Kristina Rodulfo - Beauty Influencer & Former Beauty Director at Elle shares her secret

Kristina Rodulfo is a New York City-based beauty content creator, Sephora Squad member, and former magazine beauty director who has worked at ELLE and Women’s Health.

Take 3 Advice:

The next level daily planner

Kristina started using the Full Focus planner and it has been a game changer for her. “I am someone who needs to write a to-do list down with pen and paper, and this not only allows that, but also makes me see my day-to-day plans with big picture goals in mind. On the daily pages, it has a section for hours of the day so you can time-block your tasks. At the front of the book, there are several prompts that make you write down your quarterly goals, motivations, how you plan to accomplish them, and habit trackers. It really holds me accountable,” she said.

Celebrate the big and small things

Kristina makes sure she is the most productive by celebrating big and small accomplishments. “It’s all too easy to keep moving on to the next task, but taking a pause and rewarding myself for an accomplishment really helps me stay motivated and focused on being present. It doesn’t have to be anything extravagant, either! A reward could be as simple as booking a massage, buying myself flowers, or having a little solo lunch date at a cute restaurant,” she shared.

Stop scrolling

Kristina admits to getting sucked into scrolling for hours thinking it will help her stay on top of the trend. However, the truth is, scrolling and seeing what everyone else is creating is only distracting her from her inner instincts and what she  wants to create. “I try to limit myself to no more than an hour of scrolling per day on either TikTok or Instagram. If I start to get feelings of FOMO, or find that I’m comparing myself, or feeling anxious, I know I need to sign off and go for a walk, cook, or do another activity that takes my eyes off of a screen,” she said. 

My Routines:

Morning routine 

Kristina’s morning routine is the most important part of her day. “I wake up around 7 am and always exercise first thing. As I’m prepping for my wedding in April, I’ve been really committed to my workout plan which is a mix of Pilates classes, weight training, and running. After exercise, I usually free-write in my journal for five to ten minutes, make a breakfast protein smoothie, and time-block my schedule for the day in my planner, listing the top three most important tasks to get done,” she said. 

Evening routine 

Kristina stops looking at her phone or computer by 9:30PM so she can  properly wind down. She also charges her phone in her office so she’s not tempted to reach for it before sleeping or right after waking up. “I like to drink some herbal tea, then I’ll wash my face and do my skincare routine, then read a book in bed before I doze off,” said Kristina.

Workout routine

Kristina does reformer Pilates classes twice a week, three days of weight lifting (one day for lower body, one day for upper body, and one day for full body), and runs. “On weight training days, I’ll sometimes tack on a 12/3/30 workout (treadmill incline on 12, speed 3, for 30 minutes), which is popular on TikTok. It’s amazing, low-impact cardio that is definitely a tough workout! I’m also currently training for the NYC half marathon in March, so I spend my weekends doing long runs to build up my endurance. I love running because no matter how much you do it, it’s always challenging! It also makes me feel super accomplished once I’m done,” she said. 

Skincare routine

Kristina’s skincare routine has been a top priority with her wedding coming up in the Spring. “In the mornings I use a gentle cleanser, mandelic acid serum (it helps with acne and evening out hyperpigmentation), a Vitamin C eye cream to help with dark circles, then a mineral SPF. SPF is a non-negotiable step, every single day,” said Kristina.

For her nighttime routine she uses the same cleanser, an eye cream, a prescription tretinoin, then a moisturizer. “I am very committed to using the same products and, even though testing products is a part of my job as a content creator, I don’t really stray from my tried and true ones because I believe consistency is key,” she said.

Kristina also shared that she does like to swap moisturizers depending on the season. “I really like Covey's Last But Not Least Moisturizer! It has a glorious texture and, with ingredients like hyaluronic acid, squalane, and glycerin really plump up my skin with hydration,” she said. 

Favorite Things

Kristina is currently reading Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid. “The novel revolves around a legendary tennis player coming out of retirement to win another Grand Slam and has been a good read so far, really diving deep into the psyche of an elite athlete,” she said. 

Kristina also just watched Break Point, the Netflix documentary series on tennis players. “It’s a mere coincidence I watched this series as I started this book at the same time, but they pair really well together to explore ambition, athletes’ mental health, and the cost of greatness,” said Kristina.

She’s loving and  listening to SZA’s album SOS on repeat!. Some of her favorite songs include “Nobody Gets Me,” “Far,” and “Kill Bill.” 

Kristina’s favorite smoothie recipe is 

• 2 cups spinach
• 1 scoop chocolate protein powder of your choice (I also like using Four Sigmatic’s peanut butter protein powder)
• 1 banana
• 1 tbsp flaxseed
• 3/4 cup almond milk 

She uses the Beast Blender and it’s her favorite thing in her kitchen currently. “It’s not too loud and looks really aesthetically pleasing,” she said. 

Want to get to know the rituals and routines of other inspiring women? Explore more Covey Real Routines.