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in Lifestyle &middot June 20, 2016

Birthday Beauty Buys and Reviews

As you may or may not know if you follow me on Twitter, after my birthday, I went on a Sephora shopping spree. This means that you get a haul post! So here’s what I got and what I think of it now that I’ve had a few weeks to think about it.

Birthday Makeup Reviews

Birthday Makeup Reviews

Lancome Teint Idole Ulta 24H Long Wear foundation – I wish I didn’t love this as much as I do because it is so damn expensive. But it’s perfect – it blends well, covers just as much as I want it to (and if I layer it, it covers more), and is lightweight. It lasts all day and looks great while doing it. I can’t recommend it enough, but, as I said, it’s wicked expensive. If you’re the kind of person who doesn’t wear much makeup – maybe just foundation, concealer, mascara, for example – then investing in this makes sense. However, if you’re like me and wears a fair amount and buys a fair amount, it doesn’t make much sense. So – if you know of a non-drugstore foundation that is similar and much less expense, let me know!

Laura Mercier Invisible Loose setting powder – My only issue with this powder is that it’s one that you have to shake a little to get the powder out and I have yet to master this without making a mess. Otherwise, it’s great!

NARS Radiant Creamy concealer – I picked up a mini one in the line at Sephora – you know, the one where they have all these small version of products? Since I was already investing in concealer and powder (among other things), I didn’t want to get a full-size version unless I knew how I like it. I will probably be buying the full-size when this runs out. It’s wonderful. Covers things well (including under my eyes, which are very blue/purple even when I get a lot of sleep) but doesn’t feel like it. It’s great.

Birthday Makeup Reviews

Kat Von D Tattoo Eyeliner – Oh wow. I love this oh so much! You may remember that I got the Sephora liquid eyeliner last year and I didn’t love it. This, however, is amazing. It’s so easy to maneuver and it really does last all day. I’m talking putting it on at 6:30 AM before leaving for work and it’s in place when I take my makeup off at 9 PM. It also looks amazing and is rather easy to to wings. I can’t advertise it enough!

tarte Tartlette In Bloom Clay Eyeshadow Palette – This is great! I wasn’t expecting to like it so much. The colors are  and very pigmented. It’s the perfect combination of neutrals and bold colors, and it’s especially great for this time of year. It’s isn’t the kind of product that I think everyone should buy, but it’s definitely worth a look if you’re into eyeshadow.

BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfecter Poured highlighter in Pearl – I worship at the temple of this BECCA highlighter. Saying that it’s gorgeous doesn’t do it justice. It’s the perfect pearl shade and has me all heart eyed. I’m all about highlighters right now (I just got the Marc Jacobs illuminator and I’m still testing it before I chat about it) and this makes the top 3.

What are some of the beauty products that you’ve bought recently? What did you think of them?

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on them and buy something, I will receive a very small profit. For more information, check out my disclosure policy. Thank you for supporting the ways that make it possible for me to run Kate the (Almost) Great!
Kate Mitchell

Kate Mitchell is a blogger, chronic illness patient, and advocate who helps people understand chronic illness and helps chronic illness patients live their best lives.

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Comments

  1. Chelsea Jacobs says

    June 20, 2016 at 6:47 pm

    That’s my favorite liquid liner! It stays all day!

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  2. Allison Gallagher says

    June 20, 2016 at 9:13 pm

    The Laura Mercier powder is the greatest EVER

    http://www.girlnextscore.com

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  3. Feliz Martinez says

    June 21, 2016 at 1:29 am

    I’ve been buying a ridiculous amount of makeup lately. But I think my favorite has been BHCosmetics’ Take Me to Brazil pallette. I also got Colourpops super shock cheek in Stole THE Show. So far it’s the best highlighter I’ve owned, but I have my Carli Bybel palette coming in any day and I know that will be my new favorite!

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  1. Summer Hair And Makeup Tips for the Perfect Look - Kate the (Almost) Great | Boston Lifestyle Blog says:
    June 30, 2016 at 3:25 pm

    […] Summer is a great time to experiment with your hair and makeup. It just allows you to relax a little more with your usual look and try something different. That is maybe doing something special with your hair or reducing the amount of makeup you wear. So I thought now would be a great time to share with you some hair and makeup tips to create the perfect summer look. […]

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Dos and don'ts for when someone in your life is di Dos and don'ts for when someone in your life is diagnosed with autoimmune arthritis! What are some that you would add?⁣
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I’m Kate, a chronic illness patient and advocate sharing what my life is like with 10+ chronic illnesses. Follow me for more and check out my blog at katethealmostgreat.com⁣⁣.⁣
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ID: "So someone you know was diagnosed with Autoimmune Arthritis". Under the Do column (indicated with a green checkmark) is:⁣
"As how they feel about it⁣
Offer specific ways to help⁣
Treat them normally⁣
Ask follow-up questions⁣
Wear a mask around them when sick."⁣
Under the don't don't column (indicated with an x in a red circle) is:⁣
"Say “At least it’s not xyz!”⁣
Say that and not follow through⁣
Assume nothing about their lives has changed⁣
Conflate autoimmune arthritis with osteoarthritis⁣
Pass your cold to an immunosuppressed person".⁣
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#AutoimmuneDisease #RheumatoidArthritis #PsoriaticArthritis #AnkylosingSpondylitis #JuvenileArthritis
Weekj 26 of 2026 Weekly Scenes of a summer week Weekj 26 of 2026 Weekly 

Scenes of a summer week in Maine! So glad I work from home, which means I can work from my real home (Maine, if that wasn’t clear)

1️⃣ Lots of Harley time
2️⃣ Working from home means saving my PTO for fun things!
3️⃣ Lots of duck families (📸 my dad)
4️⃣ What a lot of my days look like - Harley and my current project (needlepoint). And, yes, I’m still in a cast.
5️⃣ Learned how to play Mahjong, which my parents love
6️⃣ Lake views on the 4th

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I’m Kate, a chronic illness patient and advocate sharing what my life is like with 10+ chronic illnesses. Follow me for more and check out my blog at katethealmostgreat.com⁣⁣.⁣⁣⁣⁣

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IDs:
1️⃣ Harley the golden retriever on a deck as seen through some plants
2️⃣ Kate takes a selfie
3️⃣ A duck with little ducklings following on a lake
4️⃣ Harley coming up to Kate. Her legs are out on an ottoman, 1 foot in a walking cast, and an in-progress needlepoint project
5️⃣ Looking down at a Mahjong table with the game set up
6️⃣ A kayak on the shore of a lake 

#MaineTheWay #MaineSummer #Needlepoint #MaineLife
Living with chronic pain is really hard. You’re wi Living with chronic pain is really hard. You’re winning every day you’re still here.⁣
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I’m Kate, a chronic illness patient and advocate sharing what my life is like with 10+ chronic illnesses. Follow me for more and check out my blog at katethealmostgreat.com⁣⁣.⁣
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ID: The background image is a lake at sunset. Text reads what's above the first square and also "katethealmostgreat".⁣
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#ChronicIllness #ChronicPain #RheumatoidArthritis #Fibromyalgia #Endometriosis
I've been spending a fair amount of time at my foo I've been spending a fair amount of time at my foot surgeon's office this year, and boy has it been messing with my head. ⁣
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I spent a lot of time from 2001-2010 dealing with my left foot. Long story short, it took until this foot surgeon saw me in 2010 after fixing this foot for me to be diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. But I spent those 9 years going from doctor to doctor, having surgery after surgery, trying to figure out what was causing my pain and to fix it. ⁣
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Was it the tarsal coalition? Did I have another chronic health issue? Etc. ⁣
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I spent from age 10 to 19 unsure what exactly was wrong with me and in huge amounts of pain. We thought we figured it out, and then something else happened. ⁣
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We know exactly what is wrong with this foot this time around: in 2024, I got 3 stress fractures, and no one put me in a boot. They almost fully healed before breaking in 2025, and then the same thing happened in 2026. ⁣
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This is a different part of the foot than I used to deal with, but any problems with my feet and especially my left foot messes with me. While this doctor eventually fixed the problems and even got me diagnosed with RA, every time I go back to his office, I have to fight not to become 17 again. ⁣
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PTSD is a bitch.⁣
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(PS - if you want to know why I'm going back to this guy when it messes with me, it's because I don't trust anyone else to fix my foot.)⁣
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I’m Kate, a chronic illness patient and advocate sharing what my life is like with 10+ chronic illnesses. Follow me for more and check out my blog at katethealmostgreat.com⁣⁣.⁣
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ID: Kate takes a selfie in a doctor's office. ⁣
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#PTSDAwareness #ChronicallyIll #TarsalCoalition #RheumatoidArthritis #Osteoporosis
Week 25 of #2026Weekly Happy to be in Maine for Week 25 of #2026Weekly 

Happy to be in Maine for a few weeks! I didn’t get up to a lot, so another week of very few pictures

1️⃣ IVIG 
2️⃣ Lots of beautiful birds have been coming to my mom’s bird feeder!

⬛⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

I’m Kate, a chronic illness patient and advocate sharing what my life is like with 10+ chronic illnesses. Follow me for more and check out my blog at katethealmostgreat.com⁣⁣.⁣⁣⁣⁣

⬛⁣⁣⁣

IDs: 
1️⃣ Looking at Kate’s lap. Tubes are coming out from under her shirt and there’s a Kindle
2️⃣ Birds arriving at a bird feeder as seen through a window

#ChronicallyIll #InvisibleIllness #ChronicPain #IVIG
What do you have to do every day for your chronic What do you have to do every day for your chronic illnesses? ⁣
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For context, I have rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, endometriosis, POTS, heart disease, osteoporosis, and more. ⁣
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I’m Kate, a chronic illness patient and advocate sharing what my life is like with 10+ chronic illnesses. Follow me for more and check out my blog at katethealmostgreat.com⁣⁣.⁣
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ID: ⁣
Things I Do Every Day for My Chronic Illnesses⁣
Take pills at least 4 times a day⁣
Don’t eat gluten, dairy, corn, soy, or eggs⁣
Sleep 7+ hours a night⁣
Consume 80-100 grams of protein, 120 mg of calcium, 5-10 grams of sodium⁣
Wear a mask whenever I leave the house⁣
Do pilates 4+ days a week⁣
Work from home⁣
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#ChronicallyIll #InvisibleIllness #RheumatoidArthritis #Fibromyalgia
Filmed this back in April (hence the sweater) but Filmed this back in April (hence the sweater) but it applies to whenever I have appointments! 

Video: Kate talks to the camera while holding a purse. She holds up individual items mentioned in the video before putting them in the bag. There are captions. 

#ChronicallyIll #RheumatoidArthritis #Osteoporosis #ChronicPain
There are a lot of medical advancements that I'm g There are a lot of medical advancements that I'm grateful for, but one of them is the ability to do IVIG at home. ⁣
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I'm on IVIG - or, in my case, subcutaneous immunoglobulin replacement therapy - because I have to kill the better part of my immune system. There are, in fact, some parts of my immune system that don't attack me, which is why we add them back in. This helps reduce my chance of serious infection and also made my rheumatologist feel comfortable enough to increase my Rituxan dose. ⁣
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This is a weekly treatment that I do, but it's so much better that I can do it at home than going into the hospital. It takes around 2.5 hours from taking my pre-meds to tossing my needles into a Sharps container. While it's another thing that I have to do, because I do it at home, I don't have to risk exposure to infections at the hospital or deal with Boston traffic, which would add another hour to the process. ⁣
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I can finish my treatment and then go about my day, which I'm very grateful for.⁣
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I’m Kate, a chronic illness patient and advocate sharing what my life is like with 10+ chronic illnesses. Follow me for more and check out my blog at katethealmostgreat.com⁣⁣.⁣
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ID: A Kindle on Kate's legs. There are tubes for an infusion coming out of her shirt.⁣
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#IVIG #ChronicallyIll #RheumatoidArthritis #Autoimmune #AutoimmuneDisease
Weeks 23 and 24 of 2026 Weekly! The last two wee Weeks 23 and 24 of 2026 Weekly! 

The last two weeks were prepping for my infusion, having/recovering from my infusion, and getting caught up after. This meant things were very busy but also I don’t have a lot to show for them. 

1️⃣ New glasses! I really like having multiple pairs so I can switch them as I want.
2️⃣ One of my current projects. I got this standing hoop for my birthday and I’m working on an alphabet (uppercase and lower, although I’m still working on the lower) with extra floss.
3️⃣ Infusion time! I got my higher dose so hopefully my symptoms improve a lot in the upcoming weeks🤞🏻

⬛⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

I’m Kate, a chronic illness patient and advocate sharing what my life is like with 10+ chronic illnesses. Follow me for more and check out my blog at katethealmostgreat.com⁣⁣.⁣⁣

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IDs: 
1️⃣ Kate takes a selfie. Her new glasses are thin silver circles
2️⃣ An in-progress cross-stitched alphabet in a special hoop stand that Kate is sitting on.
3️⃣ Kate takes a selfie in an infusion chair.

#ChronicallyIll #RheumatoidArthritis #AutoimmuneDisease #CrossStitcher
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