Star For Men

#37 of My Fragrance Journey - Mauboussin Star For Men: The Stranger in the Velvet Armchair I remember him. Sitting alone in that deep red velvet armchair - quiet, unreadable. The kind of man who didn't need to say a word; the silence did it for him. I passed by, and suddenly there it was - that scent. Warm, spicy, like autumn wrapped in a cashmere coat. I didn't know what it was then, but it stuck in my head like a half-remembered dream. Weeks later, I sprayed Star For Men, and yeah. That was it. The stranger. The opening hits with pepper and cardamom - not sharp, just alive. It's got that crackling warmth, like the first chill day of October when you finally pull on your favourite jumper again. The spice isn't loud - it's confident, grounded. You lean in, not back. Then things start to shift. The smoke, the saffron, that soft incense glow - it's all there, curling slowly, like breath in cool air. It's the kind of scent that feels thoughtful. Not trying too hard. Just... steady, intriguing. But the magic happens in the dry-down. Everything mellows, softens. The iris gives it that powdery, almost tender touch, and the woods come in quietly - cedar, patchouli - like the room dimming around the fire. Then, finally, the sweetness drifts in: vanilla, amber, a bit of warmth that lingers on your skin like someone's hand after they've gone. It's autumn bottled - gentle, introspective, a little bittersweet. The kind of scent that feels like a change in the air. Final Verdict: Star For Men doesn't shout; it speaks softly, with warmth and depth. It's refined, magnetic, and quietly sensual - a scent for those who know how to leave an impression without even trying. Like the stranger in the velvet armchair - unforgettable, even after he's gone.

Pure Heaven (Karine Dubreuil-Sereni, 2024) Scentrack: Hiroshi Suzuki – Romance Star for Men opens very spicy and oriental. A hefty dose of cardamom is laid on incense vapors and saffron – a flower often used in oriental cuisine. Additionally, I can smell some fruity tea-like accord. These oriental vapors are perfectly aligned with a strong and warm tobacco note. The golden shisha tobacco is almost instantly surrounded by a thick vanilla, reminiscent of old library. The trick I recognize from beautiful Eau de Baux. The vanilla pod is accompanied by amber and powdery iris. The composition is base-centered and tobacco/vanilla combo lingers for hours. Do I recognize this oriental tune? Yes I do. The first thing that comes to my mind is legendary Pure Havane by Thierry Mugler. Still, Star for Men is less dense and easier to handle during autumnal days. Second association is tobacco for Parfum de Marly Herod. Additionally, I can detect some creative traces of the late Lanvin Avant Garde or Khamrah by Lattafa. Still, Star for Men is definitely not a cheap contemporary carbon copy fragrance. Star for Men is an easy wearable autumnal tobacco in the truly beautiful and heart-warming. Perfect for romantic dusky evenings on a street covered by fallen leaves. More on Scentimentalwords

I bought two backups, absolute STEAL for $23 on fragrancenet! This stuff is unbelievable for the price. This is by far the highest quality mass appealing cold weather frag I have ever purchased for under $60, puts all those middle east house efforts to shame in terms of quality for price while still being an original composition. I have had quite a few wears since my initial review. This is gonna be another one of those gems that sells for $120 a bottle once it's discontinued (and FN already has it on clearance). Beautiful sweet cardamom opening over light pepper notes, blended absolutely perfectly little hints of cedar and very light saffron over a bed of rich amber, vanilla, and incense. Very safe blind buy if you like good fragrances. This is my official dumb reach of autumn 2024. I think the comparisons to Layton are fair and the quality is similar, but I prefer this by miles even if it isn't quite as long lasting. Easy 8 hours of performance, great for cooler weather and date nights. 10/10 fragrance Gate keep this fragrance!! Edit: just confirming, I have read on other sites that Karine Dubreuil-Sereni (L'occitane Eau des Baux, Gucci Pour Homme II, Ombre Noire Lalique) is in fact the nose behind this fragrance.

Star for Men strikes the perfect balance of rich and warm, but not too sweet. This balance allows me to wear it both during the day as well as in the evening for many occasions. So far, I have opted to wear it mainly for daytime work use. I find it a good work scent for the cooler months since it is not a monster projector (1-2 arms lengths), but it will last an easy 8-10 hours before it really starts to fade. So you will definitely get a full work day worth of performance. I also really like how the spicy kick in the top note adds depth to the fragrance, while the creamy undertones provide a smooth finish. I can definitely pick up the Layton vibes from this, but it's definitely not trying to be a dupe or clone. I would also recommend this fragrance for a wide range of guys from 20's through maybe even 50's. It’s not overly sweet, while maintaining a mature vibe overall. The prices online seem to range from $25-$40 dollars (I picked up my bottle for $30). I would say even at the $40 price point this is absolutely worth the money!

I've recieved this as a gift from a friend of my father who also works in an office that also has a fragrance shop. I must say that no one knows this scent nor the brand. I didn't know this brand before getting this gift. First spray and I tought of myself that this was so good. After smelling it I immidately tried to find a price for it and it was very cheap. Spicy cardamom and patchouli at start , aromatic vanilla and warm amber when it dries down. It does feel like Layton which I love. After getting this, I didn't sample Layton anymore. It isn't 1 to 1 with Layton, but very similar. Layton might slightly be more mature, this one is a bit more sweet so I won't say that this is a clone. This scent feels warm and cozy for me. If you try to find something like Layton, this will be a good choice, good quality with an affordable price. Be careful that this isn't a blind buy safe because it is very sweet, also if you are going to wear this, use 4 sprays or less, more than 4 and it will be headache inducing and choky.

This is my second written review of this fragrance. I cannot stress how good this smells. People compare it to Layton but I don't find it similar at all as 'Star' lacks the prominent fresh apple and geranium notes of 'Layton'. Star is also overall more spicy. I find that this fragrance is more in line with BDK 'Gris Charnel Extrait', but still quite different. This is a designer vanilla fragrance done to absolute perfection. It's a slightly smoky and spicy cardamom infused vanilla fragrance with a small infusion of black pepper and saffron. It's so well balanced and mass appealing -- but still unique. The overall impression of the scent is not as spicy as it sounds -- it just comes across like a sweet, warm vanilla with a small kick of well blended spices. If this fragrance was $ 150, I would still buy it in a heartbeat. If anyone knows of a scent like this with improved longevity and projection -- please recommend it to me and do not say 'Layton' as it is not even similar.

On first sniff it's unapologetically Layton-esque, but with a twist. I honestly believe I find this to be, overall, more enjoyable than Layton, and so does my girlfriend, even despite the chasm between the two pricepoints. This comes across as more mature and even more manly to my nose than Layton does, without stepping into the more 'dirty' territory of Layton Exlcusif. It's well composed and confident, it's matured from the original Layton DNA, and smells unreal in the air, and will absolutely fill the room you spray it in. There also exists this strong ambery-boozy undertone which paired with the prefect amount of powderyness just makes it perfect to my nose, maybe something left to be desired with prior DNAs. I'm a huge fan, so is my other half, and I will undoubtedly be rocking this 30$ fragrance more than many of my 'grails' this cold season. I try to refrain from calling things "hidden gems", but to me this is one of them.

Wow. Opens as Layton, dries as Pure Havane with a nice, unique woody backbone. Really good fragrance. Right in the middle of designer and niche with the heavy dose of patchouli which makes the heart a little reminiscent of Boss Bottled Elixir, whilst remaining crowd-pleasing. A mild lactonic butter accord is present and supports the drydown. Probably the iris and vanilla working together with the ambers. It gives a baked shortbread vibe whereas Pure Havane had more of a toasted cereal drydown. The cap is awesome. Backup worthy at £20 for 100ml. Doesn't feel too "inspired-by". It just reminds of 3 really good frags all combined in a nice, unique way. If you're buying it for its Bottled Elixir similarities, you might be disappointed. The Patchouli has a brief moment in the mid and the similarities aren't striking. But it's there and it adds another layer of development for a fragrance that opens and dries down fairly sweet.

For the price, Star is fantastic. I agree with the descriptions provided by most of the posters below. It is similar in style and scent to Karine’s Lalique fragrance White In Black - the fragrance with the cool bottle that comes with a white pencil you can use to write and draw on the black bottle. It also reminds me of Mercedes Club Black and just a little bit of Tumi Continuum. Star is warm, slightly sweet, slightly spicy, masculine yet unisex and a real cozy scent. It is appropriate for any age. A couple weeks ago I blind bought a bottle and a day after receiving it I bought 4 more bottles, 2 for my sons for Christmas and 2 back ups for me. A few days after that and it was difficult to find. I’m sure it will get restocked soon, so if you see it don’t hesitate, blind buy a bottle! And if you can’t find Star, look for Lalique’s White In Black in the meantime.

Elegant and intriguing smell. The aura of the perfume is not overpowering, but it lingers for many hours. To my nose this is a very decent frag to use in office, car pool and even when inviting a woman to your place. It is not offensive in any way. I don't find anything gourmand or screechy and if you can hit it for 15-20€, let it sit on your shelf for a while. Maybe it is inspired by Leyton, but they are rather in the same realm and not real clones. Imagine Leyton being the mother, who slept with A men, Boss and John Varvatos, but then doesn't know who the father is, neither you can tell, but the kid is promising and looks like all three of them. Then don't forget this is ultra cheap and is a total steal for the money you pay for it.

Just picked this up for under $30 and it is a very nice fragrance for that price. Definitely a lot in common with PDM. It’s a love child of Layton and Herod- it has that mass-appealing quality that PDM capitalizes on. It has much less in common with Pure Havane- no real tobacco note, but the spices and saffron vanilla give a vague impression, maybe. It has that cherry Chloraseptic accord that I also detect in spades with Herod. It’s sweet, “dark” and “seductive,” as fragrances go. It smells like a designer scent in terms of quality, and that it will remind you of something else in a similar category, but at this price point it’s hard to beat. I think it would suit a younger guy looking for a date night scent.

Stunning bottle. Well balanced notes and nice opening. Immediately the vanilla/ amber/ spice combo, but without overwhelming sweetness or overpowering spiciness. In fact I feel this combo really just smells like bitter almond. Also I don't feel it as powdery. The notes profile are nothing exceptional or new, but the proportions are well balanced. The sillage is great, and because it is so rounded up as a fragrance, it's not at all offensive. Longevity is about 6 hrs at best. Unbeatable budget price! Really a gem to go for in a blind buy. * After letting it mature for a few months, I'm not as impressed. It's kind of monotous, and slightly synthetic.

Absolute stunner. I've owned a few from the house over the years, but this...despite its 'recognizability', is truly an incredible value for the money. It fits into the Layton/Herod/Pure Havane wheelhouse indicated by the 'reminds' above, but somehow it stays in its own lane. Bits of those are discernable here, but for what this costs, it is really impressive. Performance is average for me so far, but my bottle is relatively new so I'll be curious to see how/if it macerates/matures. No similarity to BBE to my nose. Going to wear the heck out of it this Fall and really see how it develops as the temps cool down. Highly recommend this one!

Very well done, it shares a few notes and structure w Layton and when brand new i did not like it all ...it smelled Strange and to close to layton and i allready own that one , so i put it away to banish it to be sold Put it on 4 months later... O man o man.. this is not layton ennymore, it blossomed to smell like burning spicy marsipan w some fougere undertones... Its gotten sweeter and more spicy It still has some simmilaritys to Desire toxic and Layton but it has its own things going for it It also has that A men patchouli going on... And Smoky boss absolut Iff you like these scents its a no brainer So give it time guys

Wow, absolutely stellar value! I can't believe more people aren't talking about this! What a steal for $23! Cold weather banger for sure. It opens up with some sweetness reminiscent of Layton in some ways, I definitely see the reason for some comparison, on the dry down this smells way different and invokes vibes similar to Issey Miyake Nuit D'issey Polaris flanker: it's those patchouli, incense, cedar, black pepper, vanilla notes! Polaris with some amped up sweetness and cardamom. Absolutely stunning fragrance for the money. This is my first wear and I am already planning on grabbing a back up

@southboy I agree with you. I think people are voting in a wrong way here. This perfume is surely in the same character/vibe with layton and bottled absolu but not a clone or similar scent by any means. This is a fabulous perfume, sweet, manly, with above average performance, easily there on skin for 10 hours, stays for days on clothes. It gives me 80s/90s vibes somewhat similar in character with a loved discontinued fragrance, IL by lancetti. Personally I picked not 1 but 2 extra bottles, yes its that good at least to my nose, and the 20$ price tag was a steal literally.

Although it is classed as a male fragrance, however, I find it perfectly unisex. I bought it for myself (I am a woman) and I enjoy wearing it😍 Definitely smells more expensive than what I paid for it. It starts with a blast of cardamom and saffron (also I can smell something similar to an almond note, which makes the perfume more unique), then it dries down to the most delicious spiced vanilla, with saffron and amber. I am genuinely blown away by Mauboussin’s perfumes, they are criminally underrated. Will definitely use this perfume more, and I’ll definitely get a backup😍

I got the green apple straight away without looking at the "inspiration", The apple is creamy definitely there is vanilla and a touch of patchouli, and some powder in the dry down. A nice fragrance, not groundbreaking for me but for most it'll be great. There is no saffron in this as I'm sensitive to the note I would know if there is even a little bit of it. Thankfully there isn't. This isn't a oriental /middle-eastern fragrance DNA but instead a great, elegant western fragrance. BTW smells nothing like Harod or A*man. This is fresher and different

After wearing it for the past few days I think if you can buy it for 30-40usd it is well worth it. It is a well blended, long lasting warm and cuddly type of fragrance that smells quality. It provides you with a bubble that last 7-8hrs with 2-3 sprays (put one on a shirt for a stronger effect). Still to enjoy it fully you will need to be close, within a feet or less. Directly off the skin or a clise it does smell absolutely amazing. Having in mind the above I still feel the current rating of 4.63 is a bit misleading. It is definitely not that good.

This is an intoxicating fragrance. The spicy cardamom pops from the open, reminiscent of Coach For Men EDP which perhaps is my favorite use of cardamom in top notes. Star is more hypnotic though, drawing you in after getting your attention with the initial pop, with a powdery, exotic spiced incense that smells like it has star anise despite no note for it (what a missed opportunity!) and cedar that wraps you into a warm vanilla ambery patchouli and softer cedar base.