Celebrity Makeup Artist Denise Go Ochoa Actually Started Out as a Hairstylist
From working with household names to becoming a celebrity in her own right, Denise Go Ochoa’s career trajectory shows just how crucial it is to start with a strong foundation.
Before the trend took over TikTok, Denise Go Ochoa—a makeup legend in the beauty and fashion industries—was already synonymous with the glowy skin, soft lashes, and just-a-hint-of-tint lip that constitute the clean girl aesthetic.
It’s a signature look that has made Go Ochoa in demand, not just within Philippine shores, but across the globe. Her work has taken her from regularly collaborating with the likes of Kathryn Bernardo and Allure Philippines cover star Shuvee Etrata, to creating the bridal makeup of Princess Consort Anisha Rosnah of Brunei’s royal family.
But Go Ochoa, in an unorthodox start to an illustrious makeup career, actually began working as a hairstylist. Not to private clients. Not to celebrities. But in a space where some of the best in the industry are honed and refined: at the salon.
In 1999, Go Ochoa received a salon franchise from her mother as a graduation gift. “It was something I could manage, grow, and eventually turn into a stable source of income,” Go Ochoa recounts. “And [my mom] wanted to make sure that I knew how to run it without having to depend on anyone.”
So Go Ochoa learned how to do it all: shampooing, massaging, cutting, and coloring. “It was the way my mom trained me to be a good leader, to be able to train everyone coming after [me]. [Because then] I’ll be able to train from the knowledge that I learned from my own experience.”
The transition to makeup started with Making Faces, a book by legendary makeup artist and Allure columnist Kevyn Aucoin, whose legacy set standards for authority and expertise within the beauty publication and the wider world of makeup artistry. “My mom bought the book to train our staff,” Go Ochoa shares. “I loved how detailed it was. It kind of sparked an interest, because I was so fascinated by how makeup can transform a face.”
“From there, during non-peak hours, I would work with our staff and the makeup we had in the salon,” she says. “While I didn’t really plan on becoming a makeup artist, I always say it just found its way to me.”
In this Allure Philippines exclusive, Go Ochoa remembers the lessons learned from her earlier days, and shares her insights about how social media is changing how makeup artists work.
Denise Go Ochoa / IG: deniseochoa
What was your first-ever gig as a makeup artist?
The marketing team [of an apparel brand we franchised] asked me to do a fashion editorial for a newspaper. There were no [makeup artists] available, so I was told to do it. I said, “I can’t do it.”
I was so scared, because I felt I wasn’t equipped with the proper knowledge at that time. But I was already doing makeup on our staff [at the salon]. So for the newspaper fashion editorial, [I did the makeup of] an MTV VJ named Shannen Torres. That was my first-ever gig.
What were the challenges you encountered early on in your career?
I’ve had a lot of challenging moments. Especially when I was working in production, I would be given jobs I hadn’t trained for. When a director would tell me, “I need a mild special effect,” I had to be really resourceful to come up with the kind of look they’re asking for.
There are a lot of moments when I would doubt myself. In the industry we’re in, people have so many opinions about art and what you do. Sometimes you do your best, but others [still] don’t find it pleasing to their eyes.
How has social media changed how you approach your work?
Social media changed everything. I think that’s one of the challenges that I still face until now: staying relevant and keeping your identity at the same time. It’s a challenge for us in the glam industry to always try to change [with] the trends, [to] try to keep up with what everyone else is doing.
Would you say, as an industry veteran today, that this is your new challenge?
You see everyone on social media and you’re pressured to keep up with everyone. I think, up to this day, that’s the most challenging part of my job. With trends eternally changing, everything in our industry evolves so fast.
What keeps you going in this fast-paced setting?
There are still so many things that I want to learn. But having people come back to me, because they appreciate the work that I’ve done on them, or seeing my clients or the celebrities I work with happy with the look that I’ve done—[those are the] moments I’ll never forget. It just gets me every time.
When I see their faces light up after I’ve done their makeup and when I see them looking at themselves differently, every time [that happens], I tell myself, “Okay, I’ve probably made it.”
What’s your advice for newcomers entering the glam industry?
Protect your integrity and it will protect you in return.
Frequently Asked Questions
Go Ochoa began as a hairstylist managing a salon franchise her mother gave her as a graduation gift in 1999. Her interest in makeup was sparked by Kevyn Aucoin’s book Making Faces, which her mother bought to train salon staff. She practiced on staff during non-peak hours before transitioning fully into makeup.
Her first gig was an unplanned fashion editorial for a newspaper, arranged by the marketing team of an apparel brand she franchised. She made up MTV VJ Shannen Torres, despite feeling underprepared at the time. She describes it as a moment of necessity that became a turning point in her career.
Go Ochoa has worked with Filipino actress Kathryn Bernardo and Allure Philippines cover star Shuvee Etrata, among others. She also created the bridal makeup for Princess Consort Anisha Rosnah of Brunei’s royal family, establishing her reputation beyond the Philippine market.
Go Ochoa describes social media as the most persistent challenge of her career — requiring constant adaptation to shifting trends while maintaining a distinct creative identity. She says the pressure to stay relevant without losing one’s own voice is something she continues to navigate as an industry veteran.
Her advice is direct: “Protect your integrity and it will protect you in return.” For Go Ochoa, long-term credibility in the glam industry is built not on trend-chasing but on consistency, self-doubt managed through discipline, and a commitment to making clients see themselves differently.
