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in Lifestyle &middot February 4, 2016

Recent Sephora Buys and Reviews

While I’m nowhere near a professional or even a highly skilled amateur, I really love makeup. When I don’t feel well, I either watch Netflix or makeup tutorials. I love learning how to do makeup well and I love doing my own and pretending that I don’t have to fight for even the small successes of my day. Back in November, when my last infusion started to kick in after 5 weeks of hell, I treated myself to a bit of a Sephora splurge. Since then, I’ve accumulated more products from Christmas and the odd Sephora trip, and it has been long enough since this makeup accumulation began that I have tested and developed opinions on the products I bought. So today is all about makeup reviews, as well as brush reviews. I’ve broken the products into three categories: eyes, cheeks, and brushes. At the end of each, I tell you if you should definitely buy something, if it depends on your personal makeup preferences, or if you shouldn’t waste your money on it. But don’t forget to leave me your opinions of these products in the comments since I’m definitely not an expert and would love to hear your opinions on these, too.

Makeup Reviews

Eyes

Makeup Reviews: Sephora Wink-It Felt Eye Liner

Sephora Colorful Wink-It Felt Linter – I’m really not a fan. I’m definitely not a pro at liquid eye liner, but I’m not awful at it, and this was hard to use. I think it might not be as bad for someone who is better at liquid eye liner than I am, but going forward I will probably still to L’Oreal’s Linear Intense Felt Tip Liquid Eyeliner. That being said, if you have another not-incredibly-expensive liquid eyeliner that you adore, let me know!

Makeup Reviews: Sephora Sunbleached Filter Palette

Sephora Sunbeached Filter eye palette – I think this a lot! I picked it up because it has a lot of shades that I don’t already have, and so far I’m a fan. Some of them aren’t as pigmented as I would like, but overall I enjoy it. It’s not a must-buy, but if you like the shades in it, I would get it. Like it says in the description, it’s soft and sun inspired, and I’m not really one for wild eye makeup.

Urban Decay Naked Basics eye palette – I. Adore. This. As I said, I’m more of a soft and neutral kind of girl when it comes to makeup, and this is perfect for me.

Benefit They’re Real! Lengthening and Volumizing Mascara – I got this as a reward from my Sephora points because I wanted to try it but didn’t want to spend the money on it, and I’m glad I didn’t. It basically just made my eyelashes darker and I was very underwhelmed; no lengthening or volumizing. I’m sticking with my Mabelline Lash Sensational Mascara from now on.

Definitely Buy: Naked Basics
Depends on Your Preferences: Sephora liquid eye liner, Sephora Sunbeached Filter palette
Don’t Waste Your Money: Benefit They’re Real

Cheeks

NARS The Multiple in Orgasm – This is a beautiful creamy multipurpose makeup stick, and I love it. However, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, especially since it’s nearly $40.

Makeup Reviews: Benefit Watt's Up Highlighter

Benefit Watt’s Up Cream-to-Powder Highlighter – I use this every day, even on days when I only wear concealer and mascara, I add this highlighter. It’s easy to blend and the perfect color if you have fair (or frighteningly pale) skin.

Definitely Buy: Benefit Watt’s Up
Depends on Your Preferences: NARS The Multiple in Orgasm

Brushes

Makeup Reviews: Angled Brow Brush

Sephora Classic Brow Filler Brush – While this is for your eyebrows, I actually use this for eyeliner. I wet it, tap to get the extra water off, and dip it in eye shadow to make my own eye liner. This is great because while I love and regularly use probably 2/3 of the shades of my Naked 2 palette, there are still a bunch that I don’t love or use, mostly because I don’t do smokey eye or darker makeup looks in general. But using this brush opens up so many more possibilities. This was an incredibly great investment for me because of that, but obviously this is a personal choice.

Makeup Reviews: Sephora Multipurpose Powder Brush

Sephora Classic Multitasker Powder Brush – I love this brush so much! It feels great and works wonderfully. I’m currently using it with my powder blushes (from a palette that I love but was apparently only available for the holiday season) and it is amazing.

Definitely Buy: Multitasker
Depends on Your Preferences: Brow Filler

And, of course, the makeup bag!

Makeup Reviews

Breakups To Makeup Bag – I love it! It fits everything, it’s incredibly cute, and it’s great for traveling.

Meet Rachel!

vintagepress

Hey there! My name is Rachel and I am currently in my freshman year of university where I am majoring in psychology. I am a 100% Canadian girl and wouldn’t change a thing about it (except that I absolutely despise the cold). VintagePress was created on a whim one January afternoon because I decided maybe I could pass on some of the “motherly” wisdom that my friends tell me I am full of! My posts range from fashion and beauty tips to recipes to college advice.

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Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. This means that if you click on the links and buy something, I will receive a small profit. For more information, check out my disclosure policy. Thanks for supporting 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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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Meghan Farrell says

    February 4, 2016 at 8:07 am

    I use the L’Oreal Linear felt tip pen and I love it! It makes eyeliner wings so much easier. Also I have the Naked Basics 2 palette and I use it almost every day!

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    • Kate Mitchell says

      February 4, 2016 at 10:41 am

      Aren’t they both the best? The felt tip pen is amazing.

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  2. Amanda @ Rhyme & Ribbons says

    February 4, 2016 at 9:53 am

    The Nars blush has been my go-to for years now! x

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    • Kate Mitchell says

      February 4, 2016 at 10:41 am

      It’s so great!

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  3. Ingrid says

    February 4, 2016 at 10:59 am

    LOVE your reviews! The breakdown and your opinions are so helpful! (also that bag is ah-mazing <3)
    xo, Ingrid

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    • Kate Mitchell says

      February 4, 2016 at 1:18 pm

      Thank you! I’m so glad they help and you love them!

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  4. Marina Mendez says

    February 4, 2016 at 11:57 am

    I’ll have to try Benefit’s highlighter. I’ve been looking for one to try and people seem to like this one. (I’m also pretty pale right now too, so..) My favorite liquid eyeliner is Maybelline’s Line Stiletto! It goes on really easily and stays all day.

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    • Kate Mitchell says

      February 4, 2016 at 1:19 pm

      It is amazing, especially for us pale girls! I completely and totally advise it.

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  5. Cherie Jamison says

    February 4, 2016 at 2:34 pm

    I got that Benefit mascara as well. It’s ok, but definitely nothing special. I’ll have to try that highlighter!

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    • Kate Mitchell says

      February 7, 2016 at 10:35 am

      It’s great! I’m a big fan.

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  6. Darrian Duckworth says

    February 4, 2016 at 4:35 pm

    The Naked Basics pallet is one of my absolute faves! I love using it in combination with my other pallets!

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    • Kate Mitchell says

      February 7, 2016 at 10:36 am

      Me too! There are so many more matte shades in it that in the other Naked palettes, which actually makes for great combinations.

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  7. Kathryn Wesson says

    February 5, 2016 at 12:44 pm

    I’ve been wanting to try that Benefit highlighter for a while now. Good to know that you like it and it works on fair skin!

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    • Kate Mitchell says

      February 7, 2016 at 10:36 am

      It’s amazing! And I especially recommend it to people with fair skin.

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  8. Chelsea Jacobs says

    February 5, 2016 at 2:58 pm

    How do you wear the multipurpose stick? As a blush still, or do you use it for other things, too?

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    • Kate Mitchell says

      February 7, 2016 at 10:37 am

      Just a blush right now. I’m not 100% sure if it actually works well for other things or if it’s the kind of product that technically works for other things but doesn’t actually work for anything other than a blush.

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  9. Jasmine Eclipse says

    February 6, 2016 at 6:14 pm

    I love Naked basics palette! I’m also a person who only wears neutral shades, so it’s perfect for me! This made me want to go on a Sephora shopping spree (Currently resisting temptation… Or at least trying to… haha)

    Jasmine / http://www.jasminekeclipse.com

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    • Kate Mitchell says

      February 7, 2016 at 10:37 am

      Ha I feel you! It is a very good thing that I moved a little farther away from Sephora, or else I would be there all the time.

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  10. Miranda Pollitt says

    February 7, 2016 at 6:57 pm

    Awesome post! I love hearing other peoples thoughts on makeup. I just picked up some things from Sephora that I can’t wait to try!

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    • Kate Mitchell says

      February 23, 2016 at 1:23 pm

      Thanks! I really love makeup – it’s such a fun and pretty form of self-expression!

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  1. Kate the (Almost) Great | Boston Lifestyle Blog - Gift Guide: Beauty Gifts - Kate the (Almost) Great | Boston Lifestyle Blog says:
    March 9, 2018 at 9:11 am

    […] All gift guides, My Favorite Face Masks, Drugstore vs. High-End Mascara: Which Is Really Better?, Recent Sephora Buys & Reviews […]

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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⁣⁣.⁣⁣⁣⁣

⬛⁣⁣⁣

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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⬛⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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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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⬛⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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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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⬛⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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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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⬛⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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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⁣⁣.⁣⁣

⬛⁣

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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