I was planning on getting some Luster Dust from the cake shop today but got derailed by the Wilton Shimmer Dust at Michaels for 1/3 of the price. Tempting. Got the Gold-Silver-Petal color set.

Tried to shimmer up some fondant pieces I had waiting at home. What a discusting mess. Tried putting it on dry - doesn't even show up. Tried with Vodka - goopy but grainy mess. Tried with lemon juice - same thing. Finally read the directions and tried a little bit of water. Still goopy and the shimmer hardly shows up.

I have a pink REAL luster dust that I tested just last night on the same fondant and what do you know, it turned the white fondant pink AND sparkly. I guess I figured that the Wilton stuff would work the same.

Does anyone have any tips for dealing with this stuff so I don't have to embarass myself trying to get Michaels to take it back?

Good luck! I wonder if you sprinkled it on dry fondant it would show up? I used it on a whipped icing and after about an hour it looked like the icing had mold on it! So......I had to chuckle at you using lemon juice as I did the same thing and it was messy.

shimmer dust is totally different than luster dust....it wont paint on like the luster dust will. i too learned that the hard way...but just look at it this way, its only 4 dollars...but not totally lost, you can use it as glitter on other things like cupcakes or cookies for a quick decoration.

Please tell me the differences and purposes of shimmer dust and luster dust. Thanks!

Yeah I learned this one the hard way too, all excited to try painting something gold and they ended up the color of baby puke .

I think the purpose of shimmer dust is just to add "sparklies" to something, use like glitter as melysa said. That's it. Like maybe you could sprinkle it on white, or perhaps on some christmas trees, to get a nice sparkly snow effect. I think the pkg shows it sprinkled on (icing) roses around the edges of the roses, just to give them a little pizzazz.

Luster dust is what you use if you actually want to make the deco a "new" color, like if you want to paint it silver, gold, whatever. I used l.d. to make some gold letters, to paint some chocolate baking tools silver, and (petal dust) to add a shimmery sheen to fondant. Shimmer dust won't do any of these things. They really should just call it glitter dust or something else!

You may notice if you read the fine print it doesn't say it will "color" something for you, it only states that you can sprinkle it on. But then again, knowing what people use a "dust" for I really think Wilton should relabel it or explicitly write in the instructions that you cannot paint with it. Would've saved me a lot of heartache, that's for sure.

I kept mine anyway, figured it was so cheap maybe SOME day I'll find a use for it!

Amen! I learned the same lesson the same hard way. Apparently the Wilton stuff is basically sugar, so it dissolves in liquid. Lustre floats, if that's the word for it.

luster dust is not water soluble...wont disolve....and if you paint it on with extract or alcohol...that evaporates and leaves you with an awesome dry painted surface, not sticky.

so where can i get luster dust from? how much does it cost?

A specialty cake decorating shop, not Michael's, Hobby Lobby, AC Moore, or online. This site: cakedeco.com, has a TON of colors plus a starter kit that rocks. Only catch is you have to spend $50 minimum. Lustre is anywhere from $2.50 to $3.50 for a tiny container but a little bit goes a long, long way. It's fun, fun stuff!

You'll also want some small paint brushes, a mini bottle of Everclear or Smirnoff 100 (something clear and high proof) or lemon extract. And maybe an artist mixing palette, 99-cents at Michael's, etc.

This site, http://kitchengifts.com, has a video tutorial.

Hi there!!!
I found the best place to buy silver and gold luster dust. They work great with lemon juice and hard liqour. Their pigment is so strong you can even use them on their own. They are gorgeous!! The store is called New York Cake Supply...it is located in New York City (Manhattan). I was visiting family there and they took me to this store. I make sure to go there during every visit. I live in Chicago and wish there was a store like that here.
The good news is....they have a website!!! www.nycake.com You have to make your orders over the phone, but it is worth it. You have to tell them that the silver/gold luster dust you want is located on the counter by the register. It does not have a brand, so they may make it themselves....who knows? It is AWESOME!!
They have a large variety of luster dust in many other colors as well. You can order the same ones off of www.pattycakes.com. I have never tried them, so I cannot give an opinion on them.
I hope this helps....good luck!!

Also if you are only looking for only 1 container of the stuff, and you can't find it at a local cake supply store, try cakeart.us -- they only charge like $1.80 to ship one container. I tried ordering just one elsewhere and they wanted $6 in shipping for a $3 bottle of luster dust! Argh!

Of course once you buy one, you'll want more...

My brother lives in NYC. Awww yeah!!!

ebay from jesterpartysupply- 2.45 for a 2gram container, and 4.05 flat shipping for any quantity, no minimum order. decent shipping, sent priority after a couple days to process the order. good email communication.

OK, so what the heck is petal dust?

Thanks everyone! Lesson learned. This morning after the fondant dots I tried to paint with the stuff are like little mini piles of this goop that does not sparkle at all.

I suppose I'll keep the stuff and find ways to use it ... only now I have to go back to the cake store AGAIN. I'm starting to feel like I live there!

powdered dust that adds color, not sparkle. more of a matte finish. you use it dry or with extract or alcohol as a paint.

mqguffey

This is my new favorite site.

Fondant embossed ribbons on a roll! Chocolate ribbon! and the cheapest prices for cupcake picks I have ever seen! SHUT UP!

when you use vodka or smirnoff with your luster dust can you taste the alchol when you eat the cookie or cake?

Nope, it evaporates super quickly. I got a mini-bottle of Smirnoff 100, which is 100 proof (most alcohols are 80 proof) for less than $2 and it's lasted forever. There's also something called Everclear that's even higher, it's basically grain alcohol, but I couldn't find a mini-bottle. It's what people used to make "hunch-punch" in my college days.

OK, Mamas, that cracked me up!