T
By chandra pepino
photography By Mark nicdao
MAINESTAY
After two years in the industry, Maine Mendoza’s
proven she’s in it for the long haul.
his is the inexplicable magic
of Maine Mendoza: Even when
she’s sick, she’s still the most
radiant person in the room. Her
secret formula? In an industry
where a well-manufactured
smile was the norm, she went
against the current and made
faces. When the cameras stop
clicking, she blinks and allows
herself small mental breaks—a
temporary escape from the flurry
of 30-odd people surrounding
her—but when photographer
and constant collaborator Mark
Nicdao shouts, “Let’s do this!” it’s
as if an imaginary light switches
on, and Maine has risen above herown body. The piercing eyes. The
wide grin that’s graced many an
EDSA billboard. She nearly falls
over backwards in her five-inch
stilettos but makes an impeccable
recovery by playing it off as a
faux high-fasyon pose. “O, diba?”
she exclaims, and the whole
room erupts in relieved laughter.
If Maine Mendoza can soldier
through, then damn it, so can we.it’s been a while since you
became an overnight sensation
via your dubsmash videos. has
your celebrity status sunk in yet?
It’s still surreal for me, kasi hindi
naman ako sanay sa ganitong (MAKEUP) JUAN SARTE. (HAIR) CELESTE TUVIERA. (STYLING) PATRICK PEREZ AND STEVEN CORALDE OF STYLIZED STUDIO, ASSISTED BY JOY BERNARDO AND APRIL LOZADA. (PROP STYLING) MARTINA BAUTISTA. (NAILS) ALMA ROXAS OF TOKYO NAIL STATION.20 Cosmopolitan • MAY 2017 WWW.COSMO.PH