Pearl is a newsletter decoding beauty through the lens of culture and identity.
It will land in your inbox weekly, featuring thoughtful essays, interviews, trend analysis, trustworthy product reviews and recommendations, and more from me, Kristina Rodulfo.
As a longtime beauty editor for publications like ELLE, Women’s Health, and PopSugar, I help you uncover the deeper meaning behind the beauty trends, products, and rituals we practice every day.
Whether exploring how drag queens shape makeup trends, examining the link between social media filters and body dysmorphia, or interrogating beauty standards in Filipino culture, I’ve always believed beauty serves as a lens that reveals truths, triumphs, and tensions about society. Pearl is where we unpack it all.
Pearl originally began in 2022 as a newsletter dedicated to Filipinas’ beauty and wellness journeys. It’s always been my aim to diversify beauty coverage and, as I expand my scope in 2026, that remains central to my mission.
Why should I subscribe to Pearl?
Free Subscriber
Free subscribers will receive occasional newsletters.
Paid Subscriber
For $8 a month or $80 a year (that’s two months free if you subscribe yearly!) will receive all of my free newsletters, plus one newsletter a week exclusively for paid subscribers. Here’s what to expect:
Essays and original reporting on beauty as it intersects with culture and identity
Interviews, routines, and profiles of tastemakers shaping beauty today
Reviews and recommendations you can trust
Beauty travel guides
Curated links to news, inspiration, and conversation starters in beauty, wellness, and culture
Occasional personal “letters from the editor” (along the lines of my pieces on scarcity mindset, the wedding beauty industrial complex, and more)
Paid subscribers will also have access to comment on posts, join the Pearl chat, and participate in monthly Q&As, where I answer all of your burning beauty questions!
Founding Member
Whether you’re a day one @kristinarodulfo follower or you work in the beauty industry and can expense a subscription (👀), if you want to support my work not just on Substack but across my career, this is for you!
Founding Members will receive all of the free and paid newsletters, all of the paid perks, plus priority Q&A responses and entry into future giveaways.
Why is it called “Pearl”?
As a proud Filipina, I find pearls quite significant in my culture. The Philippines is known as the perlas ng silanganan, the South Sea Pearl is the country’s national gem, and many traditional jewelry pieces feature pearls. Pearls take years to form, growing from an irritant into something beautiful—a perfect metaphor for the resilience I hope to highlight in every story.
Thank you for joining me here!
Let’s connect:
