Rio Viera-Newton Author Archive
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Rio Viera-Newton

Beauty columnist, the Strategist

Rio Viera-Newton is an aesthetician and the author of Let’s Face It: Secrets of a Skincare Obsessive. In 2017, she debuted her column, “Not a Professional, Just Crazy,” alongside the release of her viral skin-care Google Doc.

  1. not a professional. just crazy.
    My Beauty-Industry Friends Are All Obsessed With Ariana Grande’s ‘Cloud’ PerfumeI was first surprised. And then convinced.
  2. not a professional. just crazy.
    The Caddies and Shelves I Depend on to Keep My Bathroom Organized“I am no Bobby from Queer Eye — none of these take any effort to install.”
  3. skin week
    The 7 Products I Stock Up On Every Time I Travel to LondonIncluding a SPF-infused moisturizer, travel-friendly double cleanser, and a Drunk Elephant dupe.
  4. not a professional. just crazy.
    The Products I Use to Salvage My Chapped and Flaky LipsBalms, yes, but also exfoliants and sleep masks.
  5. not a professional. just crazy.
    The Best Products On Sale For Labor Day, From Around The InternetFrom a Kourtney Kardashian–approved hair turban to Natalie Portman’s go-to rosehip oil.
  6. not a professional. just crazy.
    Seven Very Excellent Products On Sale at Soko GlamAn embarrassment of riches.
  7. not a professional. just crazy.
    This Castor Oil Smoothes My Flyaways (And Made My Hair Grow 3 Inches)“Suddenly, I can put my hair in a bun.”
  8. not a professional. just crazy.
    The 5 Products That Effectively Keep My Eczema at BayFrom a sulfate-free cleanser to a crystal soak.
  9. not a professional. just crazy.
    My Favorite Daytime Moisturizer Is On Sale at Nordstrom’s Anniversary EventAs is some pretty excellent Living Proof dry shampoo, a trio of Dr. Barbara Sturm’s cult-favorite serums, Supergoop sunscreen, and more.
  10. not a professional. just crazy.
    These Sheer, Your-Nails-But-Better Polishes Make My At-Home Manis FoolproofThey are so flattering (and forgiving) they make my toddlerlike application actually look kind of professional.
  11. not a professional. just crazy.
    You Should Get to Know Niacinamide, Skin Care’s Smoothing, Healing Hydrating MVPIt helps fade hyperpigmentation, smooth fine lines and wrinkles, hydrate the skin, and reduce redness and blotchiness.
  12. suncare
    I Am Obsessed With Frank Ocean’s Mom’s Dewy-Making Mineral SunscreenIt makes my skin look glowy, and is so gentle I can put it on top of eczema flare-ups.
  13. not a professional. just crazy.
    This Memory Foam Mask Is Like a Pillow for My EyesAnd it seals out light better than any other I’ve ever tried.
  14. skin-care
    The 5 Face Mists I Use for Hydrated, Glowy SkinWritten off as just water with good marketing, face mists are largely underappreciated.
  15. not a professional. just crazy.
    These Two Cleansers Ensure My Sweaty Summer Skin Is Squeaky CleanBut never stripped.
  16. not a professional. just crazy.
    Everything I Use to Combat Active BreakoutsWhether it’s a sprinkling of whiteheads, or a massive cyst.
  17. not a professional. just crazy.
    This Mask Shrinks My Fabric Mask–Induced PimplesInstantly after using it, my weltlike breakout became less red, inflamed, and raised (without causing the rest of my skin to feel tight or dry).
  18. not a professional. just crazy.
    This Lightweight Moisturizer Has Healed My Blotchy Summer SkinIt quenches my skin without leaving behind that oily, slippery glaze.
  19. not a professional. just crazy.
    The Most Worth-It Products at Sephora’s Fourth of July SaleAn unusually pearlescent Pat McGrath highlighter and a leave-in conditioner I plan to stock up on.
  20. not a professional. just crazy.
    These 5 Tints Make My Lips Look Like Themselves, Just (Way) BetterEach has earned a permanent place in my beauty arsenal.
  21. not a professional. just crazy.
    I Found 5 Skin-Care Products I Use Regularly for 50 Percent (or More) Off“We all know to sleuth for sales on holidays. But sometimes a special occasion isn’t necessary to find incredible deals.”
  22. not a professional. just crazy.
    This Contour Stick Is (Way, Way) Better Than KKW’sIn fact, it knocks any contour and highlighter stick I’ve ever tried out of the park.
  23. not a professional. just crazy.
    Help Me, Rio: I Have Ingrowns All Over“In the past, I would get them along my bikini line. Lately, they’re popping up on my armpits and even on my calves. How do I fix this?”
  24. not a professional. just crazy.
    Rihanna, As It Turns Out, Makes the World’s Comfiest, Most Supportive BraWhen wearing it, I feel like I don’t have a bra on at all — not a sensation those of us with large chests get to experience too often.
  25. dad week
    Multipurpose Skin-Care Products Your Father Might Actually UseNot to generalize, but most fathers I know personally like to do the bare minimum when it comes to their grooming routines.
  26. not a professional. just crazy.
    13 Highly-Recommended Beauty Gems From Black-Owned BusinessesAn intensely vibrant, high-pigment eyeshadow palette, a turmeric-rich vitamin C serum, and a frankincense-infused face oil.
  27. not a professional. just crazy.
    All of the Best Skin-Protecting Products On Sale at Supergoop“I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: Sunscreen should be worn daily, no matter how cloudy the forecast or how indoors-y your plans are.”
  28. not a professional. just crazy.
    Normal Toenail Clippers Weren’t Strong Enough; These Sure WereTalons to human-looking feet in mere minutes.
  29. not a professional. just crazy.
    All the Memorial Day Beauty and Skin-Care Deals I Have My Eye OnIncluding my all-time favorite brow gel and a perfect-for-these-salonless-times hair mask
  30. not a professional. just crazy.
    5 (Yes, 5) Extremely Convincing Dupes for SK-II’s Facial Treatment EssenceGalactomyces ferment filtrate (a.k.a. pitera) galore.
  31. not a professional. just crazy.
    Help Me, Rio: I Got a Mask SuntanA distinctly 2020 problem.
  32. not a professional. just crazy.
    The Highly Convincing Skin-Care Dupes My Followers Filled Me In On“I was a devout P50 user for years and thought that nothing could ever be as good, until I tried this toner.”
  33. not a professional. just crazy.
    The Nonirritating Tools I Use to Keep Body (And Facial) Hair at BaySuperstrong tweezers, two dermaplaning blades, and a razor that never rusts.
  34. not a professional. just crazy.
    These Masks (Which Work Out to 80 Cents a Pop) Make My Skin Look SuppleLizzo is also a fan.
  35. not a professional. just crazy.
    These Exfoliant Socks Made My Feet Shed Like a SnakeThey’re gentler than Baby Foot, but no less effective.
  36. gifts
    The Best Gifts for Moms Who, Like Mine, Like to Pamper ThemselvesFor the one who gets headaches from fragrances, and the one who is known for taking extremely long showers
  37. not a professional. just crazy.
    Since Haircuts Aren’t Possible, Try One of These Ultramoisturizing Masks“I want to make sure that as my hair lengthens, it doesn’t grow into a tangled, uncontrollable, broomlike disaster.”
  38. not a professional. just crazy.
    The Very Best Products to Buy During Sephora’s Beauty Insider SaleSome cheaper Charlotte Tilbury cream, a tea tree mask I use on bad-skin days, and a retinol-rich eye mask.
  39. not a professional. just crazy.
    Since We’re Stuck Inside, Might It Be a Good Time to Try Retinoids?According to celebrity dermatologist Dr. Shereen Idriss, yes.
  40. not a professional. just crazy.
    The Best Under-$30 Products to Perk Up Dull, Dehydrated Skin“While people have a tendency to think that expensive skin care means quality skin care, that is simply not the case.”
  41. not a professional. just crazy.
    I May Not Have Outdoor Space, But I Now Have a Hammock in My Bedroom“Every day, come five o’clock, I’ve been swaying in it with a glass of rosé.”
  42. ask the strategist
    ‘I’m an ER Doctor. How Can I Keep My N95 Mask From Irritating My Skin?’“What products should I use to protect my skin from the gear I wear to protect myself and others?”
  43. not a professional. just crazy.
    Help Me, Rio: How Do I Do a Facial at Home?“My face is red and blotchy, and I haven’t been feeling my best, physically or emotionally. What products should I use to reset my skin?”
  44. not a professional. just crazy.
    How to Safely Remove a Gel, SNS, or Acrylic Manicure at HomeWith the help of these tools, I was able to safely and comfortably remove my hard gel manicure on my sofa while watching The First Wives Club.
  45. not a professional. just crazy.
    Everything You Need for a Successful at-Home ManicureFrom cuticle nippers to top coats.
  46. not a professional. just crazy.
    This $4 Hand Cream Has Allowed Me to Wash My Eczema-Ridden Hands Ten Times a DaySince my hands were so far past any irritation I’d ever experienced in the past, I decided to hunt down the most healing hand cream available.
  47. not a professional. just crazy.
    Whole Foods’ Beauty Section, A Semi-Secret Treasure Trove, Is On SaleGo get yourself some Weleda Skin Food.
  48. not a professional. just crazy.
    After a Long Hunt, I Finally Found the Perfect ($4) White TankThey’re neither too cropped nor too long, snug with a bit of stretch for comfort, and have thinner-than-usual racerback straps.
  49. not a professional. just crazy.
    The Giant Rug My Instagram Followers Always Ask Me About Only Costs $80I spent weeks frustratedly hunting through $1,000 pieces the size of a bath mat before I found it.
  50. micro sales
    Everything (From Conditioners to Cleansers) I’m Buying During Dermstore’s SaleIncluding a hyaluronic acid and retinol eye mask I’ve had my eye on for quite some time.
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