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MOST RECENT ARTICLES BY:

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. now a professional. still crazy.
    How I Get a Slick Bun — Without the BreakageIt’s mostly about the gel.
  2. now a professional. still crazy.
    My Sparkly Birthday Eyeshadow Is Only $7There’s nothing quite as low-effort, high-payoff as glitter.
  3. not a professional. just crazy
    I’ve Tried (Almost) Everything From the Ordinary — Here’s What’s Worth ItThis is their top tier.
  4. cheeks
    I Tested 20 Cream Blushes to Find One That Actually LastsMost are gone in an instant.
  5. not a professional. just crazy.
    The Moisturizers I Use for My Dry, Acne-Prone SkinThe skin type is more common than you’d think.
  6. not a professional. just crazy.
    This $18 Nail Strengthener Put Me Off Dior Nail GlowIt nurses my post-extensions nails back to health.
  7. not a professional. just crazy.
    Everything I Use to Heal My Skin After PickingI broke the habit, but I’m not perfect.
  8. not a professional. just crazy.
    I’ve Gone All Rose EverythingI’m scent-layering to smell great all day long.
  9. not a professional. just crazy.
    This $2 Beauty Blender Dupe Just Might Be Better Than the OriginalMy cat systematically shredding my Blenders pushed me to find a cheap (actually good) alternative.
  10. not a professional. just crazy.
    For the Sixth Anniversary of My Google Doc, I Updated ItI’ve found balance for my dry, eczema-, and acne-prone skin.
  11. acne treatments
    Everything I Used to Fend Off Post-Pill AcneQuitting birth control doesn’t have to mean breakouts.
  12. not a professional. just crazy.
    I Tested 32 Brow Gels, and This $6 Pot Is the Only One I Want to UseIt delivers precise application and feathery brows every single time.
  13. not a professional. just crazy.
    Is Fenty’s ‘Uncensored’ Lipstick the New Ruby Woo?At minimum, it’s a close second.
  14. not a professional. just crazy.
    I Found a $9 Dupe for Dior’s Lip Glow OilNone of the other glosses I’ve tried were cheap enough to warrant my stamp of approval.
  15. not a professional. just crazy
    This Serum Fixed My Friend’s Rosacea Weeks Before Her WeddingNaturium’s azelaic acid saved the day.
  16. not a professional. just crazy.
    I’ve Gone Full-on 2007 Emo-GothMy tween-era MySpace page is the makeup mood.
  17. acne treatments
    The Best Patch for Every Kind of PimpleI’ve sorted out when and where to use them.
  18. not a professional. just crazy.
    My Favorite Lip Liners Are All Under $8There’s a Charlotte Tilbury dupe for a quarter of the price.
  19. strategist hive mind
    63 Holiday Shopping TipsHoliday-related proclamations and well-sourced recommendations from the Strategist’s staff and contributors.
  20. not a professional. just crazy
    I Created 6 Very Giftable Beauty Bundles for Everyone In Your LifeEven your skin-care-avoidant dad is covered.
  21. not a professional. just crazy.
    The (Mostly Not-Skin-Care) Tools I Used to Break My Skin-Picking HabitTips from a mental-health-care professional and me, a recovered picker.
  22. shampoo and conditioner
    This Product Helped Me Kick My Dry-Shampoo HabitI’d wash my hair in the morning and need dry shampoo in the afternoon.
  23. not a professional. just crazy.
    This $14 Charlotte Tilbury Dupe Is Summertime Glow in a BottleWithout it, by late September I start to look vampiric.
  24. not a professional. just crazy
    This Color-Adjusting Blush Is the Closest Thing to My Natural FlushI look like I just had a day at the beach.
  25. not a professional. just crazy.
    This Brow Tint Is the Best Nude Lip Liner I’ve UsedNo more pulling out my compact every hour to make sure my liner is still in place.
  26. not a professional. just crazy.
    This $15 Body Lotion Smells Just Like Sol de Janeiro’s Bum Bum CreamAll of the legendary, compliment-grabbing fragrance for a quarter of the price.
  27. not a professional. just crazy.
    These Are My Favorite Things From the Tatcha Friends & Family SaleIncluding a sunscreen, an eye mask, a lip balm, and more.
  28. not a professional. just crazy
    My Favorite Under-$10 LipsticksBuy multiples. Store them everywhere.
  29. not a professional. just crazy.
    I Got the TikTok-Famous Wolf Cut. Now What?I need a whole new hair-care routine.
  30. not a professional. just crazy.
    The No-Irritation, No-Redness Method for Easing Into Strong RetinoidsIt’s called “retinization” — and it’s like training camp for your skin.
  31. acne treatments
    The Best Thing I Ever Did For My Acne Was Switch Up My Hair-Care RoutineAll this time, my hair mask was the real villain.
  32. hair
    Ask the Strategist: Are There Any Good Dyson Airwrap Dupes?I’ve found some alternatives, but no tool does it all.
  33. best of new york
    The Best Colorists in New YorkWhere to go for Scarlett Johansson’s seasonal highlights, bubblegum-pink buzz cuts, “hot girl” hair, and more.
  34. not a professional. just crazy.
    Run: Everything at Fenty Beauty Is (Substantially) on SaleIncluding its red lipstick, which (in my opinion) is better than Ruby Woo.
  35. not a professional. just crazy.
    This Bee Salve Calms My Stressed-Out Skin, From Head to ToeI reach for it during many a skin-care emergency.
  36. not a professional. just crazy.
    This $5 Drugstore Blush Replaced My Charlotte Tilbury PinkgasmThe finish is pretty much identical.
  37. not a professional. just crazy
    I Use These Four Products Every Morning to Protect My Skin All Day LongThey’re my free-radical fighters.
  38. not a professional. just crazy.
    This Is (Seriously) the Best Dry ShampooI’ve raved about it on TikTok and Instagram and even gifted my sister a bottle for the holidays.
  39. bedding
    I Found a $29 Dupe for Parachute’s Ultraluxe Silk PillowcasesThis just-as-luxurious option does wonders for my hair and skin, for about a quarter of the cost.
  40. not a professional. just crazy
    The Hydrating, Low-Fuss Makeup That Warms Up My Pale Winter SkinThese four products are easy to apply and make me look less like a vampire.
  41. empty!
    The 6 Products Our Beauty Columnist Emptied Out in DecemberTo find out about the products worth excavating, we occasionally invite friends of the Strategist to tell us about their monthly empties.
  42. year in review
    This $15 Bluetooth Shower Speaker Is the Best Thing I Bought All YearIt makes my long showers genuinely fun and entertaining.
  43. not a professional. just crazy.
    Finally, a Hydrating Cleanser That Washes Off All My MakeupIt leaves my skin bouncy, moisturized, and actually clean.
  44. not a professional. just crazy
    I’ve Found a Non-Irritating Spray That Fades My Eczema ScarsFinally. I’ve been struggling with this for years.
  45. sales
    The 13 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.
  46. not a professional. just crazy.
    These $7 Rollers Help My Bangs Air-Dry PerfectlyThey look like something my grandma would wear, but they work.
  47. not a professional. just crazy
    Everything I Use to Keep My (Very) Bleached Hair HealthyGoing blonde is easy, but keeping that super-bleached hair healthy is hard.
  48. not a professional. just crazy.
    These Are My Favorite Things From the Tatcha Friends & Family SaleIncluding a sunscreen, an eye mask, a lip balm, and more.
  49. not a professional. just crazy.
    All 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.”
  50. on-site shop
    This Percussive Therapy Tool Is Like an At-Home Deep-Tissue MassageIt helped alleviate my perpetual back, neck, and shoulder aches.
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