VIOLET GREY profiles female beauty entrepreneurs who are considered industry game changers for their individual approach to business. Each one entered the conversation in her own manner and maintained a steady, if not unparalleled, trajectory with her indomitable spirit. Here, we talk to Linda Rodin.

In the world of cult beauty products, few are cultier than Rodin Olio Lusso Face Oil, created by Linda Rodin in her New York City kitchen in 2006. A delicious-smelling blend of 11 essential oils, including jasmine and neroli, Olio Lusso can be found in the vanities of celebrities, fashion icons, royalty, and anyone who knows beauty enough to know about Rodin. Its sleek glass bottle and spare white label are the epitome of chic, much like the creator herself.

Rodin, a former model turned fashion editor turned in-demand stylist, was already worshipped in style circles for her easy elegance—all upswept snowy hair, perfectly colored lip (often red or berry), and impeccable denim. Her path to beauty entrepreneur came when she noticed a hole in the market for simple, easy-to-use skincare. She spent a year developing her facial blend, using the oils she had come to know and love over time.

“I discovered argan oil in Morocco and evening primrose when I was young and had rashes,” she says, referring to two ingredients in the magic golden elixir. “I never made the oil with the idea of selling it or creating a business; the aha moment was the fact that friends and people I worked with, as a stylist, couldn’t get enough.” Their overwhelming enthusiasm meant that Rodin was working in her apartment to meet the demand, crafting 500 bottles (three at a time) one weekend in 2007.

The face oil was soon followed by oils for body and hair (the latter developed with legendary hairstylist Bob Recine), along with items such as lip balm, perfume, and five pigment-rich lipsticks. “I decide what to make according to what I personally need or want,” says Rodin of her development process. “I don’t like to spend a lot of time getting out the door.”

LINDA BEFORE 10AM