Stardust

[rhubarb3point14]

… 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.

I've wanted to try Stardust ever since I knew what BPAL was. I just loved the concept. And I'll go ahead and spoilerize this for you: I wasn't disappointed. This stuff goes well with sweat and parties.

Straight out of the bottle, the other reviewers aren't lyin': It's Aqua-Net, straight up. I know -- I used to use the stuff!

Wet on the skin, there is a fresh blast of bubbly champagne. Then, during the first half-hour, a lot of tuberose -- it borders on sneezy and headachey, but doesn't quite cross the line. On the exhale, during this stage, I can smell the tiniest whiff of stale cigarette.

What surprises me most about it is that, as we reach the one-hour mark, it becomes apparent that our 1970s party girl is NOT wearing a floral like Charlie; she's wearing a floriental of some kind. Or maybe she's wearing Charlie and her best friend is wearing Opium. I think it's the poppy note that's doing that. It was a pleasant surprise -- I love spicy fragrances.

I wish I got more musk from this, but that's me, not the fragrance. There are only a couple of types of musk my body doesn't neutralize.

On the down side, Stardust doesn't last very long at all. On the up side, that means it's fair game to apply more and smell the champagne again!

[Kahlika]

About to swap the last of this I have away so I should probably review it first.

 

It smells like flowers and ozone. Can't pick out the individual flowers, just an overwhelming floral smell. It's too heavy for me and a bit cologne-y.

 

Definately not a favourite, I can see why it's just been hiding unremembered in my stash for so long.

[VioletChaos]

I've been waiting years to try this scent, so I'm really glad it made a comeback for this holiday season…

 

In The Bottle: I'm getting straight-up champagne.

 

Wet On Skin: More of the same, but with…what IS that?! Is it floral? Is it sweet? I honestly am not sure. If I had to hazard a guess I'd say maybe poppy. Maybe jonquil.

 

Dry Down: The champagne is stepping back a little, which is a relief because sometimes I amp that note to the exclusion of all others. And behind all that bubbly is something sweet and musky and just a tiny bit powdery. Having been a wee lass in the 70's (but with a super cool older sister that wore spike silver heels and jeans that were so tight they could have been airbrushed on) I can say with certainty that this is a scent to wear when painting one's face whilst listening to 'Suffragette City', 'All The Young Dudes' or 'Ballroom Blitz'.

 

In All: New Year's Eve in a bottle. Proceed as you wish.

[tinyvulture]

At first: fizzy, sweet champagne with fruity notes! If you enjoy the bubbliness of Swank, Polynesian Pop, try this one.

 

After it dries, the fizziness fades, and no more fruit...instead, a floral bouquet, and soft tobacco. Can't pick out individual floral notes, but it's very pretty in combination with the champagne.

 

I'm picky with my floral blends, so probably pass on a bottle, but glad to have the decant.

[stellamaris]

Ahhhhhhh love this one...

This has the same whatever as Wretched Rose Window, which is a scent that I had actually been longing for and found in WRW. And, it does remind me of the ancient times in Beth's description, as back then I loved to wear perfumes that smelled "classic" and "older elegant lady" to me, and this fits the bill.

It's soft and fizzy, love love love this...

[Astarial]

In the bottle, this is strongly champagne with just a hint of sandalwood.

 

Freshly applied, bits of citrus and some floral starts to come out, then a strong smell of smoke.. that might be the tobacco flower? It's definitely a tobacco product, but compelling instead of offputting.

 

As it dries down, the florals continue to occasionally peek out, but it stays a pretty straight champagne backed with the sandalwood and the tobacco, and they make it a lot more of a unisex scent than I was expecting given the floral notes. After a few hours, it has become a sweet, vanilla-y syrup. Very comforting and delicious. And it has a fair bit of staying power - I can still smell the champagne the morning after.

[zankoku_zen]

2013 version

 

If I remember correctly, I tried I think Stardust 2005 and it ended up smelling like Charlie on me.

 

This one is less Charlie than its predecessor. On wet, I got a giant hit of opiuim and champagne. And as it dries I get more of the poppy and tobacco flower. So in other words, a slightly more sophisticated version of Charlie.

 

Pretty, and utterly appropriate as a New Year's Eve blend which seems to blend both nostalgia for a bygone era and the giddy enthusiasm for a new year before you forget all your deep pondering thoughts as you go out and dance the rest of the night away.

Edited January 11, 2014 by zankoku_zen

[Leopard403]

I've realized that my nose and brain equate the Lab's champagne note with their gin note, so in that way the initial bite of Stardust reminds me of that first whiff of Velvet Pink Kitty or Blue Fire. That loud sharp note really hides all of the others unless I really look for them. So essentially, Stardust is lovely when I concentrate, but otherwise it's a one-note wonder.

[thekittenkat]

This is for the 2013 version.

 

In the imp: Sweet but a little high-pitched florals, dunked in a champagne bottle.

 

Wet: Much as on cold sniff, but getting sweeter.

 

The dry-down: Really nice, and doesn't really morph. I'm not much for florals, and this does have tuberose and jonquil, two of my unfavs, but all the other notes seem to be keeping them in check.

Edited January 31, 2014 by thekittenkat

[brilliantcat]

Despite the melange of floral notes, the strongest vibe straight out of the vial on my skin is the poppy. Glorious, smoky opium-scented poppy. I have a history of bad things happening with fizzy notes but the champagne is behaving thus far. It's smoky opium layered with a golden veil of floral that reminds me of sunshine and glitter. It warms to a smoky, slightly soapy floral. I don't dislike it actually

[milo]

Sigh, I didn't have much in the sniffie here, but what I'm getting at first is the lab's sparkling gin note that smells like gingerale, there's even the fizziness. Kind of fruity, but it fades so fast into nothing, that I can't even tell what it really smells like.

[asciident]

Wet: A really clean scent. Mainly sandalwood with the faintest hint of champagne.

 

First on: Not quite soap; more like being freshly showered. Crisp and lightly musky.

 

Dry: Sharper and muskier. Rich florals. Don’t like it dry as much as I did when it was first on.

 

 

[porcelina]

(2013 version)

CHAMPAGNE and fancy floral perfume. I could see wearing this on New Year's Eve FOR SURE.

Florlas don't normally work for me but it's that wonderful, fizzy champagne note that I love so much that takes this to a wearable level. It's bubbly and glittery and pretty and I would love to wear this while drinking plenty of champagne in a sparkly dress.

Edited August 18, 2014 by porcelina

[Fiam]

Stardust is a morpher and just took me on a trip. Here's what happened.

A nice whiff of champagne bubbles with a floral background, then hurry up Into the bath with a bar of Ivory soap. (cause back in the 70's we didn't have a lot of soap choices) Get out and spray my hair so the style will last all night. At the party, I get a whiff of fruity perfume that reminds me of quince jelly. Go home and go to bed smelling a cigarette that I didn't smoke, mingled with raisins.

 

I bet if I try it again in a month or two, it will take me somewhere else.