IN ASTRA
TISTAR
2022
PERFUMER
Sofia Bardelli
Pink Grapefruit
Aldehydes
Eucalyptus
Peppermint
Lavender
Peony
Rhubarb
Cade
balsam fir
Cypriol
Musks
‘Cold is the night when the brightest star shines across the Winter Street. It tells a tale as old as time of the Bold and the Fair who wrought a bridge of light for they could meet. So they became Tistar, the fulgent star dwelling high in the heavens. An abstract scintillation of aldehydes lights up the fragrant freshness of yuzu and pink grapefruit, giving way to a floral, glowing iridescence of lavender and peony. Tistar’s brightness lingers on: an explosion of luminous musks blazed by earthy scents of cade and balsam fir.’ – In Astra
I shared first impression on In Astra before. The brand released four fragrances by Sofia Bardelli and Tistar was my favorite of the samples. Here’s why:
Not only was Tistar my favorite, it was the biggest surprised. Based on the notes, I’d figured Tistar would be my least favorite, but sometimes it’s good to be wrong.
Tistar boasts some brighter and aromatic notes, like grapefruit, aldehydes, eucalyptus, peppermint and lavender. Mixed with cypriol, cade and fir, I was ready for a fresh, green, forest-y affair. And while I do get most of these notes. A greenish lavender scent stands out to me, albeit subtle. I don’t necessarily get the citrus in here, instead, there’s a lot more sweetness in Tistar than I’d imagined.
It has a powdery, semi-sweet core that the acidity and sharpness cuts right through. At times it reminds me of chocolate dusting. It’s a completely different scent-profile and Tistar never goes fully sweet; yet wearing it and getting occasional wafts in the air, it gave me a similar feeling to wearing Guerlain Gourmand Coquin. It’s not as chocolate as the Guerlain or even the earthy D:SOL Terram, but a mix of that and the sweetness from for example Hiram Green Arbole.
There’s a peony and a (less prominent) rhubarb pulling this straight into unisex territory and it’s overall a very inoffensive, calming fragrance. As with the citrus, the florals are subtle.
In general it’s a subtle scent profile on my skin; nothing in this composition jumps out at you with a lot of vibrancy. It’s still more suited for those that like aromatics than chocolate, but it caught me by surprise and I enjoyed my second wearing equally.
