Louis Vuitton City of Stars dupes

What is City of Stars?

City of Stars is a perfume by Louis Vuitton. It came out in April 2022.

It was made by Jacques Cavallier Belletrud, the house perfumer at Louis Vuitton, who creates almost all of its scents.

It is sold for both men and women. On Fragrantica it is filed as a citrus aromatic scent.

Who made it

Jacques Cavallier Belletrud comes from a family of perfumers in Grasse, the old perfume town in the south of France.

Before Louis Vuitton, he made some of the best-known scents of the 1990s and 2000s. L'Eau d'Issey for Issey Miyake is one of them.

Louis Vuitton hired Cavallier Belletrud in 2012 to build its perfume house from scratch. Its first modern perfumes came out in 2016.

That is why so many Louis Vuitton scents share a clean, bright, very smooth style. One person shapes nearly all of them.

The idea: Los Angeles at night

Louis Vuitton built a small family of sunny scents around California. City of Stars came after Afternoon Swim, California Dream and On the Beach.

Each one has a glass bottle that fades from one colour to another. City of Stars was the fourth bottle in that style.

The brand calls it "a festive ode to Los Angeles by night." The idea is the city lights coming on as the sun goes down.

Louis Vuitton says the five citrus notes are meant to flash "like a thousand flashbulbs." Then the scent gets softer and warmer, like the end of a long night out.

What does it smell like?

The listed notes are short and simple. On top there are five citrus fruits: blood orange, lemon, red mandarin, bergamot and lime.

In the middle there is one flower, tiare. It is a creamy white flower from the South Pacific, often used in sun oils.

The base is sandalwood, musk and a soft powder.

In plain words, it smells like bright, juicy citrus over a creamy white flower. Then it dries down soft, clean and powdery.

The sunscreen note

The one thing everyone talks about is sunscreen. We read about 190 Fragrantica reviews, and "sunscreen" came up more than 80 times.

Most of them mean it as praise. One owner called the drydown "a luxurious kind of sunscreen."

There is no sunscreen note on the list. The effect comes from the creamy tiare flower and the powdery musk together.

Many sun creams use a similar floral smell, so your brain fills in the rest.

Not everyone gets it. One reviewer said they smell "just flowers" and no sunscreen at all.

How it changes on your skin

The opening. It starts loud and bright, with sharp lime and sweet orange. Some people find the first minutes harsh.

The middle. After about twenty minutes, the tiare comes forward. This is where the sunscreen feeling usually shows up.

The drydown. A few hours in, it turns soft and powdery, with a little creamy wood. Powder is one of the most mentioned words in the reviews.

The tiare flower

Tiare is a small white flower that grows in French Polynesia. It is also called Tahitian gardenia.

On the islands, the flowers are soaked in coconut oil to make monoi oil. People use it on their skin and hair, especially in the sun.

That link to sun oil is part of why tiare reads as "beach" and "sunscreen" to so many noses. It smells creamy, a little sweet and slightly green.

Few big perfumes put tiare at the centre. That is one reason City of Stars smells different from other citrus scents.

Why people love it

It feels happy. Reviewers link it to holidays, beaches and summer again and again.

It stands out. Most fresh citrus scents smell alike, and the creamy tiare gives this one its own character.

The bottle helps too. Several owners say the colour-fade glass is part of why they bought it.

On Fragrantica, love votes are more than twice the like votes. Dislike and hate votes are small next to them.

Why some people don't

The biggest complaint is that it leans feminine. "Feminine" appeared in over 40 reviews, and many men said it was too floral for them.

Others find the powdery drydown too heavy or a little old-fashioned. A few never get past the sharp opening.

Cost is the other big complaint. Many reviewers felt the scent is simple for what Louis Vuitton charges.

Is it for men or women?

Louis Vuitton sells it as a scent for everyone, and Fragrantica lists it for both. In practice, opinions split.

Men who like it often say the bright lime and orange carry it. Men who dislike it say the creamy flower and powder feel too soft for them.

A good rule: if you enjoy scents like Afternoon Swim or other bright Louis Vuitton citruses, you will probably be fine. If you only wear woody or spicy scents, test it first.

How long does it last?

Better than most citrus scents. On Fragrantica, most voters call its longevity moderate or long lasting.

Projection is mostly moderate to strong. It is noticeable for the first few hours, then settles closer to the skin.

As always with citrus, the bright top fades first. The powdery base is what stays.

The dupes

City of Stars is one of the most copied Louis Vuitton scents. The citrus and flower idea is simple, which makes it easier to copy well.

We list five dupes. They are not all equal, so here is how owners see them.

The closest: Alexandria Fragrances City of Angels

This is the one owners agree on most. It is the only one people call a true one-to-one.

One person blind tested it against the original and scored it 9.9 out of 10. That is a single test, but other owners say the same thing in plainer words.

It is an extrait, which is a stronger strength than the original. One owner said that because of this, it "actually lasts longer than the LV."

Owners also praise its pressurised sprayer. It gives a fine, even mist.

Strong and close: Bujairami Houdini

Houdini is known for being loud. One owner said it was "spot on and lasts all day."

It is not a perfect copy. It opens more sour than the original, then comes close within a few minutes and stays there.

If you want City of Stars that fills a room, this is the one owners point to.

Good value: Grandeur Elite Shooting Stars

Owners call it about 80 percent of the original. It has the fruit, the citrus and the flowers up front.

The sunscreen note arrives after about twenty minutes, as it does in the original. Then it settles into a soft white flower.

It does not smell cheap, but it does not match the original's quality either. It projects for a few hours and fades around the six-hour mark.

A twist of its own: Maison d'Arabie Marine Blue

Marine Blue is very close without being a straight copy. It leans a little more aquatic and blue.

It still hits the main points people buy the original for: the floral sunscreen over light powder. It projects for a few hours and lasts well into the day.

Pick this one if you like the idea of City of Stars but want it a bit fresher.

Close but short-lived: Lucianno Star Dust

Side by side, Star Dust gets the sunscreen, the flowers and the citrus. Some owners call it very close.

The problem is staying power. It does not last, which is odd for an extrait.

Owners are also split on the powder. One said it "has the same scent profile" but felt the extra powder ruined it.

Another owner said it does not smell like City of Stars at all.

Other names you will see

On Fragrantica, voters most often link City of Stars to Khadlaj Onyx Galaxy. We have not found owners comparing the two side by side, so we do not list it yet.

You may also see City of Stars dupes from other clone houses mentioned once or twice online. We only list a dupe when owners of the original back it up.

Which should you buy?

Buy the original if you love the bottle, want the smoothest blend, and the cost does not hurt.

Buy City of Angels if you want the closest copy and longer wear.

Buy Houdini if you want it loud.

Buy Shooting Stars or Marine Blue if you want the style for less and do not need a perfect match.

Skip all of them if you dislike powdery or floral scents. Every version shares that drydown.

When to wear it

It is made for warm weather. Summer and spring get by far the most votes on Fragrantica.

It works well by day, on holiday, at the beach and for casual plans. Despite the "night" story, voters choose it more for daytime.

In cold weather the citrus can feel thin, and the powder can feel heavy indoors.

Tips for wearing it

Spray it on skin, not just clothes. The tiare and musk need warm skin to bloom.

Start with fewer sprays. It is stronger than most citrus scents, and the opening can be sharp.

If you buy a dupe, give it a few weeks after opening. Many clones smell harsher in the first days and smooth out with time.

The bottom line

City of Stars is a bright citrus and creamy flower scent that smells like a holiday in a bottle. The "luxury sunscreen" drydown is what makes people fall for it.

It leans feminine and powdery, and it is not cheap. If you want the smell for less, City of Angels is the closest copy owners have found.