Lives In
Chicago, Illinois
Education
- New York University
Melanie is a commerce and editorial writer for Byrdie covering beauty and lifestyle. With over 15 years of experience, she’s extremely well-versed (and passionate about) in anything and everything skincare-related. She’s dedicated to digging past buzzy marketing claims and understanding the science behind skincare, as well as personally vetting the products she covers. Outside of her professional career, she’s also a go-to source for answering her friends’ beauty product-related questions and shares what’s actually worth buying.
Melanie started her career as a beauty editorial intern, and once she realized that she could get paid to write about lipstick, she never looked back. She previously held beauty editorial positions at several magazines in New York City. She now writes for numerous print and digital outlets, including Byrdie, where she’s contributed stories ranging from trending skincare to hair loss to nail care since 2019.
When she’s not writing, you can find Melanie hanging with her six-month-old twins (and researching solutions for postpartum hair loss and the best baby skincare products), playing with her two rescue dogs, or posted up on the couch watching all of the Bravo reality shows.
Highlights:
- Melanie is an editorial and commerce writer for Byrdie, covering a long list of beauty and lifestyle topics. She's known for her gift guides.
- She holds a B.A. in Journalism and English from New York University.
- Melanie has also appeared on television as a beauty and lifestyle expert, and has served as a consulting and editorial expert for various beauty brands.
Experience
Melanie Rud is a beauty industry veteran with over 15 years of editorial experience. She’s held editorial positions at Shape, Good Housekeeping, and Health. With a penchant for skincare science and research, she’s dedicated to writing in-depth stories, as well as personally vetting the products she writes about. You can find her work on Byrdie, as well as RealSelf, RealSimple.com, Women’s Health, First for Women, and many more.
Education
Melanie holds a BA in Journalism and English from New York University.
