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in Lifestyle &middot August 18, 2017

Holy Grail Beauty Products According to Bloggers

There are so many different beauty products out there, and everyone who uses them has a different opinion. This is partially because everyone has different skin types and partially because everyone also has different tastes. But when it comes to what are the best products, things get a little different. Obviously lots of different people have different opinions on what the best products are, but if you’re hearing from multiple people that a product is amazing, aren’t you more likely to check it out? In trying to help you all figure out what the best products are, I asked a bunch of bloggers what their “holy grail” beauty products are. What’s really amazing is that their answers are a wide variety of drugstore and high-end brands, proving that a higher price doesn’t necessarily mean it’s better.

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Want to know if a product is really as great as it seems? These are the products that several bloggers consider their "holy grail" beauty product, meaning it is the absolute best thing out there according to them.

Wet n Wild MegaLiner Liquid Eyeliner – “It’s highly pigmented, it comes off at the end of the day with ease, and it’s ridiculously cheap. I use it almost every single day.” – Emily from No Repeats Or Hesitations. You can also check her out on Twitter and Instagram.

Maybelline Dream Pure BB Cream – “As someone who has acne prone skin, I don’t like to wear too heavy of face makeup, but I still want something that has buildable coverage and won’t break me out. This BB cream covers all of my imperfections and it stays on all day (as long as you set it with a powder of course). The best part is that it’s extremely affordable and can be found at pretty much any grocery store or drugstore!” – Sarah from Texas Sweet Tea. You can also find her on Instagram.

Tocca in the scent Florence (perfume) – “Every time I wear this perfume, I get compliments on how good I smell. Plus, it reminds my boyfriend of when we first met. Sometimes, all it takes to make you feel good is to smell good, am I right? Tocca as a brand is a hidden gem, but definitely check out the scent Florence!” – Bryanna of Coming in Clutch. Check her out on Twitter and Instagram.

Nyx Cosmetics Vinyl Liquid Liner – “it’s so precise and great for getting the perfect cat eye or wing! It’s also a great price and just as good as high end products. I’ve been using it for almost two years now and I will always re-purchase it again and again.” – Sarah at Sarah Mills. She is also on Instagram.

Ever wonder if a product is really as great as people say it is? Wonder no more because I asked a bunch of bloggers what their holy grail beauty product is. These are the most amazing beauty products according to them, and what's great is they're a good mix of drugstore and high-end products.

Micellar Water (Like this one from Garnier or this one from Simple) – “I cannot get enough of micellar water. If it was a religion, I would worship it. I’m not even kidding, I wash my face and this thing still somehow finds dirt/ impurities to wipe away. it’s amazing.” – Vanessa from The City Girl’s Guide. You can also check her out on Twitter.

Clinique’s All About Eyes Rich –  It feels so hydrating and calming to my skin. I used to have really sensitive skin around my eyes (especially during Montreal winters when I lived up there), and after finding this product my skin is so much less reactive. At the Clinique counter they often want to sell me a different product, or try to steer me away from the “rich” version, which is marketing more towards older women, but this is the one for me!” – Laura of The Boston Day Book. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter.

Josh Rosebrook’s Hydrating Accelerator – “It’s a hydrating toner / mist that I use before I apply my face oil / serum, but I also use it to set my makeup and as a refresher throughout the day…. especially in the warm summer months! It’s my must-have product while traveling. It also smells amazing!” – Natalie of The Boston Day Book, too. Her social media is the same as Laura’s.

Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer in Light – I have tried loads of primers and have found none that works as well as Smashbox’s. I helps my foundation stay in place and look good all day. It comes in loads of different specialties like pore minimizing, hydrating, and color correcting, but I like it in light because it’s oil-free and lightweight. – Me! You can follow me on Instagram and Twitter.

Shop these products!

What are your holy grail beauty products?

Like this post? Check out:

My Favorite Face Masks, Drugstore vs. High-End Mascara: Which Is Really Better?, My Everyday Makeup Routine, Why You Should Be Buying ColourPop Makeup

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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  1. Laura says

    August 21, 2017 at 4:01 pm

    Thanks for including us, Kate! I love hearing these favorites! 🙂

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  2. Mia Lupo says

    August 22, 2017 at 4:22 am

    I absolutely love the Tocca’s Florence perfume! Also a huge fan of Diptyque perfumes

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  1. Kate the (Almost) Great | Boston Lifestyle Blog - Currently [Vol. 12] - Kate the (Almost) Great | Boston Lifestyle Blog says:
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  2. Kate the (Almost) Great | Boston Lifestyle Blog - Top Drugstore Makeup | Kate the (Almost) Great, Boston Lifestyle Blog says:
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  3. Kate the (Almost) Great | Boston Lifestyle Blog - 6 Beauty Treatments You Shouldn't Overlook This year - Kate the (Almost) Great | Boston Lifestyle Blog says:
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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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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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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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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!

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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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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⁣
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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! 

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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🤞🏻

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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 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.

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