Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.
Although rose is often seen as dowdy and old-fashioned, the perfumer Jacques Cavallier set the silky rose petals on the transparent ambery base and rendered the flower crisp and spicy in his fragrance for Stella McCartney. Rose Absolute followed the original, and it was still exciting, being darker, richer and warmer. Then there were a few summer limited editions, Stella Sheer, which offered a lighter take on the rose-amber marriage. Now, Stella in Two takes inspiration from the success of the original creation by offering yet another Stella variation. This time, Stella can be bought in two parts, Peony and Amber. Is it possible to stretch the concept too far? As I have discovered, yes. I was won over by the retro charm of the original, loved the richness of Rose Absolute and enjoyed the freshness of Stella Sheer. Now, I feel ready to explore something new. ….
As you can see, I do not have that much to say about the two fragrances. Peony is a sheer floral, with a hint of woods, while Amber is a rather straightforward oriental in a solid base. Worn alone, the fragrances are too pale and one-dimensional. On the other hand, their combination improves neither on the original Stella nor on any of its siblings. In other words, as much as I like Stella, this particular variation does not capture my imagination.
Peony includes notes of peony, rose, black pepper, amber, patchouli, cedarwood. Amber includes notes of rose, amber and musk.
9 Comments
Ina: I totally agree! I actually had to rub in the Amber thoroughly before I could actually smell something, and that something wasn’t impressive. The Peony is basically Stella, just with more peony. Meh. October 18, 2006 at 11:36pm
cynthia: I am disappointed to hear this. The packaging is so adorable! How was Amber on its own? October 19, 2006 at 1:42pm
Christine: Hi, I love Stella, but Stella in Two was boring. I would rather go for Stella Sheer. 🙁 October 19, 2006 at 3:42pm
BoisdeJasmin: Ina, I agree. I was amazed to discover how light they were. I love roses, I love Stella, but I have had enough Stella variations at this point. October 19, 2006 at 11:48am
BoisdeJasmin: Cynthia, so was I to smell them. Amber was not very strong on its own, but it worked better with Peony on top. October 19, 2006 at 5:34pm
BoisdeJasmin: Christine, yes, I agree. For a lighter Stella, Stella Sheer was very lovely. October 19, 2006 at 5:35pm
melissa: I’m afraid I have to disagree — I love the original Stella — I loved Stella Sheer when I smelled it, but it was gone before I could buy it, and now I am a devoted fan to Stella Peony…I like it better than the original, and as a person who had a hell of a time finding a signature scent, this is a big deal. I consistently have people commenting on it when I wear it and I love the way it smells… February 10, 2008 at 10:02pm
silvia: I am fond of this perfume in the peony variation but I have not found anywhere, maybe it is sold out and unavailable.
Could you suggest a very similar perfume? May 8, 2017 at 7:21am
Darragh: Unfortunately this perfume was discontinued some years back. I have found that Jo Malone English Pear and Freesia actually smells quite similar! You should give it a try, it’s truly beautiful! July 2, 2017 at 9:14am