Help, recently I used luster dust on a fondant covered cake (this was my first attempt with luster dust). I mixed the dust with vodka and painted the entire 2 layer cake which was a pink pearl color. The cake came out beautiful, with a great pearl color. I also used different colors on small attached pieces. The cake was for an outside party, the cake remained outside for approximately 4 hours (the weather was nice, cake was not in sunlight) long story short - my beautiful pearl pink turned into a nasty dismal grey color. My attachments were o.k. Very embarrassing. Is this typical of luster dust, did I do something wrong? What is the time limit before coloring does this? I have a wedding cake to make and the bride wants a pearl color, and I do not want this mishap again, help, what happened?

Wow! Sorry to hear it. I have never used luster dust before, so no help. Just to give ya a bump and curious to hear the outcome!

If you used pink gel/paste--in particular, Wilton pink-- to color your fondant, that is what faded to grey, not the luster dust. Luster dust color is very stable. Pink fondant, however, often fades to grey/blue when exposed to light--even indirect light. The fading is worse in fluorescent light. It is my understanding that Wilton colors are water based and fade more dramatically than Americolors. I've tinted a ton of fondant pink using Americolors and never had a fading problem.

Rae

Well, the fondant that I used was white, it was however, Wiltons from the box. Could it have been the dust that I used?

Well, I'm stumped. I've never seen luster dust change from one color to another--or become color depleted from light or heat. I've seen it dry lighter, shinier, more pealized than it was wet and applied, but in general, the color stays essentially the same.

If this is the standard luster dust that comes in the little 2g pot with the hard-to-get-off plastic lid--some of mine say "Linnea's"--I think I'd take some fondant and paint it again using the same vodka. I'd let it dry inside and then I'd put it outside in the heat with indirect light (? under an umbrella or chair) and assess it's color right away--i.e. is it just so pearlized that the pink washes out in the sunlight-- then I'd check on it periodically to see what's happening. I'd also then take the sample back into the house and see what I felt about the color/change.

If the result is having no doubt that the color has changed, I'd:
1) return the dust to the store and ask for a replacement
2) contact the dust manufacturer, if I could find out the info, ask if they've had similar problems and ask for a replacement/refund
3) find another brand/supplier of luster dust and re-experiment
4)e-mail Colette Peters at colettescakes.com, share my predicament, and ask her to recommend a solution

Best of luck!
Rae

Thanks, I'm going to try experimenting like you said, with the elements. It is great to know that the color should not change or fade, and hopefully I just had a bad day or bad vodka. By the way, my jar does say Linneas.

I used a black, orange (mixed with wilton red brush on paint) petal dust and silver luster dust on fondant the other day for a birthday party at a pool it sat outside out of direct sunlight from about 11 am til 6 pm and nothing changed colors. I am so sorry to hear about your mishap, please let me know if you figure something out I would love to know.
Thanks
Jo

I also used lemon extract to mix the dusts instead of vodka. I have also been told everclear works great, but lemon extract seems to work well too

I agree, do the little experiment and see what happens, and if it fades, return it. That is wierd! I also never had luster dust fade on me, or change color.