Many indeed expressed their delight and excitement when Jessy Mendiola finally ended her five-year hiatus to focus on her personal life and decided to return to acting via the action-drama series “Sins of The Father.”
And for her much-awaited comeback, the management made sure that it’s going to be definitely remarkable, as they bestowed on her the mysterious yet femme fatale role of Agnes Policarpio, whom the viewers have gone on to adore not just because of her admirable personality, but also because of her arresting splendor.
But did you know that aside from studying the script, memorizing and practicing her lines, and internalizing her character, part of Jessy’s preparations for her portrayal is making sure that she would achieve the look suitable for each facet of Agnes? Well, that’s what she revealed in one of her recent vlogs uploaded on her YouTube channel, wherein she demonstrated how she usually does the office girl makeup of Agnes.
While we’re accustomed to hearing or seeing celebrities having makeup artists take care of their facial appearances, Jessy disclosed that it’s actually just her who does her own makeup in every project that she does.
“Sa mga hindi nakakaalam, ako lang din talaga ang nagma-makeup sa sarili ko when it comes to teleseryes [and] movies kasi naniniwala ako na mas natural ang dating kapag ikaw lang ang gagawa ng sarili mong makeup. Nag-iiba ang mukha ko kapag makeup artist ‘yong gumagawa ng makeup ko. So, I make sure na ako ang nagma-makeup sa sarili ko pagdating sa shows ko,” she gleefully related.
According to her, it usually takes her 10 to 15 minutes to finish her makeup since she already has her eyelash extensions done by her trusted beauty and wellness salon.
She began with her go-to primer with SPF50, which is a must in order for the cosmetic products she would apply to stick on her face, as well as for her face to be protected from the harsh rays of the sun. It was followed by moisturizer, which she only uses whenever they shoot indoors.
“Light lang talaga ako mag-makeup for ‘Sins of the Father’ kasi si Agnes, maraming layers ang kanyang character. But sobrang simple niyang tao. Hindi rin pwede sobrang daming makeup onscreen kasi sobrang halata ‘yon,” Jessy explained as she was about to dab concealer on her face.
Then she continued, “So, ang ginagawa ko, concealer lang ang ginagamit ko. Hindi ako gumagamit ng foundation sa show namin kasi sa super puti ng skin ko, talagang kitang-kita kung makapal ang makeup. So, I only focus on my dark spots and my eyebags.”
As she proceeded with her under-eye corrector to conceal her eyebags, she divulged that Agnes actually isn’t supposed to be who she is now because she was initially envisioned as a simple housewife. But when the script got revised, she went on to have different layers, which we get to witness as the narrative continues to unfold. Thus, aside from her office girl look, Jessy also has to make her character appear different whenever she’s in her other facets as a civilian asset and a housewife.
But basically, their pegs or inspiration for Agnes’ appearances are Evelyn Salt, the titular character played by Angelina Jolie in the 2010 Hollywood action flick “Salt,” and Kya, the role portrayed by English actress Daisy Edgar-Jones in the 2022 mystery film “Where The Crawdads Sing.” This makes Agnes’ signature look a fusion of bold, commanding, and powerful, with tinges of sweet and innocent.
Others may usually use a pink shade for their blush, but Jessy opts for a pale shade because one of their directors, FM Reyes, doesn’t want Agnes to be young-looking. Thus, in order to achieve her mature appearance, she chooses to use earth tones.
While she’s able to adjust right away with work, what the Kapamilya actress really considers the biggest adjustment that she goes through, especially now that she’s a mom, is leaving her and Luis Manzano’s daughter, Rosie, at home.
“Sila direk, inaalagaan nila ako and ‘yong mga first few taping days ko, as in paisa-isa lang ‘yong eksena ko. Padala-dalawa. So, kahit papaano, parang nagkaroon ng break in, hindi masyadong agad-agad nag-heavy scene or agad-agad pinuno sa isang taping day ng scenes ko,” Jessy related, to which she’s very thankful for their directors.
She then applied and blended her two shades of loose setting powders and her contour, as well as brushed brow gel on her eyebrows and eyeshadow on her eyelids. While filling in her eyebrows using an eyebrow pencil, she went on to further talk about Agnes.
“Si Agnes kasi maraming secrets na tinatago, so magugulat talaga sila sa revelations ni Agnes. But feeling ko, mamahalin n’yo si Agnes [kasi] her heart is very pure, selfless siya, laging nagsa-sacrifice ng sarili niya para sa ibang tao,” she conveyed. “I’m sure a lot of people ay makaka-relate sa kanya kasi gano’n di naman tayo, mas lalo na sa pag-ibig.”
Jessy completed her look by putting on blush-on, mascara, and lipstick, then tried to style her hair ala-Agnes. While she can do her makeup, she admitted to not being good with styling her hair, so she just leaves it to her hairstylist on the set.
Catch Jessy on “Sins of the Father,” weeknights on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL), A2Z, TV5, and iWant.