10 Filipina Beauty Creators to Follow in 2023
The more we see our beauty reflected back at us, the more we embrace it within ourselves.
Welcome to Pearl, a bi-weekly newsletter dedicated to Filipinas and their beauty journeys. Read more about its mission here.
Happy New Year! Hope your holidays were wonderful and “Toxic Tita”-free! I spent Christmas in upstate New York with about 30 of my extended family. It was good, chaotic, fun. I took two weeks off in hopes of resetting myself. I journaled. I ran errands I’d been putting off all year. I binge-watched Emily in Paris and The Sex Lives of College Girls. Now, I’m excited to have a fresh start.
One goal of mine for 2023 is to be more intentional with social media. Much is said about the negative impact of social media on body image and overall mental health (I wrote a whole article on it in Women’s Health here), but one way to shift your experience to be more positive, is to better curate your feed. Unfollow/mute anyone who triggers feelings of FOMO, insecurity, or jealousy. Follow people who inspire and entertain you, whom you want to root for. For me, that means supporting more Filipina creators.
I love coming across a Filipina sharing her favorite beauty products, or recipes, or singing, or documenting the process of buying a home, or being a personal finance guru. It could literally be anything–if a Filipina is doing it, I’m immediately invested. I “like”! Comment! Share! Save! I want us all to blow up because the more space we take up, and the more we put ourselves out there, the more we create the representation we needed growing up. I believe the more we normalize our skin tones, our faces, our features–our beauty–and see it reflected back at us, the more we embrace it within ourselves.
Here are some people I’ve been loving following (in no particular order!):
Shannon Bruno @shannonbruno
Shannon is a former registered nurse turned full time beauty content creator. I absolutely love her skincare advice and tutorials (she converted me to SPF sticks for reapplication, a game-changer). I’m not expecting anytime soon, but as a new mom, she’s shared a lot of pregnancy-friendly skincare tips I’m definitely saving for the future.
Melanie, @overglowedit
When it comes to ~aesthetics~ Melanie is the queen. Her photos, videos, and product recs are always shot so beautifully. I started following her initially because she’s incredibly talented at nail art, and is always who I turn to when I need some inspiration for a new mani!
Sarah Novio, @sarah_novio
Sarah is so artistic and editorial with her approach to makeup, but still makes it really approachable! She’s definitely one to follow if you want to stay on top of beauty trends – I’m always picking up on new products and techniques from her page.
Belle Rodolfo, @bellerodolfo
Belle is the Beauty Editor at L’Officiel Philippines, so I love seeing her thoughtful, expert POV. She shares tutorials, product reviews, vlogs about working in the local beauty industry, and does GRWMs (get ready with me) while tackling topics like bisexual visibility, ageism, and colorism.
Carla Kristina, @carla_kristina
Carla is not only part of the Sephora Squad like me, but also works at Sephora! I was overjoyed to find out there’s another Filipina on the roster this year – she’s amazing to follow for creative, glam makeup looks, product roundups, and fun unboxings.
Francesca Sy-Alvarado, @golightlymd
If you’re looking for skincare advice from the best source – turn to a dermatologist like Dr. Francesca Sy-Alvarado. She is a Philippines-based derm who specializes in educational content for Qs like “Do we really need serum?” and “How to treat marks & scars from acne.”
Xenia Beatrix Santos, @heeyy_xenia
I only just started following Xenia, but I’m already a fan. She shares beauty tips, product tutorials, day in the life diaries of being both a model and makeup artist (okay, TALENT!), and speaks up about the lack of representation of curly-haired, deeper-skinned Filipinos.
Amelia Singson, @ameliasingson
Amelia is a Filipino Australian creator and makeup artist who makes me want to step up my content creation! Her photos and videos are so high quality and save-able, from sharing the best liquid liners, to teaching you how to use NuFace.
Anthea Bueno, @antheabueno
While Anthea is more of a professional makeup artist than a beauty content creator, she is so talented I had to include her in this list! If you’re ever looking for makeup inspiration for Filipinos – go scrolling on her page. She works with all your favorite Filipino celebs from Anne Curtis, to Catriona Gray, to Janine Gutierrez to Kelsey Merritt. Her YouTube, in particular, is a favorite of mine for more in-depth tutorials.
Kristin Corpuz, @kristincorpuz_
Kristin is a friend of mine from the editorial world so she’s got the discerning eye of a beauty reporter. She is the queen of the neutral palette, will give you serious wanderlust with all of her travel content (she is the master of tripod selfies), and has enviably glowing skin (but don’t worry, she shares all her product secrets)!
This list is just scratching the surface – I have many more faves I could’ve shared. Please comment any of your favorite Filipina creators to follow so I could follow them, too!
Product Spotlight: CND Solar Oil Nail & Cuticle Treatment
It’s winter and freezing in New York (temps hit ZERO degrees at Christmas), so you bet my cuticles are prone to looking crusty. I have been obsessed with this cuticle pen from CND for years – I use it every night before I sleep to help with nail growth and overall health, and I toss one in my purse so I can moisturize my nail beds on the go. I typically apply it whenever I apply hand lotion (like after washing my hands). I saw this funny video of a girl using an oil pen on her toenails while wearing heels out and I laughed so hard because that is absolutely something I would do.
Links I’m Loving:
Geena Rocero, model, director, and trans activist is coming out with a memoir in May 2023! It’s called Horse Barbie. I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing Geena several times as an editor, and I always walk away feeling so inspired by her story so I’m looking forward to reading.
My parents gifted me a cookbook that I am loving right now called Filipinx: Heritage Recipes from the Diaspora by Angela Dimayuga and Ligaya Mishan. I’m embarrassed to admit I don’t know how to cook any Filipino dishes, and I’m hoping to connect even more with my culture through this book. It not only has recipes for all your favs like bistek, chicken adobo, Filipino spaghetti, and sinigang, but also dives into their origins and Filipino culture at large. Dimayuga, a renowned chef, shares a lot about her own background as well. Her father invented the McDonald’s value meal – aka how every single McDonald’s displays their menus around the world. Isn’t that cool?
Two words: Ube. BUTTER. It’s an invention from LA-based company Big Boi and I need it immediately.
Target now carries a mug that says “Mahal Kita”?!?!? Very cute. I found out about it from TikTok (of course) but it’s online too.
Speaking of TikTok…Filipino TikTok is so delightful. Highly recommend curating your algorithm so it’s more Filipino. I love us. I love our dramatic, extra, hilarious selves, whether it’s someone casually slaying a Queen song during at-home karaoke or a group of friends having a “baklaan morning” dancing to Ariana Grande.
How can I support Pearl?
If anything you read resonated or you learned something new, please share this newsletter with a friend. Forward the subscribe page, post an excerpt on IG stories and tag me, and make sure you’re following me over on Instagram and TikTok.
With Love,
Kristina