Rodulfo (she/her) is a New York-based beauty journalist and founder of Pearl, the leading Substack publication for Filipina-centric beauty and wellness analysis. With 11+ years at outlets like Women’s Health and ELLE, she now focuses on intersectional storytelling that challenges industry norms.
Kristina Rodulfo’s career exemplifies a deliberate pivot from traditional beauty journalism to pioneering culturally rooted storytelling. After graduating from NYU’s journalism program, she began her editorial journey at POPSUGAR, where she honed her skills in viral beauty reporting. Her tenure at ELLE (2015–2019) marked a shift toward investigative beauty journalism, culminating in her Webby-nominated documentary Beat: How Drag Queens Shaped the Beauty Industry. As Beauty Director at Women’s Health (2019–2021), she merged wellness and beauty through pieces like her acclaimed analysis of acne’s psychological toll. Since 2021, Rodulfo has championed Filipina narratives through her Substack Pearl, creating a dedicated space for underrepresented beauty stories.
This deeply personal investigation combined Rodulfo’s lived experience with cystic acne and interviews with dermatologists and psychologists. By revealing how stress and toxic relationships manifest physically through skin conditions, she destigmatized acne while advocating for holistic healthcare approaches. The article’s digital version included unfiltered before-and-after photos, challenging beauty media’s airbrushed norms.
Rodulfo’s documentary and accompanying long-form piece traced drag culture’s influence on mainstream cosmetics, from contouring techniques to bold color palettes. By interviewing RuPaul’s Drag Race alumni and cosmetic chemists, she highlighted LGBTQ+ communities’ undercredited role in beauty innovation. The project earned a 2019 Webby Award nomination for Best Documentary Series.
This manifesto established Rodulfo’s Substack as a critical platform for Filipina beauty discourse. She critiques colorism in Southeast Asian media while providing practical guides like “Best Lipsticks for Morena Skin Tones”. The newsletter’s success—with its mix of product reviews and cultural commentary—demonstrates demand for niche, identity-driven beauty content.
Rodulfo consistently highlights brands addressing diverse cultural needs, such as Filipina-owned companies creating warmer foundation undertones. Pitches should emphasize how products/services cater to specific ethnic communities or challenge Eurocentric standards. Example: Her Pearl piece on “Why Filipino Sunscreen Culture Differs From K-Beauty” blended historical context with SPF recommendations.
She gravitates toward stories linking self-care to broader societal patterns, like her analysis of “Social Media-Fueled Body Dysmorphia.” Successful pitches might explore how economic disparities affect skincare access or how climate change impacts haircare routines in humid climates.
Rodulfo frequently collaborates with psychologists, historians, and community organizers. A pitch about Ayurvedic beauty rituals, for instance, should include insights from South Asian scholars rather than solely cosmetic chemists.
“Pearl isn’t just a newsletter—it’s a corrective to decades of beauty media erasure.” – Interview with Mashable
