Stella McCartney launched her debut fragrance, Stella, in 2003. Beautifully feminine with a modern edge, the rose-toned scent has been among my three favorite fragrances. Over the years, the Stella collection grew and grew, with Rose Absolute (a stunning creation that shouldn’t have been discontinued), Stella in Two (Peony & Amber), StellaNude, and the annual limited-edition Sheer Stella (2004-2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011).
I always wondered when (rather than whether) a second fragrance would be launched and how it would compare with Stella. The anticipation was over with the arrival of L.I.L.Y this month.
On August 17th, Isetan Shinjuku Tokyo will be launching The World of Stella event in collaboration with Stella McCartney throughout the store (including The Stage on 1F, Adidas by Stella McCartney on 4F, and Stella McCartney Kids on 6F). Some limited-edition items will be available during the event, including the Stella fragrance in limited-edition bottles.
I will update this post if I come across additional information on their availability.
Since 2004, Stella McCartney has been releasing a limited-edition Sheer Stella each summer to complement the original Stella fragrance. I love all scents from the Stella family, and, for me, the new Sheer Stella each year marks the beginning of the warmer months.
Like Sheer Stella 2010, Sheer Stella 2011 incorporates organic roses. According to Stella McCartney, this year’s edition features organic roses grown in the mountains of Persia and the rose themselves carry a fruity top note.
From today and throughout the next few weeks, I will be looking at a different fragrance each Friday. The series begins with Sheer Stella 2010.
Stella by Stella McCartney is one of my favorite fragrances. Since 2004, a limited-edition Sheer Stella Eau de Toilette has been released each summer. The notes of these Sheer Stella editions are more or less the same, and each edition features a different packaging. I came across the 2010 edition in my local Boots earlier this month, and, again, I decided to get it with no hesitation.
Most editions of Sheer Stella feature citrusy/fruity top notes. The 2010 version does too, but I find that its fruity top notes are subtler than those of many other editions. It features notes of organic rose and amber, and, overall, Sheer Stella 2010 seems rosier and more mellow than most other editions.
The bottle is designed by Philip Jones, a British painter and sculptor. I like the soft and quiet elegance of the design. It also reminds me of Chinese ink landscape painting.
As lighter versions of Stella, most editions of Sheer Stella are relatively long-lasting. I tend to wear Sheer Stella in spring and summer and Stella (and Stella Rose Absolute, the deepest of all the Stella McCartney fragrances) in fall and winter.
I hope that we will have a warm summer this year in the UK. It is always nice to enjoy Sheer Stella on a lovely summer day…
(The fragrance is my own purchase. The press information is courtesy of Stella McCartney via The Perfume Shop.)
In one of my earliest blog posts, I talked about my three favorite fragrances. Stella by Stella McCartney is among them, and it is still one of my favorite scents. Late last year, Stella McCartney released StellaNude, which joins the Stella family. It is also a continuation of the Stella McCartney Lingerie Collection.
(StellaNude UK TV ad, via YouTube)
Top notes: Moroccan rose, grapefruit Middle notes: white peony, pink pepper Base notes: Ugandan vanilla, grey amber
For me, the easiest way to talk about StellaNude is to compare it with Stella. While both are sensuous scents which feature the beautiful rose note, one element that really differs StellaNude from Stella is the pink pepper. It makes StellaNude sharper, spicier, and more bouncy. (Interestingly, this is not the way I expected StellaNude to be when I was looking at how the scent was visually marketed.) On the other hand, Stella is relatively more sedate, rounded and grounded.
StellaNude has a strong opening and a subtle drydown, and the punchy pepper note gives StellaNude a youthful and playful edge. Stella is softer and carries a feminine elegance, and its intensity is released more steadily.
Stella is an eau de parfum and StellaNude is an eau de toilette, and I do think that Stella lasts longer.
(image from www.stellamccartney.com)
The bottle has the same shape as that of Stella but it features facets in pale blush pink (instead of deep plum).
Overall, I prefer Stella. But what I like about StellaNude is that, while it is certainly instantly recognizable as part of the Stella family, it is different enough from all the other members to warrant its own identity. I think it is another successful modern interpretation of a rose fragrance. Compared with Stella, it will probably appeal to slightly younger consumers.
StellaNude is currently available in Eau de Toilette (30ml, 50ml, and 100ml) and Linen Scented Mist (125ml).
(The product featured in this article is provided by Stella McCartney.)
Last week, I came across Sheer Stella 2009, and, as a collector, I had to get it.
This year, the shade of the bottle is peachy-pink, with the rose motif in a frosted texture. I do like the contrast between the glossed and frosted finishes (which were also on the bottle of Sheer Stella 2005) and I prefer this bottle design to last year’s, but overall my favorite two are still the 2005 and 2007 ones.
Last year’s Sheer Stella is quite unique because of the freesia and raspberry notes it has. Sheer Stella 2009 has gone back to lemon and green apple as top notes, It is, not surprisingly, very similar to the first few editions. According to Now Smell This, the notes include lemon, green apple, rose and amber. Compared with Stella, Sheer Stella is generally more cooling and fresh than sensual. For me, it is a very lovely scent that is never too sweet or powdery, great for a warm summer day. (I hope we will have a decent summer in the UK this year…)
Plum is not really one of my favorite makeup colors to wear, as it is a little too warm and dark for my complexion. (I prefer more purple shades for eyes and slightly lighter shades for lips.) But I do have a few plum-colored sweaters and scarves, which I enjoy wearing in winter.
For me, plum is a beautiful color to look at. I love its richness and elegance as well as its understated femininity.
In my earlier post on Sheer Stella 2008, I mentioned that it would be launched in the UK (in Debenhams stores) on March 16. It was a Monday, and I went to a Debenhams store the day before, thinking that it might already be there. It was, and I happily took it home.
Considering Sheer Stella 2007 and 2006 were launched in mid-April, the mid-March launch of Sheer Stella 2008 seemed unexpectedly early to me (especially since Sheer Stellas are meant to be summer fragrances).
The bottle design is quite different from all the previous versions. The semi-opaque glossed cream-white glass bottle features a large rose motif. For the first time, the cap is white and has white dots spelling out “STELLA”.
As expected, the scent is a lighter and fresher version of Stella and is not too different from all the previous Sheer Stellas. However, this year’s version no longer uses green apple, lemon, or orange as a top note to give that zesty vibe. Instead, the scent opens with more sweetness, thanks to white freesia and raspberry.
(From left to right: Sheer Stella 2004 – 2008) (My favorite bottles are the 2005 and 2007 ones.)
Sheer Stella 2008 is perhaps the sweetest Sheer Stella of all, but only marginally so. It is still a very pleasing rose fragrance with a modern edge, which is why I fell in love with Stella in the first place.
