We confess that the more a product is hyped by public relations and marketing teams, the more suspicious about it we, at The Style Examiner, can become of its qualities. As the number of promotional materials sent to us to introduce the often miraculous traits of certain products is far from low, we have been forced to retain an open mind and critical attitude towards everything that lands on The Style Examiner’s desk.
After reading such glowing reviews of Rodin Olio Lusso skin care range in numerous international editions of glossy magazines such as Glamour, Grazia, Harper’s Bazaar, In Style, Marie Claire, Vogue, and W, we admit that we were somehow suspicious of its astonishing qualities. However, after trying on samples of the Rodin Olio Lusso face oil sent to us for testing, and researching more about it, we surrendered to the evidence: when it comes to skin care products based on natural ingredients, this may be easily considered the perfect specimen.
The Rodin Olio Lusso skin care range is the brainchild of former model, fashion editor, and stylist Linda Rodin who, despite the easy access that she had for decades to exclusive cosmetics, became disillusioned with their anti-aging claims and complicated regimens. In order to address this issue, Rodin found inspiration in historical accounts of how oil was used as part of very simple skin care routines and rituals by several millenary cultures, such as Ancient Greece. After experimenting with essential oils in her own kitchen for nearly two years, Rodin put the finishing touches to her first product, the original Rodin Olio Lusso face oil, in 2007. The models and makeup artists she worked with tried and loved it, and soon Rodin Olio Lusso was selling to a cult following at a few select stores, with magazine coverage and an international buzz ensuing swiftly. In fact, Linda Rodin’s breakthrough experimentation with Olio Lusso achieved such outstanding notoriety that several other skin care brands (such as Clarins, Espa, or Paul & Joe) have since developed their own lines of oil products.
Rodin Olio Lusso (Italian for ‘Luxury Oil’) is a collection that currently comprises five products for skin, lips, and hair. The key components in each chemical-free product are essential oils, derived from flowers and other botanicals, which are renowned for their soothing, softening, glow-giving, emollient, and protective properties. Blended together, they engage in a synergy that results in instant suppleness and radiance for face, body, lips, and hair. In addition, the blends use the pleasant aroma of jasmine (regarded as a lush and intoxicating flower) mingled with neroli (a soft, mellowed citrus, much beloved in perfumery).
When trying the range’s face oil, The Style Examiner could not help but being very impressed with the results. The product contains 11 essential oils derived from flowers and other botanicals that, in the Rodin combination, are easily absorbed by normal, oily, or dry complexions without leaving any greasy residue. Although one may assume that oil will be more damaging to the skin than cream and can block pores, this may not be necessarily true of all oils: three of the four Rodin Olio Lusso blends are liquids that instantly melt into the skin owing to the nature of the oils’ tiny molecules. In fact, a few seconds after applying the face oil, the result is skin visibly hydrated, with a naturally healthy sheen and a luminous light-reflecting effect.
As we look forward to finding out more about new developments by Rodin Olio Lusso, their bottles of face oil have most certainly secured a prominent place in our bathroom cabinets.