Rio Viera-Newton on Her Post-Wedding Beauty Transformation

In July, I tied the knot with my boyfriend of seven years in a beautiful, intimate wedding in the English countryside. As a long-time beauty enthusiast, it was exhilarating to indulge in a range of carefully curated treatments and products in preparation for the big day (I can’t recommend Sofia Visan for facials and Shelby Samaria for haircuts enough.) Throughout my career as a beauty journalist, I’ve always embraced extremes—whether it’s cutting my hair into a viral mullet, bleaching my eyebrows, or testing the long-lasting power of bright blue eyeshadow. Yet in the year and a half leading up to my wedding, I felt an overwhelming pressure to play it safe and avoid any experimentation.

We’ve all been conditioned to think of the quintessential bride as someone who embodies timeless radiance, exuding a natural beauty yes still remaining impeccably polished. Now don’t get me wrong, I wholeheartedly rejected many bridal expectations—I refused to fix my snaggle tooth and all but hissed and snarled at anyone who brought up dieting—but I can’t deny that I found myself gravitating toward a more regimented, au naturel approach to my previously ever-changing beauty routine. For the first time in years, I let my hair grow long, established a dedicated eyebrow grooming routine, used whitening strips, and added soft, golden highlights to my hair. On the big day, I felt beautiful and authentically myself. Having said that, as we packed the car to head back to home to London, I vividly recall sitting in the passenger seat, suddenly overwhelmed by an irresistible urge to…mess it all up.

The post-wedding chop is an internet term that describes the trend of brides getting dramatic haircuts after their wedding. It symbolizes a fresh start and new beginnings, but it also celebrates the liberating departure from traditional “bridal aesthetics.” However, having worn short hair for most of my adult life, returning to a bob haircut simply didn’t feel dramatic enough for me. After months of attempting to enhance my most natural beauty, I craved something vibrant, bold, and unapologetically unnatural. I texted my longtime colorist Emaly Baum at Manhattan’s Beauty Supply and together we decided on a big transformation: I was going red.

I learned quickly that not all reds are created equal, so I brought in a Pinterest board of a few different shades I liked, and Emaly helped me decide which one made the most sense for my hair’s natural undertones as well as my lifestyle. We chose an ultra-bright, auburn red—one that wasn’t so copper that it looked ginger, not so fiery red that it looked DIY, but something in between. Emaly explained that, generally speaking, dying your hair from brown to red is often quick and straightforward because red pigments can effectively deposit over darker hair without the need for bleach, especially if you choose a semi-permanent or demi-permanent dye. This means you can achieve a vibrant result in a single application, minimizing time and damage while still delivering a bright, striking color. Touch ups, however, are essential, as red can fade quite quickly, so it’s important to go in knowing you’ll be visiting the salon frequently.