Linda Rodin is easily her own best advertisement – for living well, for aging gracefully, for following your passion and doing what you love. In her early 60s, Linda is a fashion stylist and entrepreneur whose line of all-natural beauty products have achieved cult status among industry insiders – Madonna, Gwyneth and Halle are all fans – and us mere mortals, too. She’s been living and working in New York as a fashion stylist since the 1960s, but when she found a dearth of good moisturizers to use on her face, she bought some essential oils and got to mixing. The result was her now famous Olio Lusso. Once her model clients like Laeticia Casta aand Adrianna Lima started using it, Olio Lusso quickly went from a backstage skin-saver to the skincare spotlight.

Packed with 11 essential oils including argan, apricot, arnica and neroli, just a few drops will instantly transform your skin. Glowing without looking or feeling oily, your skin will look refreshed, regenerated and radiant. After the first time we used it, we got compliments from complete strangers and friends alike. Linda’s Olio Lusso line includes body oil, a lip balm and she’s debuting a facial cleanser, candle and fragrance this year – all of which we can’t wait to try. Since we’re so smitten with the product and so intrigued by this dynamic beauty business woman, we thought we’d ask the brains behind the blend a few of our most burning questions. Not surprisingly, her answers, like her oil, are simply great.

The Chalkboard Mag: Linda, you are such a style and beauty icon and inspiration for so many women. Please share your philosophy on beauty, health, treating yourself well and living well.
Linda Rodin: Well, as I always say, try and keep life as simple as possible. I eat very well – lots of vegetables, rarely meat and lots of fish. And I think the secret for me is lots of sleep. I sleep no less than 9 hours per night.

TCM: How did you transition from being a stylist to being the creator of a cult beauty essential? Please share your tips for following your passion, especially when it leads you to a new career or path.
LR: It was a very selfish endeavor: I couldn’t find the right thing for my skin, so I decided to make it myself at home…

TCM: Being from LA, we see so many people approach their age with fear and shame, but you make it look so effortless, easy and elegant. What are some of your tips for aging gracefully?
LR: Just that: do it gracefully. The more one tries to look young, the older one looks – it just doesn’t work! I am all for moderation. Triad facials from Dr. David Colbert at NYDG once a month do wonders. A bit of restalyn in obvious creases, fine. All said and done, subtlety is the key. And of course, eating well and sleeping well are half the battle.

TCM: You obviously are passionate about design and beauty. What are some of your hobbies or things you collect?
LR: I am an avid shell collector. My idea of heaven is being alone on a beautiful beach, looking for shells. It is my yoga. I also love flea markets and collecting sequin-y bits and bobs.

TCM: How do you stay fit and healthy? What are some of your secrets or strategies for feeling and looking beautiful?
LR: Eat well, don’t snack in between meals, walking my doggy  – I cannot bear to exercise – and again, sleep sleep sleep. Oops, and I love white wine with dinner.

TCM: It seems counter-intuitive that face oil would make you radiant and not greasy—please talk us through that a little bit and share your advice for those readers who afraid to take the plunge into using face oils.
LR: Oils have been around since Cleopatra. They nourish the skin and keep it dewy and moist. RODIN Olio Lusso absorbs quickly and is a wonderful moisturizer, with or without makeup.

TCM: Can you tell us a little bit about how you started Olio Lusso as a hobby and built such a dynamic company?
LR: As I said, I made it for myself, at home. Then I would bring it to photo shoots for makeup artists and models to try. Everyone loved it.

TCM: What new products can we look forward to from Olio Lusso?
LR: We have a perfume coming out in May, plus a candle and a facial cleanser.

TCM: It’s so rare to find a truly luxurious beauty product that is non-toxic, biodegradable and allergen-free and we love it. Can you talk about the importance of keeping the integrity of your ingredients?
LR: I have worked very hard to keep the product special. I do my best. My theory is that if I like something, other women will, too. You can never please everyone. I don’t do focus groups or surveys about what other people like. I am a focus group of one!