Make up artist Vincent Longo hails from Australia, but spent formidable years in Italy. During the 1990’s, he established himself as a runway and editorial make up artist. It was his kitchen cosmetics approach that inspired his line of cosmetics. Longo literally concocted his formulations in his apartment’s kitchen. Regrettably, his products retain that home-produced quality. We tried two products: Volume Riche Mascara and the Water Canvas Primer.

Volume Riche Mascara: This mascara did fulfill its promise to add volume to the lashes. Our lashes became fuller and more voluminous upon application. However, it was the most dry and clumpy mascara we have ever tried. Pulling the wand out of the tube was a black tar mess and I often had to blot the excess kohl off the wand. The upside is how easily it washed off compared to other mascaras. The retail price is also excessive at $23.

Water Canvas Primer: This primer felt like I was putting Neosporin on my face. Unlike other primers, this was not light weight and had a gelatinous consistency. The most important ingredient of a good primer is silica, which creates smooth, silky applications. The website claims it has silica gel, but the ingredient inventory doesn’t have silica on the list. The only advantage was the convenient size of the tube and its non-greasy formula. Otherwise, you are better off spending $40 on two less expensive and more effective primers.

Ashkan