I met Effie Go in 2004 for a project we did at my last corporate job. Effie did make-up for several models. She was funny. She was cool. She was super easy to talk to. And she made the models look naturally beautiful, without that overly made-up look.
After a year, I got her to do make-up for my wedding (she charges much higher now but she is so worth it!). Here she is doing the make-up for one of my bridesmaids, Jenny of MyMommyology.
Recently, a friend of mine asked me O.C. questions about make-up so, naturally, I asked for Effie’s expert opinion. Here is my Q&A with Effie:
1. When should you throw away makeup? After how many years from purchase/ opening?
Effie: Each beauty product has a shelf life. Here’s a quick guide on the typical shelf life of each:
- Concealer: Up to 12 months
- Powder : 2 years
- Cream and gel cleansers and moisturizers: 1 year
- Pencil eyeliner: should be sharpened regularly. Will last up to 3 years.
- Eye Shadow: Will last up to 2-3 years. (Extra tip from Effie: You can also use your dark eye shadows as eye liner. A lot of make-up artists swear by this.)
- Lipstick: 1-2 years
- Lip Liner: Up to 2-3 years
- Foundation: Water-based foundation will last up to 12 months; Oil-based up to 18 months
- Mascara: 3-4 Months
- Powder: 2 Years
2. How do you clean your brushes?
Effie: I just use a mild household liquid soap (baby shampoo and gentle soap work well). I usually use my hand as a cup for the warm, soapy water and swirl my brushes in my palm until they are clean. Then I rinse well. I also bring brush cleaners in my shoots. I’ve been using Laura Mercier brush cleaner as of late.
OC Mom tip: I use filtered water to clean expensive things like my Mac and my brushes and sponges — less exposure to harmful chemicals.
3. How often do you clean your brushes?
Effie: I wash every 2-3 months. Since I have brush cleaners with me all the time in my shoots, I also clean them before every use.
4. How do you make sure your process of doing makeup on different people is hygienic?
Effie: Oh, I have a gazillion make-up brushes. Seriously. A lot of people react when they see my brushes. I have A LOT so I can use different brushes for every face.
5. How OC are you when it comes to your makeup/ equipment?
Effie: Quite O.C. They’re in groups. Like a palette for foundations, eye shadows, lip sticks, separate bag for my air brush make-up.
6. Any OC tips on preserving makeup?
Effie: Make-up should always be in room temperature, never under the sun or hit by sunlight or anything hot. To avoid melting, do not store products near a window that gets light or in a steamy bathroom. Avoid leaving make-up in a parked car, which can get hot. One time, my ex-boyfriend bought me YSL make-up. He left it in his car while at work. At the end of the day, when he gave them to me, the lipsticks and cream glosses were all melted.
OC Mom tip: When traveling with your make-up kit, maybe best to bring a small insulated cooler with you with just a thin ice pack to keep the car temp from turning up the heat.
7. Which ex-boyfriend was this?
OK, I didn’t really ask this question. #6 was the last question. Heehee.
Thank you so much Effie for sharing your O.C. tips! You can check out other tips and Effie’s work on her blog effieg.tumblr.com. You can also follow her on Twitter (@_effieg_) or Instagram (effieg).
To commission her make-up and hair styling for corporate or personal events, email effie(dot)go(at)gmail(dot)com.
A little bit of trivia, Effie also did Samantha Sotto‘s make-up for her author’s photo in her book Before Ever After.
And finally, since I got to reminiscing about my wedding day, here are some other photos, which I am willing to share because you can’t really see me clearly.
©OCMominManila
