The fight against the devastating effects of the pandemic has spawned several accounts of hope and inspiration. In the August 23 episode of “I Feel U,” makeup artist Effie Inigo shares her own story of resilience, of rising against the circumstances.
Effie, now 40, started working in the advertising industry at 21 years old. A few years later, she became a full-time makeup artist to celebrities like Toni Gonzaga, Janella Salvador, Sofia Andres, Julia Barretto, and Elisse Joson.
After almost two decades of glamming up your favorite Kapamilya actresses, Effie was forced to venture to food business. It was a career shift she never thought would happen. “Nag-start ang COVID, parang dedma lang ako at first, inisip ko na mawawala din ‘yan. I didn’t realize the gravity of the situation,” she says.
Effie had her wake-up call upon seeing the health crisis grow into a more serious matter. She suddenly realized that she can’t just sit around and wait for the situation to change. The quarantine and other unfortunate events halted her usual grind yet the monthly staples are piling up.
At that point, Effie knew she had to move in order to get by. The realizations and the grit to provide for her family gave birth to her quarantine food business, “Effien’ Good.” The idea was to share her special shrimp dish Cacio e Pepe to consumers.
“Kasi matagal ko na siyang ginagawa, one and a half year na. Everytime I will cook it for the family, palaging ubos. So, na-realize ko baka mag-work to kasi masarap talaga ‘yung lasa niya,” shares Effie.