Fragrance comparison

Mad World vs Stardust

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 9 Oct 2026 247 ratings analysed

Mad World

Carolina Herrera

3.6043 votes

Rank #21,809 CitrusFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

33%scent match

Clearly different

6 wins

Stardust

Annette Neuffer

4.09204 votes

Rank #2,414 CitrusSweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Stardust takes 6 of 7 categories.

Mad World
Choose it for a citrus and fresh spicy character. Wins on versatility. Best in summer, daytime wear.
Stardust
Choose it for a citrus and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, day or night wear.

Mad World1/7

Stardust6/7

Ratings & consensus: Stardust
Community sentiment: Stardust
Longevity: Stardust
Sillage & projection: Stardust
Value for money: Stardust
Versatility: Mad World
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Stardust

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

Mad WorldCarolina Herrera

StardustAnnette Neuffer

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.60/ 5 · 43 votes

Have 15%Had 3%Want 82%

4.09/ 5 · 204 votes

Have 11%Had 3%Want 86%

Category winnerStardustRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

23%Love

42%Like

21%Ok

0%Dislike

14%Hate

43 votes

33%Love

52%Like

15%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

33 votes

Category winnerStardustMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity45

〰 Sillage37

♥ Love / hate65

⏱ Longevity82

〰 Sillage70

♥ Love / hate81

Category winners

LongevityStardust

SillageStardust

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value29

¤ Price value51

Category winnerStardustBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

fresh spicy86%

floral72%

aromatic58%

woody44%

oud30%

citrus100%

sweet92%

warm spicy84%

cacao77%

vanilla69%

floral61%

Scent match33%Clearly different · both citrus and floral

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top15-30 mins

BergamotLemon

Heart2-3 hrs

Lapsang Souchong TeaOsmanthus

Base4-5 hrs

AkigalawoodAmbrette (Musk Mallow)

Top

Bitter OrangeMandarin OrangeBergamot

Heart

Cotton CandyBitter AlmondOsmanthusRose

Base

Cacao PodBeeswaxTonka BeanVanillaSiam BenzoinPatchouliAmbrette (Musk Mallow)

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Osmanthus and Ambrette (Musk Mallow). Durations are only published for Mad World, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring92

Summer100

Fall50

Winter42

Day100

Night26

Spring53

Summer18

Fall76

Winter100

Day93

Night100

Category winnerMad WorldMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men13

Unisex40

Women47

Casual 44%Work 38%Date 11%Party 7%

Men0

Unisex44

Women56

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#21,809

PerfumerSonia Constant

Launched—

Reviews5

Overall rank#2,414

PerfumerAnnette Neuffer

Launched—

Reviews64

Category winnerStardustHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Carolina Herrera Mad World bursts open with a bright splash of tart lemon and cold-pressed bergamot. The citrus hits immediately. It cuts through morning fog. Within fifteen minutes, the bracing opening softens into a serene heart of smoky Lapsang Souchong tea leaves and velvety osmanthus petals. The combination feels…

Reviews →

Stardust is a sweet citrus gourmand with a bright orange opening, a playful cotton candy and almond heart, and a cocoa, beeswax, vanilla dry-down. Reviews point to orange jelly candy dipped in chocolate, dry cocoa powder, pollen-like osmanthus, earthy patchouli, and a fizzy, almost sparkling texture. It suits shoppers…

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Mad World or Stardust?

Stardust takes 6 of 7 categories. Mad World is rated 3.60/5 from 43 votes; Stardust is rated 4.09/5 from 204 votes. Choose Mad World for a citrus and fresh spicy character. Wins on versatility. Best in summer, daytime wear. Choose Stardust for a citrus and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Mad World or Stardust?

Stardust lasts longest (Stardust 82/100, Mad World 45/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Mad World or Stardust?

Stardust projects furthest (Stardust 70/100, Mad World 37/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Mad World and Stardust smell similar?

Clearly different: a 33% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus and floral accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Osmanthus and Ambrette (Musk Mallow).

Is Mad World or Stardust better for summer or winter?

For summer, Mad World is the stronger pick. For winter, Stardust is the stronger pick. Mad World suits daytime wear; Stardust suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Mad World and Stardust?

Mad World has top notes of Bergamot and Lemon, heart notes of Lapsang Souchong Tea and Osmanthus, a base of Akigalawood and Ambrette (Musk Mallow). Stardust has top notes of Bitter Orange, Mandarin Orange and Bergamot, heart notes of Cotton Candy, Bitter Almond, Osmanthus and Rose, a base of Cacao Pod, Beeswax, Tonka Bean and Vanilla.