Black Star (fragrance)
Encyclopedia
Black Star is a fragrance
by Canadian
singer-songwriter
Avril Lavigne
. The line includes, besides the 10ml, 15ml, 30ml, 50ml and 100ml eau de parfum, a shower gel, a body lotion, and a spray deodorant. A mini shower gel comes exclusively with a Black Star gift set available in the UK, and in the German/Dutch giftset a 50ml body lotion is also included.
. Black Star has been released in Canada, at Shoppers Drug Mart. Black Star has also been released in Australia, available at Myer
.
At several stores, varying from country and store, Black Star is sold with gifts, including a bracelet, a t-shirt, speakers, a compact mirror and four different kinds of bags. These are also prizes on the official site.
The perfume's three notes are:
Top note: green pear, pink hibiscus flower.
Middle note: black plum.
Base note: dark chocolate.
corner as well. In the US a promotional event was arranged in New York for journalists. Lavigne did not attend, though she recorded several video messages that were displayed.
Other promotional means were sent to stores internationally, including instore posters, tester bottles, frangrance samples, and other displays.
claiming it had "the same effect on my friends as Girlfriend did".
. It opens with Lavigne inside the Black Star bottle, with swirling pink mist and glitter in the air. She notices a black star floating in the air, jumps up and grabs it, and it transforms into the Black Star bottle. She opens the bottle and sprays the perfume on herself, then throws the bottle at the camera, offering it to us. In some countries the commercial is shortened and the spraying on her is cut out. Lavigne stated that she had a lot of fun filming the video. The dress she wore was a 1980s
prom
dress. Lavigne added a tutu
to the skirt and a studded belt
to her waist.
in the "Fragrance of the Year- Women's Popular Appeal" category.
Later in the same month, Lavigne also stated that the fragrance has won an award for "Best Fragrance" from Cosmetic Executive Women.
Perfume
Perfume is a mixture of fragrant essential oils and/or aroma compounds, fixatives, and solvents used to give the human body, animals, objects, and living spaces "a pleasant scent"...
by Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Avril Lavigne
Avril Lavigne
Avril Ramona Lavigne is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She was born in Belleville, Ontario, but spent most of her youth in the small town of Napanee. By the age of 15, she had appeared on stage with Shania Twain; by 16, she had signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records worth more...
. The line includes, besides the 10ml, 15ml, 30ml, 50ml and 100ml eau de parfum, a shower gel, a body lotion, and a spray deodorant. A mini shower gel comes exclusively with a Black Star gift set available in the UK, and in the German/Dutch giftset a 50ml body lotion is also included.
Background
The fragrance was announced via Lavigne's official website on March 7, 2009. The fragrance contains notes of pink hibiscus, black plum and dark chocolate. It has been released in several European countries including The Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, France, Italy, Finland, The United Kingdom and Denmark. Black Star launched in The United States on August 15, exclusively at Kohl'sKohl's
Kohl's Corporation is an American department store chain headquartered in the Milwaukee suburb of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, operating , 1,089 stores in 49 states. In 1998, it entered the S&P 500 list, and is also listed in the Fortune 500...
. Black Star has been released in Canada, at Shoppers Drug Mart. Black Star has also been released in Australia, available at Myer
Myer
Myer is Australia's largest department store chain, retailing a broad range of merchandise including women's, men's and children's clothing, footwear and accessories; cosmetics and fragrance; homewares; electrical; furniture and bedding; toys; books and stationery; food and confectionery; and...
.
At several stores, varying from country and store, Black Star is sold with gifts, including a bracelet, a t-shirt, speakers, a compact mirror and four different kinds of bags. These are also prizes on the official site.
The perfume's three notes are:
Top note: green pear, pink hibiscus flower.
Middle note: black plum.
Base note: dark chocolate.
Giftsets
5 giftsets of the Black Star perfume range have been released to date. In Germany and the Netherlands, the 15ml EDP is accompanied with a 50ml Body Lotion and a 50ml Showergel. In the UK, the 30ml EDP is accompanied with a 50ml Body Lotion, and an exclusive studded bag. In the United States there are two different giftsets, one with the 15ml EDP and the 100ml EDP, and one with the 50ml EDP and a set of Black Star speakers. A giftset featuring the EDP and a 200ml Body Lotion was also brought out.Advertisement
Lavigne held an exclusive launch party for Black Star in London on March 17, 2009. Several journalists were present, and three Dutch fans were invited to attend as well. She premiered the Black Star bottle at the event, and had an Abbey DawnAbbey Dawn
Abbey Dawn is a clothing line designed by musician Avril Lavigne. The name goes back to Lavigne's childhood, where her father nicknamed her "Abbey Dawn", and her high school friends would often call her "Abbey". The line was initially described as a "Juniors' lifestyle brand", but since then has...
corner as well. In the US a promotional event was arranged in New York for journalists. Lavigne did not attend, though she recorded several video messages that were displayed.
Other promotional means were sent to stores internationally, including instore posters, tester bottles, frangrance samples, and other displays.
Song
Avril Lavigne wrote the song used in the commercial on her own, and was written in between stops during the Asian part of her The Best Damn Tour. The intention was for it to be just a short theme song for the fragrance, but has since developed into, as Rolling Stone describes it, "one of Lavigne's most ambitious songs, an ethereal lullaby that turns epic with Coldplay-like pianos and soaring strings". Lavigne chose to release the song as the fourth and final single from her fourth studio album, Goodbye LullabyGoodbye Lullaby
Goodbye Lullaby is the fourth studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne. The album was first released on 8 March 2011 through RCA Records . Recording sessions began in November 2008, and took place over a period of almost two years, concluding in October 2010...
claiming it had "the same effect on my friends as Girlfriend did".
Video
The commercial for Black Star was directed by Billie Woodruff and filmed in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. It opens with Lavigne inside the Black Star bottle, with swirling pink mist and glitter in the air. She notices a black star floating in the air, jumps up and grabs it, and it transforms into the Black Star bottle. She opens the bottle and sprays the perfume on herself, then throws the bottle at the camera, offering it to us. In some countries the commercial is shortened and the spraying on her is cut out. Lavigne stated that she had a lot of fun filming the video. The dress she wore was a 1980s
1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
prom
Prom
In the United States and Canada, a prom, short for promenade, is a formal dance, or gathering of high school students. It is typically held near the end of the senior year. It figures greatly in popular culture and is a major event among high school students...
dress. Lavigne added a tutu
Ballet tutu
A tutu is a skirt worn as a costume in a ballet performance, often with attached bodice. It might be single layer, hanging down, or multiple layers starched and jutting out.There are several types of ballet tutu:...
to the skirt and a studded belt
Belt (clothing)
A belt is a flexible band or strap, typically made of leather or heavy cloth, and worn around the waist. A belt supports trousers or other articles of clothing.-History:...
to her waist.
Critical reception
Black Star received mixed reviews. Now Smell This said the scent was "nowhere near as 'edgy' as it purports to be, but it succeeds in capturing Avril Lavigne’s image despite (or because of) that fact." ShopGala hailed the scent as "a great gift for a young girl or an Avril fan." The fragrance was called a "truly energetic scent." TeenToday noted that with the scent, "mini punk Avril moves into the more feminine...world of celebrity fragrance...showing that at the ripe old age of 24 she’s finally left her rock days behind." It was called "ideal for the summer months." Dave Lackie (editor of Cosmetics magazine) said that "'Black Star' opens promisingly with a burst of pear but quickly dries down to sweet floral notes that have a faint synthetic smell." Nathalie Atkinson of National Post said that "it's supposedly all moody and sultry, with dark fruits and dark chocolate but really, it's as mainstream as a mall punk," but she suggested that "angsty tweens will love it."Awards
In May 2010, Lavigne stated via her official website that Black Star had been nominated for a FiFi awardFiFi Awards
The FiFi Awards are an annual event sponsored by The Fragrance Foundation which honor the fragrance industry's creative achievements and is the most prominent and prestigious celebratory event of the fragrance industry...
in the "Fragrance of the Year- Women's Popular Appeal" category.
Later in the same month, Lavigne also stated that the fragrance has won an award for "Best Fragrance" from Cosmetic Executive Women.
| Year | Awards ceremony | Award | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | CEW (Cosmetic Executive Women) Beauty Awards | Best Fragrance | |
| FiFi Awards FiFi Awards The FiFi Awards are an annual event sponsored by The Fragrance Foundation which honor the fragrance industry's creative achievements and is the most prominent and prestigious celebratory event of the fragrance industry... |
Fragrance of the Year- Women’s Popular Appeal |