Maison Francis Kurkdjian
Baccarat Rouge 540
Woody · EDP · 2015 · Francis Kurkdjian
The most discussed niche fragrance of the decade: saffron, burnt sugar, amber, musk. Glowing, almost molecular. It splits people hard. Some smell strawberry and caramel. Others smell rubbing alcohol and burnt sugar. The most cloned niche fragrance in the world.
Context
BR540 was made for the 250th anniversary of the Baccarat casino. The formula is small: saffron, jasmine, amber, cedar, musk. The result is larger than that list. It is transparent and saturated at the same time. The Extrait is denser, with less of the sugar.
On skin
The opening is saffron and jasmine. After 20 minutes burnt sugar and amber come forward. Longevity and projection are outstanding: 8 to 10 hours, and a radius past 2 metres in the first hours. The trail is why people love it and why people hate it. In heat the sweetness is suffocating.
The split, and the fakes
BR540 leads the clone market (Ariana Grande Cloud, and hundreds of “inspired by” bottles from Russia, Turkey, and Poland). The original has a clean base and real transparency. Clones are often dirtier and boozier. A decant is a requirement. About 30 percent of people do not read BR540 in a normal way. Some barely smell it. Some get a hospital.
Extrait and EDP
The Extrait is denser, sweeter, and longer, with quieter projection. The EDP is louder and sugarier. If you like BR540 and the sweetness gets in the way, try the Extrait. Decant both.
Verdict
A singular scent, and it deserves a wear. Do that wear from a decant. Value is average because of the price and because decent “inspired by” bottles are easy to find. If you buy a bottle, do it after a week on a decant.
Scores
Notes
Top
- Saffron
- Jasmine
Heart
- Amberwood
- Ambergris
Base
- Musk
- Amber
- Cedar
Before a bottle
Ask for 2 to 10 ml. Wear it three times on your own skin. A blotter will not tell you what hour four smells like.
Request a decant
