Skip to main content
Comparison

City of Stars vs On the Beach

Side by side. Scored honestly.

← Compare different fragrances
Notes overlap

Side by side

Comparing the originals — price, breadth, listed-note depth.

Original price
$280
City of Stars
$350
On the Beach
Season coverage
3/4
City of Stars
2/4
On the Beach
Note depthtied
7
City of Stars
7
On the Beach
What City of Stars smells like

Bergamot opens bright and brief before iris takes over — powdery but not stiff, carrying a faint green violet edge that keeps it from reading purely feminine. The heart is where it earns its reputation: a soft, slightly cool floral with real presence without shouting. The dry-down leans into sandalwood and tonka, warm and lightly sweet, with amber deepening the base into something almost edible. Musk holds it close to skin, making sillage intimate but persistent — this wears longer than it projects. — Best for cooler months, office or evening, anyone drawn to understated powdery-warm florals.

What On the Beach smells like

Opens with a bright, slightly tart citrus blast — yuzu and blood orange cutting through neroli's softer floral sweetness before the whole thing pivots toward the coast. Thyme and cypress introduce a dry, herbal salinity that reads as sun-warmed rocks near the water rather than synthetic ocean spray. Pink pepper adds a mild fizz throughout. The dry-down is clean musk with cypress lingering underneath, keeping it grounded rather than soapy. Projection stays polite; sillage is a close, skin-level trail by the second hour — A warm-weather skin scent for anyone who wants coastal without aquatic cliché.

How they overlap

City of Stars and On the Beach share exactly one note (musk). The overlap is real but narrow — most of the wear experience will diverge.

The buying decision

City of Stars is the cheaper original at $280 compared to $350 for On the Beach — about 20% less. City of Stars is built for spring/fall/winter; On the Beach for spring/summer. Pick by when you'd actually wear it.

Best dupe for each

New dupes in your inbox.

New matches, reformulation alerts, honest scores. No spam.