Stardust

[Macha]

When the holidays roll around, not everyone has mistletoe, caroling and cookies on their minds. This scent is a paean to celebrating hard: nights covered in glitter and dusted with cocaine, flutes of Cristal clutched in shaky hands, leather and lace, the Spiders From Mars in the background, and twisting, sweaty limbs entangled in dark corners. Hairspray and cigarette smoke is the incense in this temple to decadence, strobe and mirrors replace the devotional candles, and Bolan sings the hymns. This scent is for everyone that has every drifted off into Quaalude-induced reverie to the beat of a tribal 4-on-the-floor: the sound of Mott the Hoople, Sweet, Slade or the Dolls. This scent reflects the futurism, self-indulgence and excess of the Glitter 70's: champagne, hyacinth, tuberose, ylang ylang and flashing white musk with jonquil, tobacco flower, white sandalwood and a pale poppy.

So, the god of irony hath decreed that of course I would receive my Yule order while in the midst of a cold, which would be at that lovely stage where my nasal pasages are clogged.

Nonetheless, given how much clamour there is for a review of this fragrance, I'm going to try to give my best impression anyway.

The first question: is this floral? The answer is yes, at least upon initial application. The tuberose and ylang ylang are particularly noticable, even with a cold. Ah, but (at least with my chemistry) it doesn't last. The flowers fade within minutes, leaving the smell of white musk and champagne. The flowers retreat to the background, where (either do to my own expectations or Beth's genius, and I suspect the later) they take on a light hairspray smell. That might normally be a deal-breaker, but the truth is, this works so perfectly with the description of the scent that I can only view it with awe.

For those folks looking for a New Year's Eve perfume, I think this will be gorgeous. I look forward to revisiting this when I can more fully appreciate the nuances of the fragrance.

[UltraViolet]

Bottle picture: http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL202/154131...8/120629230.jpg

 

In the bottle

Like...fruity alcohol.

On

Let me say that white musk in here is exquisite. Yep, there's the ylang ylang but it's not too twangy with the ylang ylang. The tuberose is so lovely... ohh. I don't smell the sandalwood nor the tobacco flower but I'm sure they're working their magick on me.

Oooh, here comes the tobacco flower.

It almost smells like carnation at this point, milky creamy carnation.

I smell the hairspray now.

30 minutes

Now it's a floral that's warm and golden. Mmm. It's long lasting, i'd say it's even on the strong side so a little goes a long way.

Throw:

a bit more than average because of the musk, and champagne.

Scent category:

Fruity/Floral/Incense/Animalistic

Summary

It's much fruitier and bubblier when wet. As it dries it takes on a warmer, golden, scrumptious floral scent because of the tobacco flower, getting stronger on me as it dries.

It is a scent which is indicitive of that time.

Purchase again?

Yes.

1-5 rating (5 being best)

4.5

Edited December 2, 2005 by UltraViolet

[Scylla]

In the bottle: Tuberose and ylang ylang

 

Wet, on my skin: At first, the ylang ylang beats all the other notes into submission and all I can smell is that! Then I can smell the tuberose and musk. Not really getting any champagne notes, but this definitely strikes me as a "going out" type of fragrance. You'd wear this out clubbing, or, as Macha mentioned, for a special night out like New Year's Eve. It's a beautiful, decadent floral blend. You'd wear Stardust when you want to be noticed!

 

On drydown: To me, it smells "golden" and brings to mind some of the expensive perfumes my mom wore in the 70's!

[ipb]

a lovely white musk scent. the champagne bubbles up now and again... there's only a hint of florals on me, and that's just fine with me. i second (third) the "notice me!!!!!" sentiment. i'm really tempted to go get jazzed up an dgo clubbing

[CLFilm]

I have been dying to smell this, just got it tonight, and immediately slathered it on.

 

In the bottle, on first sniff, it smelled exactly like Aqua Net. And just the slightest bit of stale club smoke. Unreal. I get that less now out of the bottle, but that first sniff was uncanny.

 

On, at first, I still get a little bit of that hairspray/smoke thing, but only for a second. For the first couple of hours it's a very complex floral-y scent, different than anything BPAL I've tried and different than any perfume I've ever smelled. (Sorry, I kinda suck at identifying notes.)

 

I kept getting amazing whiffs of it all night - it's got a pretty good throw. It's mellowed out to a great, light, musky smell (I guess that's white musk?). I don't know that I specifically smell the champagne, but it definitely pops more than a traditional musk, with just a tiny, tiny bit of sharpness.

 

It's a bouncy little smell - definitely for clubbing and cocktails, fancy parties and sparkly jewelry. I might be obessed with it already.

[lovelyza]

Wow! This scent makes me fantasize about being backstage at a Bowie concert back in his Ziggy days, watching him get his make up put on and chain smoking. And then maybe guzzling champagne and dancing like a maniac with him at the after show party. It makes me feel giddy!

 

In the bottle: CLFilm hit it on the head...Aquanet and smoke. But in a good way!

 

On skin: Mmmmm...it starts almost powdery and floral (white musk and tuberose?) and then gets a burst of something almost spicy and fruity in the background (champagne and tobacco?). It clings beautifully and I can't stop sniffing it! It is SO a going out and looking fabulous kind of scent.

Edited December 11, 2005 by lovelyza

[shelldoo]

in the bottle: very very light, almost imperceptible. slightly floral

 

wet: well hello there, this intensifies almost immediately when it hits my skin. white musk, champagne, and altho it says tobacco flower, and i am unsure what they smell like, i am getting a distinctive "tobacco" note.

 

as it dries it softens a bit, i am drawn to this scent. it is elegant, gorgeous. white musk finery, i am thinking there is a smokey haze of white sandalwood, just ringing the edges. there is a definite floral note, but i can not distinguish one flower from another, it is a boquet, possibly spring flowers. there is still a very strong champagne note, it smells like a party, women in dress finery, men in tuxes, champagne flowing freely, vases of flowers, upscale, classy and somewhat arrogant.

 

all in all very beautiful and a keeper

[AlaskaSnows]

Wet: Aqua Net hairspray and champagne. Maybe a tad of floral.

 

Dry: Hairspray and champagne, a real, dry champagne. There is a tinge of floral, like fading perfume. There is also a bitter note, like drugs. I definitely agree this is a clubbing scent. It's like bottled essence of danceclub, complete with tons of alcoholic beverage. the longer it dries, the more floral comes out, though, adding a bit of depth to the glittery hard veneer of this scent.

[Rheliwen]

Well, this is totally hairspray, gin and tonic and a little tobacco when wet.

 

As it begins to dry I start to get this powdery violet feel to it, with some other florals floating around in the background. This phase fades quickly.

 

I'm left with...tropical wine coolers! Those old Bartles & James I used to drink as a kid (I have a very nice mom), or maybe even a little bit like Boone's Farm Wild Island.

 

The drydown is definitely the best. I am glad I got this since it can replace my need for the bubbly Shattered. Mind you, it isn't the same, but has the same bubbly quality.

 

Awesome! So different and refreshing!

 

ETA: I officially love Stardust...that is all.

Edited December 18, 2005 by Rheliwen

[coulrophobe]

Preconceived notions: I was super-excited about this one - I love the name, and bubbly florals usually work on me unless they contain rose.

 

In the bottle: It does smell like hairspray! Weird.

 

On: Stardust starts out smelling like the perfumes I remember my mom wearing in the 70s - I can't put my finger on exactly what it is, but there's a very retro feel to it. The florals in it aren't ones I've very adept at picking out, and they seem to be very well-blended with the other notes.

 

Then it turns into alcoholic honey! It's not a bad thing (this is a milder honey-esque scent, rather than the lab's actual honey note, which tends to be too sweet for me). The florals take over again, but the weird honeyish stage was a nice surprise.

 

It's exactly as I thought it would be - a fun, sparkly scent. My only complaint is that it doesn't seem to last too long on me - 20 minutes after putting it on, I can definitely still smell it, but it's much more subtle - gorgeous, but I wanted the 70s excess to be a bit more pronounced.

[hangingfire]

I've really been looking forward to this one. Contrary to my generally restrained appearance, I am a giant glam-rock fan, and the concept behind Stardust really speaks to me.

 

In the bottle: Hairspray and ... oh, wow, there's some very recognizable 1970s perfume in there -- is it Charlie? (Anyone else remember that?) And a slightly fruity tang as well.

 

On, wet: The Charlie-esque note is less pronounced; now it's primarily floral and white musk, with the fruity tang.

 

Drydown: White musk, sandalwood, with a haze of florals and a touch of champagney fruit. There's also a slightly metallic note as well, which is odd, but I like it.

 

It just screams moneyed, boozy decadence of a very late 1970s sort. Which is exactly what I was hoping for.

 

*goes off singing, "there's a starman, waiting in the sky, he'd like to come and meet us, but he thinks he'd blow our minds..."*

Edited December 10, 2005 by hangingfire

[AliBabble]

hangingfire, that is so funny that you mention "charlie" perfume - i used to wear that when i was 14...i liked it, but i LOVE stardust! it's got the "fun" of charlie, but more elegant.

i was so excited about the concept of this one, and i'm happy to say it SURPASSES my expectations.

out of the bottle, the smell is weird - hairspray, i guess, but really chemically and nostalgic somehow.

this is not the smell that lasts, though - i would second whoever mentioned the "metallic" smell it has...i'm finding i really like metallic smells; they seem to mesh well with soft, musky smells, which stardust also has.

the drydown is very soft and sexy - subtler than you would think after that first hairspray *whomp* out of the bottle. i suppose it is floral, but not sharp at all - more creamy....if this perfume was a fabric, it would be ivory-colored satin.

as stated in the other reviews, it definitely has that elegant, "dressed-up" feel to it...crystal chandeliers, lotsa make-up and a feather boa, etc.

it's got that '70's time-capsule thing, but it's much more than just a novelty scent. really great.

[Silverstrike]

Wow, you can smell the hairspray in this! In the bottle, at least. After I tried it on, I couldn't smell the hairspray anymore; it turned into a really pretty floral fragrance that has a little musk in it. Within in hour though, it exploded--rather than this pretty little fragrance I had on my wrist, it turned into this gigantic fragrance that stuffed up my nose--a lot of white florals don't agree with me, and I knew that going into this, but I still ordered it because Stardust sounded so fabulous. Even for all of its acknowledged loveliness, however, it isn't me the way you may put on a perfume and go "Ah. . ." and relax. This one requires me to work, and I just want to enjoy. I'll probably give this another go later, but I don't know.

[LiberAmoris]

I'm not the hugest fan of ylang ylang, but I thought I'd give Stardust a try anyway. It's definitely a bold blend, with strident tuberose and that ever-distinctive ylang ylang on first application. On the drydown, it's a flashback to childhood memories of raucous block parties in the late seventies/early eighties---that smell of hairspray and classic 70s perfume and cigarette smoke.

 

I think the ylang ylang is a little too strong for my taste here, but it perfectly encapsulates the decadence of the decade. And it would definitely be a great perfume for clubbing!

[pranashakti]

This is quite a shock. For once, the man was right. When I read him the Yules, this was the one he wanted me to get. He even paid!

 

In the bottle I definitely get the hairspray impression, and when first applied the florals come out to play, which is where I expected to go uh-oh. But really, they retreat so quickly, bubbled off by the champagne. This smells like the creamy feel in your mouth you get from sipping the really good stuff. The sandalwood rounds everything out and I keep getting almost fruity impressions from the hyacinth, which is the only floral I can specifically detect. This is definitely flashy and oh-so-fun, most definitely not me as scents go, and I love it to bits.

[Diana]

In the bottle, it smells kind of sharp.

 

Wet, on the skin, it's very perfumey; it's really floral, there's an intense floral topnote. Slightly cloying in intensity.

 

After about 10 minutes it starts to settle in. The florals are still there, but they smell more girly & sweet and less stinging. It adopts an almost fruity quality, but that might be the flowers morphing. I never really get the champagne notes, sadly.

 

I can still smell this after hanging out with my smoker friend most of the day and a breakfast of ihop. it now smells vaguely like a faded perfume overlaid with aquanet. i love long-lasting scents.

 

I like this a lot. now the waffling about if this warrants a 2nd bottle.

[k00kaburra]

In bottle: Reminds me of a heady perfume that my grandmother wore. Tuberose and hyacinth and ylang ylang - all the heavy florals - that have been aged from sitting on a shelf since the '70's. It is a scent of an era that has passed, and remains on only in memories.

 

On me: Bubbly floral. The ylang ylang is strong, but there's white musk and white sandalwood, blended with the sweetness of tobacco flower, which morphs the ylang ylang into a completely different presentation than I'm used to. It's a boozy party fragrance, but it's sparkling and glittery. It's an old-fashioned commercial fragrance, the sort that simply isn't popular anymore. It feels straight out of the 70's - very retro. Not my scene but it is exceptional if you are a child of the era.

[aedes]

This smells more like a "standard" commercial perfume than most things I try from the lab; very complex, high-pitched and frenetic. It reminds me a bit of Grandmother of Ghosts. Thankfully I don't get too strong a cigarette and hairspray smell. Lots of glitter, dazzle, and shimmer, though. A perfect scent to wear with white, silver, and diamonds. It makes me want to bleach my hair white and make appearances. Very, very neat. Bravo, Beth!

[bigeyedgirl]

I can only say that this is one of the most beautiful things I have smelled. I don't get any of the cigarettes or hairspray, but I do get an ultra feminine bit of sandalwood, white musk and tabacco flower. I'm so glad I ordered an extra bottle of this.

[Vicious Mistress]

Bottle: Lots and lots of white musk with something fruity/tangy--maybe the champagne?? I'm not getting the hairspray, but I don't use hairspray and my nose may not recognize it.

 

Wet: Whooo! Made to stand out in da club! Very tangy, definitly smelling the champagne/booze now.

 

Dry down: Sharp white musk and just a hint of the tanginess. I can see where this would evoke childhood memories for me, but I just can't see myself wearing it.

 

 

Ah well, I know many will appreciated it more than me!

[QueenFae]

This is truly a masterpiece. At first sniff it honestly does conjour images of long, drunken nights full of red lipstick and pills. It's a lot fruitier than I expected, which I think is coming from the champagne note. It's a really sweet, berry licious type of champagne, the kind you can drink a bottle of before you've even realized your mistake. The tuberose and ylang ylang are there as well, they add this clean, flowery, refreshing layer underneath the champagne. It's a lot more refreshing and clean than I imagined it would be, but it's just gorgeous. I am utterly enamored with Stardust, another beauty:)

[Scarlettfish]

I love Stardust! It smells like the 70s...a bit of champagne, some tobacco (only a touch...enough to convey the atmosphere of a club but not enough to make you smell like an ash-tray), flowers, white musk and glitter. It smells like the old perfumes my mother used to wear when I was a kid. Definitely a party scent. It's fun and bubbly and sparkly.

[ChupaChup]

Gads, Stardust is just horrible on me . It smells like cheap hairspray at first (the Aquanet others have mentioned) and then when that burns off it smells like cheap drugstore perfume. I can't pick out any of the individual notes I thought I would like, like the white sandalwood, white musk or tobacco flower, it's all very muddy on my skin. I had to wash this one off so I can't tell you how it might have developed.

Edited December 19, 2005 by ChupaChup

[theshapeshifter]

In the bottle: Heady perfume, the sort you don't really find these days, with an overlay of that 'hairspray' note others are picking up. At the initial sniff, there's something reminding me vaguely of The Living Flame, as though Stardust is the moonlight-white counterpart to The Living Flame's luminescent red.

 

Initial application: Perfumey, and at first it's a little... "prettier" than I expected. Nice, but where's the decadence? I do get the bubbliness of the champagne, but at first it's all flowers and champagne, more like a posh afternoon wedding than a nightclub.

 

Drydown: Here's where Stardust comes into its own, and really lives up to the concept. I'm having trouble picking out individual notes, because it's so well-blended, but it somehow gets darker without losing any of its brightness and flash. I get a hint of the "blown-out-candle" note that I love in Darkness, which I think must be the poppy, and there's a slight fruitiness that another review suggests might be the hyacinth. This is definitely a scent of getting dressed up, all over-the-top and glam, lots of skin showing, and then going out and letting yourself get messed up on the dance floor.

 

It really does embody the concept beautifully. I was unsure when I ordered whether the notes would work on me - and they do! It's a departure from my usual, but perhaps that's why it works so well. I only wish it was a tiny bit stronger - I don't get a huge amount of throw with this on my skin. However, a few dabs on my hair has remedied that nicely. A total triumph - I can't wait to wear this on New Year's Eve!

[zenvodunista]

oh no! Stardust seems to fall right into my olafactory blindspot! If I sniff carefully, I get the faintest whiff of florals and powder. I am SO sad! i was looking forward to Stardust so much!

 

 

n.