gifts. You can find Jo on Instagram. Emmy on Twitter and her blog. Sonia on Twitter and her blog. Desle on Instagram and Twitter. Little Luxury List on Instagram and her blog. They always put a SMILE on my face.

2022 Blog Goal Check

How did I do with my blog goals? I had four goals. I did 1-3 well. I narrowed down what I wanted to talk about on A Very Sweet Blog (beauty, health, business etc) and placed all else on my new personal blog My Dreams Wishes And Desires. That really helped balance things out. I did try some expensive brands, but I didn't care for them. In fact, I was disappointed in those brands (I shall not name). It just shows you that expensive is not always better. I put together some gift and shopping guides (here and here). I also wrote many blog posts that focused on the economic issues we're currently facing. Inflation is really bad right now and some people need help adjusting. I know how to adjust because I've been on both ends of the spectrum through my life. So I thought my experiences and knowledge would help others. I wrote about: 10 Last Minute Mother's Day Gift Ideas That Will Be A Hit, Twitter Blue Bookmark Folder Ideas, 32 Skin Body & Oral Care Products For Dry & Sensitive Skin, 10 Ways To Save Money On Beauty Products, 7 Ways To Save Money On Fashion, 6 Ways To Save Money On Groceries, Where To Buy Beauty Products On The Cheap, 10 Inexpensive Christmas Gift Ideas and 5 Ways To Do Christmas On A Budget. With number 4, I started off doing well (visiting and reading blogs), but then I had a health scare that sidetracked me September and October. After that, I just spent time with close friends and family. I didn't send out Christmas cards, put up any major decorations (no Christmas tree etc). I wanted no obligations. I watched tv etc. I plan on reading blogs again, but after what I went through I couldn't concentrate on others.

So WHEW, there you have it! 2022 was a whirlwind of so many different things! I just rolled with it and got through it all! I can't wait to see what 2023 brings to A Very Sweet Blog. I'm looking forward to it.