Stardust

[perpetua]

... 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.

After I read the description, I had to have this one! In my opinion it really does live up to it.
I can really smell the florals, hairspray and musk. It all really works together, though I don't smell the tobacco. The musk note is awesome, and reminds me of older perfumes.... something from the 70's or early 80's. There is a slight opium note I can detect, [that must be the 'pale poppy'] and opium also really reminds me of the early 80's.
This blend is strikingly vintage and nostalgic, and very original. I dont think there is anything out there like it... at least in this decade. Edited November 23, 2007 by Shollin

[AngellicMystique]

At first, I wanted to cry. I put it on and this smell reminded me of the hangover the next morning more than anything else. I swear, it smelled like stale hairspray, flat champagne, and the nagging aroma reminding you that someone got sick in the living room at the party last night, but you just need to find it.

 

In about 45 minutes, Stardust turned to Aquanet hairspray, expensive perfume, champagne, body glitter, and a hint of tobacco smoke. This is what I was expecting, but I'm not sure if I can deal with the lag between glamourous and gross.

[Laurel the Woodfairy]

Yay! I get to try the decadence-in-a-bottle! Stardust is dark yellow in the vial--somewhere between gold and amber. Whoa, hairspray! I've smelled white musk before and thought, "I guess I can see how people compare that to hairspray" but this time it jumps up and screams it. Lord, this scent is loud. The notes don't stay in place, either--it's as though they're on and off a dance floor. After the hairspray leaves, the sweet florals--tuberose and ylang ylang--come out to disco. Then they back off and the jonquil jumps in to the party. There is a mere wave from sandalwood. I think the champagne was drowned out by everything else; I can't find it.

 

This a great conceptual scent--all these crazy notes gyrating together. I *might* wear it clubbing, or I might pass it on to my wild-child sister. Now I have "(My Girl Wants to) Party All the Time" stuck in my head. Uh, great.

 

Edited January 10, 2006 by Laurel the Woodfairy

[des]

Oh, I love Stardust! It's like bottled sparkly, hazy nostalgia. I sniffed it in the bottle, and immediately got a 70's perfume feel--I couldn't place it--though "Charlie" (as mentioned by someone before)--might be it.

 

I didn't get the hairspray scent other people have mentioned; instead, it was a sort of sharp floral tang (I'm not sure which notes are what, or how to distinguish such things right now. I'm trying to learn! *g*). It was absolutely perfumey, but without that alcohol burn, you know?

 

I had to wear this for New Year's Eve, of course. It lasted all day and on till breakfast, but wasn't overpowering at all.

 

Dry, it takes on a sexy warmth and the initial prettiness of the floral is cut by a slight... um, bitterness? Perhaps that's the champagne...

 

 

 

When I was a kid in the 70's, there was a boy who lived up the street who embodied everything that was cool then. The bitchin' car, the tight flares, the state-of-the-art hi-fi system, and the hot girlfriend. She was super thin (probably for very unhealthy reasons, I realize now *g*), tall, and had long, blonde perfectly feathered Farrah-hair. She wore jeans so tight she had to lie down and pull them up with pliers.

 

She taught us little kids how to do the Hustle and the Bump one day while she was waiting for her boyfriend. She epitomized what a grown-up, beautiful woman was (in my wee mind), with her glossy lips, cocaine-thin body, and her glamourous, club-hopping lifestyle.

 

Stardust is the scent of my memories of her.

Edited January 11, 2006 by obliviate

[undergroundwoman]

I was most curious about this out of all the Yule blends; I wanted a Penny Lane in Almost Famous scent.

 

My first thoughts on opening the bottle: "I KNEW I liked spicy white florals" and "This smells like my mom" (probably because she likes spicy white florals too). Overall I get a very heady floral, with tons of musk.

 

It's pretty darn strong, and I don't see myself having the occasion to wear it very often, but this is gorgeous and dirty all at once. I probably have gotten by with just an imp, for how much I'll actually wear it, but I'm glad I have a bottle...

[slave1]

In Bottle: Strong “perfume”

 

On Skin: This is as perfumey as a scent can be. VERY floral… there’s so much going on though it’s hard to pick put the single notes. Everyone keeps saying it reminds them of an exisiting perfume. I think it may be one of Estee Lauders because it’s the first name that came to mind when I smelled it. It smells good, but not me at all. Very glam and overpowering. A very “white/yellow” and “bright” scent. Wow! I’ll keep the imp because of how fun the scent is and because of the Bowie name… but I don’t think I’ll be wearing it unless I have the occasion that perfectly calls for it.

[The_Merf]

In the bottle: This does a great job of recalling its description. It smells artificial and futuristic. I mean those terms as compliments, as I see them related to the theme of the perfume. I think I can smell some of the less common florals, like the jonquil.

 

Wet: I can see where people get the "hairspray" description, but to me, that smells more like unusual flowers soaked in alcohol.

 

Dry-down and wear: I like the way this is turning out--it's certainly unlike most of the other BPAL scents I like. It is quite modern and makes me think of "the clubbin' eighties" (which I did not experience in actuality, as I was too wee for such things). I certainly would feel like I should be wearing synthetic fabrics, or at least glitter, when I choose this oil. The choice of florals and the way they are layered over the champagne notes give this its distinctive character. I was a bit worried about this after I read some of the reviews, but I'm so glad to have this bottle to go to.

[jasper17]

I opened the bottle and wanted to love this - very much a smoky, hairspray scent over the top of a good glass of champagne.

 

When I put it on, it immediately went very sweet and fruity-juicy. Very strong and sweet and very much like something else I've smelled before, though I can't put my finger on it.

 

And then after about 20 minutes, I got hives.

 

Rrrr.

 

So I had to wash it off. Sad. It has great potential.

[grrrlennyl]

at first: effervescent, floral, and a touch sweet.

on: lots of flowers and champagne.

1.5 hours later: tons of bright white musk! there are also a whole host of flowers and that champagne note.

3 hours later: very musky and light.

overall: very pretty. i'm glad i have an imp, but i probably won't try to find a whole bottle for myself.

[desu]

In the bottle and on the skin: Heavy, eye-watering perfume and that's it. No florals, no champagne. :|

[ashtonrose]

I couldn't wait to get this scent! Hair net is the first thing I thought of. The stiff hairspray of the 70's/80's. I definitely smelled the ylang ylang and hyacinth at first. As it started to dry, the white sandalwood became very pronounced on me. In the end, I am left with a white musk and fruity blend. Very nice...It just didn't last long enough. I reapplied it twice to get through the day.

[Alchemy21599]

I bought this bottle b/c who can resist Ziggy Stardust?

 

In the bottle: Hey there Charlie girl! This reminds me of the perfume that my mother wore in the 70's.

 

Wet: Still Charlie.

 

Dry: After about an hour this settled in to a pleasant blend of white musk, with tabacco flower and a light boozy swirl.

 

I love the nostalgia factor, but this is not a scent that I will wear every day.

[enderfem]

I really wanted to love this, as I love champagne notes.

 

Bottle: Smells floral-y. I didn't get the hairspray note people mentioned.

 

Wet: Rich, very mature commercial perfume, with a tang.

 

Dry: Tang is gone. Left with a very clear perfume scent.

 

I do love it, but man, it smells like commercial perfume. Its the only thing from BPAL I've tried that smells like something commercial. I wasn't thinking Charlie like a lot of people, but definitely thought of Obsession. Which I always liked, so I am glad to have this, and in fact have worn it two days in a row, which is rare for me when trying a bunch of new scents.

[Rock Geisha]

In the bottle: Old-school ozone-depleting aerosol hairspray.

 

Wet: Hairspray and something sour and unpleasant.

 

Dry: The first time I wore this, it dried down to a lovely floral but after wearing it a second time, I think that might have been the Black Rose I sampled mingling with it. The second time I wore it, I wore it by its lonesome and it gave me a pounding headache. It's a very perfume-y scent. I appreciate the craft that went into blending it but it's just not me.

Edited January 29, 2006 by Rock Geisha

[brownbear]

This one changed a lot on me. It started out like a sweet, fruity, floral. Then it went through a weird icky stage. Now that it's all dried out it is quite nice. It is a very cool, bright floral.

[bellis]

Wow, this is a glittery sparkly floral! This champagne is all bubbly and a bit dry, with the hyacinth adding sweetness. This is a gorgeous blend, fizzy and bright spring florals and a bit of fruityness, but it's definitely not an everyday scent for me. It's definitely an out on the town scent, but I prefer darker smells when I'm on the prowl. Lovely, but I'll probably swap it to someone who will wear it more.

[sideviewhotel]

In the imp this is.. I'm not sure. All floral, I think. And, when it's wet, it just screams "AHHAHAHAHA FLOWERS!11". Which, frankly, is kinda scary. :\

 

But, now that it's drying a bit, the white musk comes up (as it usually does on my skin) and.. and.. Nope. Doesn't do much to quell the damn flowers.

 

I took a chance on Stardust and I knew that going in, because scents that consist of mostly flowers don't get along with my nose very well, so I'm not too disappointed that we don't get on well.

 

Especially now that it smells like Play-doh. >_<

[rhubarbbear]

i read the ingredients on this one and didn't order it. i KNEW we wouldn't get along.

 

then, at the january nyc meet n sniff, i actually smelled it . who knew?? (not me, obviously) i did not try it on. i went home and arranged a swap for a bottle.

 

when the bottle came it did smell a little hairspray-y. as soon as it hit my skin it turned into a very grownup, commerical perfume. hmmm. it's nice, tho, just not very "bpalish". husband agrees that it smells perfumey and nice.

 

dry this alternates between a sweet, warm, honeyed floral (YUM) and the way i remember smelling when i went clubbing in college and grad school. warm, perfumey, a little smokey. i like both options, but can't quite figure out how they decide who will get the floor. stardust lasts pretty well on me- my skin usually eats scents, so if i can wear it for a few hours without reapplying, that's great! pretty good throw, too.

 

i love it! so glad to have a bottle (and am tempted to get another!)

[Mary Mayhem]

After reading the reviews I had to have this one. I wasn't sure what champagne or tobaco would smell like to me, and frankly I was a bit worried, but oh, a party in a bottle, MUST TRY! This was the first LE I bought.

 

In the bottle. I smell booze and tobaco. There is nothing sweet or floral in this bottle. I can't really describe how this smells, but it *feels* like it matches the description perfectly when I smell it.

 

As it dries down it doesn't lose any of that first impression, though it does warm up on my skin a bit and sweetens just a tad. I don't smell *any* florals in here. Though I can get the comparison with hairspray.

 

When I smell this I can taste booze and tobaco. It's a perfect party smell. It doesn't throw hard on me, and has to be re-applied, but I like it anyway.

 

I hope it comes back next year!

[darkitysnark]

Stardust

 

Kindly swapped from ketalady.

 

This is an Alter Ego scent. One that I would use to transform myself for an evening out.

 

In the imp this is pure Aqua-net, so much so that I had a very vivid flashback to ballet recitals. The feel of dippity-do and hairspray thick in the (h)air, the foam tower bristling with carnations the owners of the ballet studio always bought so that none of the girls would feel left out, and lots and lots of stage makeup.

 

The hairspray smell dissipate very quickly and is replaced with brilliant florals. Ylang ylang and tuberose I think.

 

Hours later this is still a great scent. Maybe not a LOOK AT ME scent like I thought it might be... but definately a come closer if you like whatchoo see sort of a firtatious dancefloor kind of vibe.

 

There is a smoky, musky, stale champagne undertone, but this is mostly florals.

 

Oddly enough, and maybe it's just the David Bowie suggestion doing this, it's a very androgynous floral. I'd probably wear this if I went clubbing in drag.

[ktesedale]

In the bottle, this is hairspray. Wow. Not something I really want to put on my skin.

 

Wet, this is very sharp smelling. And then, uh-oh - I have to run and read the description more closely. It has ylang ylang in it. Why did I miss that?

 

Dry, I get a headache from the ylang ylang, as I think I'm mildly allergic. I washed this off ASAP.

[Penance]

Origin:

 

Imp from my Imp Pimp, Diana.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I love the description of this one for some reason, but the notes have me worried. This sounds awfully floral and I absolutely hate floral notes. I've heard that it's not nearly as floral as I'd feared, but I'm still not expecting it to work.

 

First sniff:

 

How weird...Stardust smells like hairspray with a touch of cheap drugstore perfume!

 

Wet on skin:

 

Okay, false alarm, no hairspray and cheap, aeresol perfume now...just flowers. Lots and lots of flowers. And champagne. This is a really strange scent and not in a good way. This smells like a mix between an ashtray, a champagne bottle with the dregs still in it and wilting flowers. I hate to say it, but Stardust is, well, bad on me.

 

Dry down:

 

Not so weird anymore, but definitely not for me. Now Stardust has changed into an almost pure floral scent with just a dab of champagne. It's also, unfortunately, giving me a headache.

 

The bottom line:

 

Definitely not for me. At all.

[malanna]

I read the reviews and I was very intrigued by how Stardust could smell like cheap hairspray. Not only that, what does cheap hairspray smell like? Well, now I know what cheap hairspray smells like, courtesy of Stardust. Like everyone else says, this starts out with tuberose and ylang ylang. At the same time, it's hairspray. Then it's hairspray with a bit of white musk. Then there's a bit more champagne in the mix. After a few hours, it gets slightly spicy, a spicy sort of floral (perhaps it's the tobacco flower?). It's not very spicy, just rather surprising given the notes list. Then, as it's fading, it's slightly spicy floral with the white musk. Not so much hairspray then.

Edited February 21, 2006 by malanna

[themerrybaker]

I got this one because my curiousity "needed" to know what Glittering Disco-Ball of Deranged Hairspray smelled like - maybe Johnny "Depp" vintage 21 Jump Street ?

 

Yes, the drydown does have a little Depp-thing going but it reminds me more of a mimosa (the drink) or champagne with very tart alpine strawberries.

 

This is different from a lot of BPAL scents, but it is nice in a perfumey way and has a gal's night out feel.

[poisonapple]

I got this in a swap. It was not on my wishlist, But boy or boy am I glad I swapped for it.

 

In the bottle It smelt a little too perfumey. It actually smelled to me like one of the este lauder perfumes that my mouther use to wear. Not at all what I was expecting but not unpleasent really.

 

I slathered it on. I am not one for delicate dabs. And it still smelled like perfume for the first 10 minutes. But that is not a bad thing to me. I just thought I would use it for those days when I wanted a more tradtional perfume scent.

 

Then all of a sudden it started to morph on me. It took on a lovely floral scent. I still can't tell the different notes but it was very sharp. I could see where t he futureistic would come it. It had a definate edge to it.

 

Then I detected a bit of a champagne undertone. At least that is, I think it was a champagne untertone. A slightly bitter note under the sharp edged floral.

 

I love this scent. But it is a bit formal for me. I am a SAHM so I don't have much cause to wear it. LOL..I might wear it when we take the family out to the sit down restaurant.