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.
    Aesthetician Sofie Pavitt’s Ideal Drugstore Skin-Care RoutineIncluding a body lotion that’ll make you feel like a dolphin.
  2. not a professional. just crazy.
    A Well-Deserved Cult Has Formed Around a Pair of Seemingly-Ugly $30 Men’s PantsThey’re owned by the likes of stylist Lilli Millhiser, makeup artist Shayna Goldberg, and designer Harley Viera-Newton.
  3. not a professional. just crazy.
    After a Long Hunt, I Found the Perfect, Under-$25 Winter MoisturizerIts non-greasy, and leaves skin looking downright bouncy, even after sitting in front of a heat-blasting radiator.
  4. not a professional. just crazy.
    Help Me, Rio: I Lost Part of My Eyebrow!I’m not going to speak to healing the scar. But I do have some makeup tricks that’ll at least let you pretend your eyebrow isn’t half gone.
  5. not a professional. just crazy.
    Everyone in My Friend Group Is Obsessed With This $8 Sheer LipstickIt’s from supercheap cult brand ColourPop.
  6. not a professional. just crazy.
    These Icy Wands Shrink My Cystic Zits in MinutesThey’re $14 less than Renée Rouleau’s Anti Cyst Treatment, and work twice as well.
  7. not a professional. just crazy.
    Help Me, Rio: I Burned My Forehead With a Curling Iron!Your instinct might be to dry the blister out so it falls off faster. That is not a good idea.
  8. not a professional. just crazy.
    Tracee Ellis Ross and I Use This Cheap Tool to Chisel and Lift Our FacesIt’s a perfect dupe for Jillian Dempsey’s $200 Gold Sculpting Bar.
  9. not a professional. just crazy.
    This Piggy Lid Helps Me Make Perfect Rice, Open Jars, and Microwave Leftovers“It’s really incredibly useful, for a silicone sheet that loosely resembles a pig.”
  10. not a professional. just crazy.
    The Email I Send to Brides Looking for Pre-Wedding Skin-Care AdviceEngaged friends, friends of friends, and perfect strangers alike are constantly asking for wedding advice. This is what I send them.
  11. not a professional. just crazy.
    All 6 Cats in My Family Go Nuts Over This Giant Unicorn TunnelMy sister’s cat loves it, my mom’s cat loves it, and now, my Martini loves it.
  12. not a professional. just crazy.
    The 12 COSRX Products Every Skin-Care Fiend Should HaveThe basically perfect Korean skin-care brand seemingly debuts a new product every week. These are the 12 I’ll never stop buying.
  13. not a professional. just crazy.
    The $28 Hairbrush That Replaced My Mason PearsonWhenever I use it — after a shower, in the mornings, before going out — it leaves my locks looking smoother, silkier, and with no knots or flyaways.
  14. not a professional. just crazy.
    The 8 Products I Use to Save My Skin From Drying Out in WinterA new mugwort mask and a steamer for at-home facials.
  15. not a professional. just crazy.
    The 5 Best Products for Skin, Hair, and Nails That I Bought This YearMy hands-down favorite purchases from this past year across five categories — hair, nails, skin care, makeup, and body.
  16. not a professional. just crazy.
    The Winter Makeup Look I’ll Be Wearing Until the Spring ThawIt involves Fenty and a bronzy eye.
  17. not a professional. just crazy.
    The Absolute Best Beauty Products That Will Still Arrive in Time for ChristmasIncluding a mini fridge, a slightly magical hair towel, and a bevy of hydrating masks.
  18. not a professional. just crazy.
    I’m Impossible to Shop for, But There Are Some Beauty Products I Actually WantMy friends and family feel it would be impossible to pick out something I don’t already own. But they are wrong!
  19. not a professional. just crazy.
    The 15 Best Gifts for Every Beauty Obsessive on Your ListFancy cream for a fancy lady, a Glossier starter-kit for a Gen-Z sibling, and a brown lip duo for the ‘90s nostalgist.
  20. micro sales
    The 5 Best Products to Buy During Bite Beauty’s Rather Massive SaleA $6 lipstick and a $1 eyeliner sharpener.
  21. cyber monday 2019
    I’m Buying This ‘Life-changing’ Hair Towel in Bulk This Cyber MondayIt has replaced all hot tools in my household.
  22. black friday 2019
    The Best Things to Buy at Glossier’s Cyber Monday SaleNow is the time to pick up some of their cult favorite, shelfie-ready skincare and makeup products.
  23. not a professional. just crazy.
    I Found an Eyeliner That Makes Creating an Eye Wing Ridiculously EasyEven for those of us with extremely shaky hands.
  24. not a professional. just crazy.
    Everything I’m Buying During Soko Glam’s (Delightfully Early) Black Friday SaleTime to stock up on pimple patches.
  25. not a professional. just crazy.
    I Joined the Megababe ‘Rosy Pits’ Cult and I’m Never Turning BackThe deodorant doesn’t stop sweat, but it makes those little droplets smell like roses. And not roses that are covering up garbage.
  26. not a professional. just crazy.
    The 3 Pricey Products I’ll Always Splurge on (Because They’re That Good)I’ve tried and tried and tried to find dupes for them, but they’re just too effective.
  27. micro sales
    The 14 Things Worth Buying at Credo Beauty’s SaleA lip-gloss lover’s lip gloss, a shimmer-free balm, and a Katie Jane Hughes–approved cream.
  28. not a professional. just crazy.
    All the Products I’m Buying Before the Sephora Sale EndsIncluding a retinol alternative recommended by Jonathan Van Ness, and a straightener recommended by Katie Jane Hughes.
  29. micro sales
    A Bevy of (Generally Expensive) Beauty Products Are on Sale at NordstromSunday Riley! Laura Mercier! Anastasia Beverly Hills!
  30. not a professional. just crazy.
    Everything Worth Buying at the Sephora Insider SaleI’ve written lovingly about almost every single product on this list.
  31. not a professional. just crazy.
    Everything I Use to Create the Perfect ’90s-Inspired Brown Lip“There’s something about the neutrality and effortlessness of the look — it just makes you look cool.”
  32. not a professional. just crazy.
    I Found a Solid Dupe for My Gut-Wrenchingly Expensive Christophe Robin Hair MaskTexture sprays, oils, and leave-in conditioners have become basically superfluous.
  33. not a professional. just crazy.
    Much to My Surprise, I’m Obsessed With Kylie Cosmetics’ BlushI loathed her lip kits and glosses. But this stuff is really, really good.
  34. not a professional. just crazy.
    I Found the World’s Best Baby-Blue Eye ShadowIt saturates the eye
  35. not a professional. just crazy.
    These Are My 9 Favorite Things From the Big Tatcha SaleIncluding a sunscreen, an eye mask, a lip balm, and more.
  36. not a professional. just crazy.
    The 11 Products I’ve Bought Over and Over AgainIf the bottle is empty, you know it’s been well-loved.
  37. not a professional. just crazy.
    These Picks Turned Me, a Non-Flosser, Into Someone Who Flosses Four Times a DayThey never make my gums bleed, and they extract popcorn kernels with ease.
  38. not a professional. just crazy.
    Rio Drops By: Talking Retinol and Burn Creams With Beauty Consultant Alexis PageThe drugstore moisturizer, Muji lipstick, and face-lifting foundation the woman who’s developed products for Pat McGrath’s and Emily Weiss loves.
  39. not a professional. just crazy.
    The 5 Things You Should Buy From Walmart’s (Yes, Walmart’s) Beauty SaleThey have a lot of great makeup, it turns out, and it’s all extremely cheap at the moment.
  40. not a professional. just crazy.
    This Tinted Moisturizer Makes My Skin Look Flawless Even When I’m SicklyIf you, like me, like to look like you have perfectly luminous skin even when you emphatically don’t, this is a must-have.
  41. not a professional. just crazy.
    This Oil May Be the Most Hydrating Product I’ve Ever Tried“It wasn’t just a fluke: The one night I didn’t use it, I woke up with scaly red patches all over my face.”
  42. not a professional. just crazy.
    The Autumnal Look That Convinced Me Orange Makeup Is FlatteringStolen from a picture of Lily Aldrige looking like a beautiful pumpkin.
  43. not a professional. just crazy.
    My Beloved Purito Centella Sunscreen Is Now Available Scent-FreeSome of you were bothered by the practically perfect product’s lavender-y smell. No longer.
  44. not a professional. just crazy.
    Urban Outfitters Has a Ton of Cute Barrettes on SaleJoin the Great Barrette Movement of 2019, at a slightly lower cost.
  45. not a professional. just crazy.
    The 5 Best Products I Discovered at the Indie Beauty ExpoIncluding a CBD balm for down there.
  46. not a professional. just crazy.
    My Favorite Products for a Glam Night OutAt night, I transform into a contour-crazed, colorfully lidded werewolf.
  47. not a professional. just crazy.
    The Products That I Never, Ever Take Out of My PurseI manage to squeeze in a water bottle, a mini SPF spritz, and a dry shampoo. Among other things.
  48. not a professional. just crazy.
    Every Beauty Item You Should Buy During Ulta’s September SaleGet half off Kylie Cosmetics Lip Kit on September 14, an It Cosmetics concealer on the 20th, and an Urban Decay Eye Pencil on the 21st.
  49. not a professional. just crazy.
    This Blush Puts All My Other Blush to ShameKatie Jane Hughes, the queen of dewy skin, has already given it her rare stamp of approval.
  50. not a professional. just crazy.
    The 6 Products I’m Buying Before the Massive Sephora Sale EndsA confidence-boosting body cream, a smell-canceling hair perfume, and the perfect Merlot-y fall lipstick.
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