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Not every perfume is love at first sniff.
When I first smelled Baccarat Rouge 540 in a department store, I was very repulsed by it. I just wasn’t expecting how sweet it was, I only smelled it from the cap and didn’t even bother testing it on a strip.
I went back to the store another time, but this time round I sprayed a few sprays on the testing strip and brought it home. I hung the strip on a display rack in my hallway. The first couple of weeks the hallway was just filled with the perfume, still very sweet but it made you feel like you are in the cloud of cotton candy, it’s a very happy trail. Two weeks later, while the scent died down a bit but anyone who walked past the rack would still be able to smell it. Through this experiment, I became more intrigued! I love a perfume that has enormous longevity and this one is by far the most powerful. I then proceeded with getting some samples to test on my skin, as you know sometimes perfume can react differently on the skin than just a testing strip, so I wanted to see it for myself. Needless to say, I fell in love with it and had to get a full bottle.
Here’s a quick review:
Packaging
This came in a standard white cardboard box and then once you open it, you get another hard case box which allows you to slide out the part where the perfume sits. The exterior packaging feels luxurious but striking a good balance between ‘bling’ and understated elegance.
Onto the bottle itself, it’s a very weighted glass bottle which feels nice in the hand when you are holding it. It has an equally substantial golden cap which the logo embossed on top. The spritzer is good, it doesn’t dispense the perfume too light and fine like you don’t even know if anything comes out, nor it hits your skin like a jetwash. Overall, everything is designed with attention to detail in a very French considered manner. There’s nothing that screams over-the-top extravagant, in a good way.
Concept
Baccarat Rouge 540 came into being in 2014 when Kurkdjian was approached by the iconic crystal maker Baccarat to create a limited edition fragrance to celebrate its 250th anniversary. For his inspiration, Kurkdijan looked to the house’s signature red crystal which was achieved by adding 24Kt gold powder to the crystal and then heated up at 540F. Only 250 bottles were available for that release at the price of 3000 Euros. A year later, this perfume was released under Maison Francis Kurkdijan at a much more affordable price by comparison but still a luxury item.
Scent
Top Notes: Jasmine, Saffron, Orange, Marigold
Heart Notes: Ambroxan, Ethyl Maltol
Base Notes: Cedarwood, Ambergris and Fir Balsam
Luminous and sophisticated, Baccarat Rouge 540 lays on the skin like an amber, floral and woody breeze. A poetic alchemy. A graphic and highly condensed signature.
This perfume can easily sit in multiple genres: oriental, floral, woody and gourmand. The opening is a little polarising as you almost need that initial 5 mins to get settled in, then you start to smell the sweetness of the perfume. Yes, a lot of people have mentioned that it’s reminiscent to burnt caramelised sugar or cotton candy. I personally don’t detect the jasmine much. The sweetness definitely comes from Saffron and Orange all blended together seamlessly with Ethyl Maltol There’s a definite Ambroxan which gives the dry amber musky feel but then the ambergris accord provides a more skin-like salty oceany vibe. If I was going to describe the scent profile in a dessert, then it’s be salted caramel sauce hot poured over a minty ice-cream. It feels so sweet, warm and cosy but at the same time salty, light and airy.
This is a perfume that’s perfect for cold weather because it hugs you in, like a soft cashmere jumper wrapped around you but at the same time, you still get a little breeze through the fabric from time to time. Equally, it works just as well for warmer weather because it has a transparent quality that doesn’t feel heavy or dense.
The overall scent profile I don’t think it changes much over the course of the day, there aren’t any distinct layers to unfold i.e you are not going to find the notes unveiled as the perfume is drying down. However, I don’t think this is linear either. It’s quite elusive actually, one minute you can’t tell if you are wearing it, next you get a whiff to remind you that you are the one smelling nice around here and every time you seem to pick up a slightly different nuance – you know it’s similar but not the same.
On me, it typically lasts about a good 10 – 12 hours+, and as for projection, the sillage, it’s big and leaves a very lovely trail. I remember one time, a gentleman wore this and walked into the elevator, of course, this scent just filled up space but even long after he left, it still lingered. As intense as it seems, the good thing about this perfume is that you will smell the same intensity whether you are closeby or 2 feet away, i.e. you won’t become overbearing just because someone is right next to you. One thing to note, this is really not for heavy spraying, you need 2 to 2.5 sprays at the most. I usually do 2 on the sides of my neck, 0.5 spray shared on both wrists.
Is this an unisex perfume? I think it truly adapts to the wearer’s body chemistry. When I smell it on myself, I see this as a fairly feminine perfume but when I smell it on a man, it gives off a more masculine tone. This is not a perfume you should blind buy, I’d recommend getting a sample and see if it works for you first.
Do you have a favourite Maison Francis Kurkdjian perfume? 💕
Available: £200/70ml