Stella

Update: Oct 19, 2023 I've finally gotten around to comparing this with the reformulated version side-by-side and have included my full review under the reformulated version's page. Version Comparison TLDR; This version is lighter, softer in scent, longevity is way shorter. Re-formulated version has a darker, woodsier, slightest perceptible hint of soapiness, which tips that version towards the direction of Rose Absolute, whereas this version is fresher and leans more towards the lightness of the Sheer flankers. Original Review: Stella, oh Stella, my one true love. She first came into my life sometime between 2012-2013 (thankfully, right before the reformulation), and I remember going through a few bottles of the 100ml within this timeframe. I loved it so much, I still remember saying to myself that I want to bathe in it. I was working in the beauty industry at that time, so I was surrounded by all of the latest and most popular fragrances. Yet, nothing compared to my dear Stella. Whenever I have Stella on, I feel beautiful, feminine, sensual, mysterious, slightly distant, yet sweet and warm at the same time. Embedded into this fragrance is my first foray into the exploration of my own womanhood. I feel like what we deem as our signature scent ought to reflect the totality of our entire selves, even the parts of ourselves that have yet to be discovered. Stella is this for me. She is all that I am, and I am all that she is, even down to the design of the bottle. Full-spectrum, from light (crystal clear) to dark (amethyst). Simple, yet structured, all shrouded in an air of mystery. To even attempt to reduce my relationship with Stella down to words feels so utterly crude, but here we find ourselves on this platform, to share our experiences with each other, right? Now, why do I love Stella so? Firstly, when I wear fragrances, I want to feel beautiful. I want to feel sensual. I want to bask in, be surrounded by, and be reminded of my femininity whenever I get a whiff of her. It's that simple. I do not want to smell delicious, like a breezy tropical drink, or like a complex conundrum. It is because of this reason that I do not like fragrances that are overtly sweet or delicious-smelling. Perhaps you can call me a gourmand non-lover, but this dislike for sweetness also translates to florals. With Stella, the sweetness is always in the background, never overt (thank you amber basenote; side note--my skin loves amber). As a matter of fact, none of the notes are overt on me. @cstands, in her review from 2016 perfectly described the interplay of the notes: "I admire perfumes that manage to take a few simple notes and blend them so masterfully that, while they each portray a lead role, neither can be detected in isolation. The entire perfume would falter if one note went amiss - it seems that the strength of each individual note is enhanced by the support of the others. The romantic femininity of the rose, the lighter, greener, uplifting peony note, the fresh, sweet hint of mandarin and the sensual base of amber" The longevity, projection, and sillage of this original formulation is shorter on me compared to the reformulated version. I think I can classify the reformulated edition as beast. However, I still get about 5-6 hours of this fresh yet mysterious rose/peony interplay, then it begins its fade into a skin scent with the amber coming to the forefront for the rest of the day, so a total of around 10-11 hours with one spray on each pulse point. Not bad. All hail the Queen.

Beautiful dewy rose with a hint of something more lingering beneath. The combo of rose and peony juxtaposed against amber and just a dash of pepper is pretty clever, which I think is what made this perfume so iconic. It is such a shame that it went the way of the buffalo, because it really was unique and likely ahead of its time. I think a lot of people remember this as only a rose perfume, but it really does have more nuance than that. Rose is the thing that stands out certainly, but the amber in the base is what makes it linger unlike any other rose-forward fragrance of its day. I tried this yesterday just after smelling Miss Charming from JHAG, and the rose oil/rose note is the same, but the base is completely different. The analogy I would make is that Stella is a lovely rose-printed spring dress from a bespoke boutique and Miss Charming is a similarly printed frock off the rack from Macy's. I think the staying power of Stella is ultimately what makes it so much better than Miss Charming. Diptyque also uses the same rose scent in Eau Rose and Eau Captiale, and for my buck those two are much more similar to the original 2003 Stella than Miss Charming. I went through several bottles in the early 00s and I still have a rollerball that is from no later than 2010, so I feel like I have a good frame of reference. If you want something that will remind you of Stella, by all means go for Miss Charming. If you want something to actually replace Stella, go with Eau Rose in the EDT. If you want an even more luxurious Stella experience, choose Eau Rose EDP. If you are, like me, a little more sophisticated in your scent choices now and want Stella that has also grown up gracefully, go with Eau Capitale. Miss Charming is just going to leave you wanting.

Rose is the kind of note that drives fragrance lovers like me a little nutty. Always searching for a new and better rose scent although there's already a number of rose perfumes in one's collection ... and yet there's always room for one more. In the hope of scoring the perfect rose scent I purchased S. and now my formerly drab life is brightened and enriched. Hallelujah the search is over! Imagine warm Old Dutch Masters light upon the elegant flacon as I anoint myself with the blessed liquid ... but seriously, S. is lovely! Original S. is a very beautiful rose perfume, rich with rose oil and free of rose water soapiness. Expertly blended, the other notes enhance the rose without overshadowing it. Sillage is modest, longevity is good. S. stays close to the body, making it work safe. This is an ageless feminine scent without frills or sugar. The flacon is also lovely, a stretched octogon. Understated and chic, just like the perfume. This is the first Stella McCartney fragrance for me, and I'm pleasantly surprised by its elegant, understated beauty: a welcome addition to my ever growing collection of rose frags. Still, the search for that perfect rose perfume continues ... I know it's out there.

Rose is a favourite note for me and in Stella it is done very well. It is a much loved fragrance for a reason. I have a slight preference for deep, rich rose fragrances, but I can enjoy a light fresh rose when done well. Stella straddles that line perfectly for me. The rose is deep, red and velvety and has a lush fragrance, but everything aroud it is light and fresh. I don't get any green notes in this fragrance like I do with a lot of other fresher rose fragrances, just those deep red rose petals. Stella makes a perfect signature scent. That light freshness keeps it from becoming overwhelming in the heat. While the darkness of the rose helps it stand out in colder weather. This also helps it suit both days and night. If you are a one fragrance kind of person and a rose lover this just might be the fragrance for you. My bottle is around 5 years old, so I don't know where that lands in the reformulations, it may be the more current as it smelled just like the couple of samples I have gotten since then. The performance is fine, about 5-6 hours with light to moderate projection most of that time. I think this is a rose that can suit any age, especially if they are already a rose lover.

Contemporary Classic ROSE. Velvety lush rose scent opening with a floral burst of rose with citrus touches from mandarin, that deepens into a rosy heart with velvety, whipped, & balsamic touches, resting on an amber base The rose is slightly MiddleEastern, and has a fluffy, whipped quality with body, and maybe a faint trace of spice & patchouli (not listed). Overall I get a Tea-rose/Taif-rose blend with a velvety whipped quality and a slight shampoo vibe in the drydown, with pencil shavings on the skin. Above average performance. Contrast to Oscar Rose Oscar de la Renta: These are different but I can see why they have been compared. With Stella I get a Tea-rose/Taif-rose leaning more shampoo-like and with Oscar Rose I get a Taif-rose leaning luxury whipped body cream. With Stella, in the drydown I also get soapiness and a faint pencil shaving note on the skin that I don't smell in Oscar Rose. Overall: Absolutely beautiful & versatile scent profile with above average performance, this is the perfect scent to wear for a modern classic vibe. It's a love for me. Enjoy!

I still remember smelling this in one of the fashion magazine perfume ad inserts when it first came out in 2003 when it first launched - I was in my teens. I had my first bottle of this in 2006, went through a few of it over the years, and now (2021) I still have 2 bottles of 100ml of it in my collection. I think the post-2014 reformulated version has lost that slightly "tobacco-y smoky" character I used to smell in the old version, and is overall a bit lighter and less jammy. However, it is still the same perfume (90% of the original has been retained in my opinion). I wont call it a "fresh rose" (Paul Smith Rose or Diptyque Eau Rose is what I consider as "fresh rose"). It has this slightly moody and mysterious character to it, but doesnt go as far as "gothic or dark". Overall still an elegant and graceful rose in my view. I will wear it to work, but not on days when I need to attend serious meetings, if that makes sense.

I had to come here because I stumbled upon my rollerball of OG formula Stella last night while cleaning. I forgot how much I loved this perfume. I found it at a time where I was into very “dirty” and heavy fragrances. This was such a departure for me. I have no clue what it smells like today but the original (which I also had a full sized bottle of) was so beautiful. It was warm ambery golden rose at its best, lightened by a tiny floral citrus. Rose can be tricky for me, but in this perfume it just fit. I remember how my sweaters would smell in the evenings after spritzing this on before work early morning. Sadly there is not enough left for even one wear so I will have to be content with a sniff here and there. I’m glad that there is a place where a weirdo like me who keeps perfumes to “just smell” for the sake of the memories can share. Thank you all and thank you Stella. I didn’t realize how much I missed you.

Stella- One of my all-time favorites. I remember first smelling this back in 2004, and rushing to the department store to buy the largest bottle I could. So simple, so elegant... Not much more really needs to be said about this one. A delicate fresh rose backed up by the soft peony and the woody warmth of Amber. If you like pronounced yet not overwhelming rose fragrances, you must have Stella. There's something to be said for a fragrance that doesn't have a zillion notes in the composition. It could be said that Stella is vintage in the best sense of the word yet modern all in one. It's the best of both worlds. My daughter does not wear perfume, and of all my collection, I only get a reaction from her when I wear 2 fragrances: Stella and Chanel Gardenia. Although she likes the Chanel Gardenia, she will only ask to use my Stella. I'm going to have to buy her a bottle of her own. :)

I fancy myself a rose fragrance connoisseur. Let me tell you... most modern day rose perfumes are horrible. They either smell synthetic, are too heavy, too peppery, or drowned in heavy musk. Rose has a reputation of being "old lady" scent (a term I really dislike), and houses always try to "spice it up" and reinvent it. Honestly, the only two houses who do roses justice are Serge Lutens and Tauer. Anyway, I was dying to test this, it being discontinued and now having an almost legendary status as a gold standard in rose perfumes. I bought a decant. And I love it. What a rose! Light, airy, crisp. Simple and very clean. This is a perfume of astoundingly high quality. When I close my eyes and smell my skin, it smells just like a real flower with just a tiny bit of tangerine. What a beauty. This could be my favorite rose-centered fragrance if it wasn't for Lutens' La Fille De Berlin.

Oh Stella. How I miss you. I have wonderful memories attached to this perfume of my first big love and all the excitement that came with it. Spraying myself ready to see him. This is fresh and tangy on first spray and then floral and feminine. It is the perfect rosy scent and although Fleur Fatale is similar, this balances the rose aspect so beautifully. No-one would dislike this. It’s a crowd pleaser. Unfortunately, you can no longer buy it unless you’re willing to pay a fortune on eBay. I have a dupe of it now by Eden but it lasts 15 minutes and it’s gone, hence I’ve been layering with Fleur Fatale to get some boost from it. I asked the company if they would bring back their perfume line alas to no avail. For me, Stella was a winter scent when I first got it in Dec in the 00s but it could be better suited to the spring (although I think it’s pretty damn versatile).

This is the fragrance that led me to becoming a Perfumista via MakeupAlley way back in 2003. I loved it so much I went mad first for rose perfumes, then so many many more. I still have a little bottle of the 2003 version and it smells beautiful. I have the 2014 version as well (purchased a couple of times) and I still think it's a beautiful fragrance. It's just not nearly as provacative, tenacious or elegant as the original. The original "knocked my socks off", so to speak. Even though the 2014 version wasn't up to the masterpiece of the original, I am stiil deeply saddened by its discontinuation. I guess I thought Stella would be around like No. 5 and Shalimar, especially because it's a Jaques Cavallier! It's a mystery to me why this fragrance would go away...it hasn't even been 20 years. It's such a shame.

Popular fragrances are often so for a reason. And this, in my humble opinion, is popular because it's a masterpiece. THIS is THE original, beautiful, feminine, classic British rose. Much copied, much emulated. But I don't care HOW many other (mainly British) women I sniff this on...or HOW many other (definitely not British) perfume houses I see try to copy this...nobody does it better. And popularity can't dissuade me (no perfume snobbery here). I adore Stella. My signature fragrance throughout my thirties and for a good reason. Its sophisticated but easy to wear. People recognise it, but only ever (in my experience) in a good sense. Peony, citrus and an unlisted forest fruits lurk here ..but essentially, Stella is THE benchmark modern rose fragrance. Hands down. There is no competition.

Oh, wow, this really is significantly better than the 2014! I was lucky enough to find a 2012 bottle. It's much, much rosier in an almost essential oil way. I mostly got citrus + woody notes in 2014, with rose more of a modifier than a full note. The reverse is true of this. IFRA, I know you're just being cruel to be kind, but gosh I wish rose absolute had escaped your watchful eye. Projection isn't amazing, but it's at least noticeable after only three sprays on my wrists and neck, which is a 100% improvement on poor 2014 Stella. It's closer to my all-natural rose fragrances than anything commercial I've tried. :) Best rose fragrance I've yet met. EDIT: I now have a 2008 bottle and it's even rosier. :)

Oh how lucky was I to wear it 10 years ago. It was so simple but so beautiful. It would develop so wonderfully on my skin: you could mostly smell a slightly balmy rose and peony. I still remember as if it were yesterday: it is winter, cold an dreary. I get on an empty bus, sit down. Suddenly I smell this balmy bouquet, I can't quite put my finger on what it is. I look around to see if there is someone sitting near, who would smell so good. And then I realise: that smell is the Stella that I am wearing. I got so many compliments on the old Stella. Oh how I wish the current version had the same effect. It's a mere washy memory of the original. It was present, but in a very elegant way.

Stella was my signature scent when I was in my early 20's, in college, becoming my own woman. So it definitely holds a special place in my heart. I was devastated when it was discontinued and even more upset with myself for tossing my last bottle in the trash. Would've loved to have kept it for memory's sake. I came on to say though that the other day I sampled Memo Paris French Leather and was instantly taken aback, It reminded me so much of Stella I couldn't believe it. I promptly ordered a 10ml and each and every time I wear it, it takes me back to my Stella era. I don't know if it's a dupe/ alternative for all but to me, there definitely is a resemblance, at least from my memory.

It *kills* me that the OG Stella (or any Stella version, really) was discontinued. It was always a classic yet modern rose, never powdery, always fresh due to the clean lines added from the citrus, grounded in a beautiful amber which lended some beautiful heft. I have about 1/8 of a bottle left, and I use it sparingly in order to keep it for as long as I can! This was my signature scent for a long time - it is beautiful any time of day - out dancing (when heat and sweat brings out the rounded sexiness of the scent), in the day (when the cheerful citrus sparkles with the pure rose), and it truly is wearable in any season. RIP Stella );

Pure magic in a gorgeous purple amethyst bottle! It brings back memories for me. It was one of these rare perfumes for when you smelled it, it was such a mysterious and emotional moment. It’s impossible to describe in words. That’s what scents are for. Nothing compares to it in designer fragrances now really or at least not the same. I guess the closest would be Chloe edp. But Chloe would not have the same sense of depth and mystery. Also, i think the new Alien Hypersense evoked a similar emotional response in me- perhaps because it has Amber and orange, but Jasmin instead of rose. 🌹💜🧡

A beautiful scent. It feels classic and fresh at the same time. Quite tart, probably due to the orange. But in my nose Stella is purely rose/peony and amber. And what a rose this is! I cannot think of any perfume where I like this flower more than in Stella. I once got a bottle of Stella from a wonderful friend, who had just bought a new one for herself. Within a few weeks I went through it, as if someone was paying me for spraying it :-) The sad truth behind my behaviour is that Stella withers as soon as she has bloomed. Such poor longevity of such an amazing scent...

I've been using Stella since it first came out. I've gone through many bottles. I still have one full roller ball and a spit in another from the roller ball box set. When it was still being produced I got my hands on the largest bottle. A few years back I also grabbed it on the Marshalls website for $65+, must have been the phase out. I'm stocked for now. It's the only perfume that doesn't bother me. I've smelled tons of perfumes looking for a dupe and have never smelled anything similar. Never. I hope one day it comes back 😞

I have to say this is one of the ultimate rose perfumes for me, it’s very clean, modern and fresh. I was so sad when it was discontinued! The longevity and sillage were never brilliant on me though, although I don’t think this was designed to be beast mode. However, the Eden perfume dupe for this is great, smells spot on, and although the longevity and sillage are much the same, because it’s so cheap and easy to buy online I just overspray. Would recommend this dupe to anyone not willing to pay £200 on eBay.