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Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 ~ fragrance review

Posted by Angela on 8 February 2016 52 Comments

Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540

Hey big spender, how about a bottle of Baccarat Rouge 540 for 3,000 euros? I didn’t think so. It’s a gorgeous bottle, quilted with light-shifting facets, something that would be right at home on Rita Hayworth’s dressing table. But, good grief. For that kind of money, I’d expect it to get up and shake martinis.

Okay, how about this? Swap out the bottle and put the perfumer, Francis Kurkdjian, on the label, and it’s a mere $300 for 70 ml. Now we’re talking.

Baccarat Rouge 540 was first released last year as a Baccarat exclusive, then offered this year as part of Maison Francis Kurkdjian. The fragrance is the same. Kurkdjian lists the notes simply as jasmine, saffron, ambergris and cedar. I like Baccarat’s list of notes, which feels spot-on: blood orange, ambergris, cedar, oak moss, lavender and sage. Kurkjian classifies it as a woody-floral. To me, Baccarat Rouge 540 is a strange amalgam, at times gourmand or woody floral or fougère.

Baccarat Rouge opens sticky sweet, like sucking on a high-end blood orange Jolly Rancher. At first, the sugar put me off. Too sugared. But the texture, with salty amber and effervescent jasmine intrigued me. After a moment, the jasmine steps up its volume, and raw cedar — not so much as to recall the woodpile, but just enough to give the fragrance a definite woody feel — takes over Baccarat Rouge’s heart. Sure, it’s still sweet, but the round, scratchy, fizzy texture is interesting enough to keep me engaged.

Humming under the sweet jasmine-cedar heart is, at first, the idea of the ocean. It’s salty and clean and fresh. Then it veers scarily toward the calone-soaked Calvin Klein Escape (maybe the sweet orange plus lavender?) before righting itself into a sweet citrus fougère. As the jasmine fades a few hours later (ta-ta lovely jasmine!) Baccarat Rouge smells more traditionally masculine, although more Scarlet Pimpernel than Chuck Norris.

What I like about Baccarat Rouge is how it feels simple — sugar orange, jasmine, cedar, lavender — but how it queerly shifts its texture and approach as it wears on skin. The transitions could be four different short stories that somehow make sense when read in order. The stories are Blood Orange Syrup, Orange-Jasmine-Cedar, Jasmine-Cedar-Ocean, and Lavender-Sage. Each story could be its own perfume, but they work as a whole.

My guess is that not a lot of people will love Baccarat Rouge 540. Its turn of sweet to woody-floral to fougère might put people off, no matter how fascinating the textural changes. I’m not sure I’d wear it much if I had a bottle. But it sure is fun to sample.

Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 Eau de Parfum is $300 for 70 ml. For information on where to buy it, see Maison Francis Kurkdjian under Perfume Houses.

Possibly of interest

Maison Francis Kurkdjian Kurky ~ new fragrance
Maison Francis Kurkdjian APOM ~ new fragrance
Maison Francis Kurkdjian Reflets d’ambre ~ new fragrance

Filed Under: perfume talk
Tagged With: baccarat, maison francis kurkdjian

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52 Comments

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  1. AnnS says:
    8 February 2016 at 2:26 pm

    I bought you this instead of a ring. Marry me?

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    • Angela says:
      8 February 2016 at 2:41 pm

      You might get a yes from some folks with the Baccarat bottle!

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      • AnnS says:
        8 February 2016 at 6:22 pm

        Em, *this* is a persuasive Baccarat bottle….

        http://www.amazon.com/Annick-Goutal-Jamais-Baccarat-Crystal/dp/B004FR398Y/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top?ie=UTF8

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        • Angela says:
          8 February 2016 at 7:25 pm

          It comes with its own altar!

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        • gvillecreative says:
          8 February 2016 at 9:04 pm

          Holy smokes. That really *is* a persuasive bottle.

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          • Angela says:
            8 February 2016 at 9:38 pm

            I don’t know why everything doesn’t come packaged like that. Eggs, celery, socks, …

    • C.H. says:
      8 February 2016 at 3:46 pm

      Will never forget this Hairpin article for the writer who mentions how instead of an engagement ring, she got an engagement horse: http://thehairpin.com/2012/08/ask-ladies-about-engagement-rings/

      Can imagine there are some of us here who’d gladly accept an engagement perfume! 😉

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      • Angela says:
        8 February 2016 at 5:49 pm

        What does it mean when the horse dies (or perfume is used up, I guess)? Maybe another horse.

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        • C.H. says:
          8 February 2016 at 6:16 pm

          I know–or for that matter, horses are not like dogs, one doesn’t even necessarily keep a horse for its whole lifespan! What if you need to sell your engagement horse?! It is a lot of pressure. But, I’m pretty indifferent to jewelry so I’d still take the tradeoff I think 🙂

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          • Angela says:
            8 February 2016 at 7:26 pm

            Well, a horse is a lot more fun than a ring.

  2. JadainGA says:
    8 February 2016 at 2:35 pm

    I’d wager that I would like this one! I like sweets….but only sweets that are interesting! 🙂

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    • Angela says:
      8 February 2016 at 2:42 pm

      Like I said, it was fun to try–if you even get the chance to sample it, go for it! For sweetness these days, Amouage Journey Woman is filling the ticket.

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      • JadainGA says:
        8 February 2016 at 2:46 pm

        I’m all about sampling…..almost NEVER about full bottles! LOL Limited budget = fun with samples!

        Will have to try both of these, next time I get an itch to hit up Luckyscent! 🙂

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        • Angela says:
          8 February 2016 at 3:15 pm

          I love how you make a great thing out of a limited budget!

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      • Lovestosmellgood says:
        8 February 2016 at 3:27 pm

        So nice to find another person who loves Journey Woman. One of my favorites. I hope for my wallets sake, that JW will be the last FB I will buy.

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        • Lovestosmellgood says:
          8 February 2016 at 3:28 pm

          I should clarify-from the house of Amouage, not last full bottle ever! HA

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          • C.H. says:
            8 February 2016 at 3:32 pm

            Hahahaha my heart stopped for a second there!

          • Angela says:
            8 February 2016 at 5:50 pm

            Whew! Good save.

        • Angela says:
          8 February 2016 at 5:50 pm

          I found it online at a hefty discount. It’s good to know they’re out there if an Amouage takes you by the neck.

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  3. C.H. says:
    8 February 2016 at 3:41 pm

    This has got to be one of the most fascinating releases to me, not (I’m sorry to say) because I think the juice is very good but because people seem to have such widely varying experiences with it! How very curious! So… for whatever my data point can be worth, I’ll say I didn’t get ANY of this evolution, nor did it seem so very sugary at the top–I find it lightly sweet throughout, a consistent (linear) and pleasing if mildly unremarkable, barely-there jasmine-cedar fragrance, and after about three hours it was gone. I’d initially focused on the weight of Baccarat crystal + the deep red hue of the label, and felt very disappointed the juice didn’t have heft to match–but having now seen a video emphasizing the “crystalline” quality, I can see the connection better and am willing to say wearing it was reasonably enjoyable. Maybe would do again if I owned a bottle, but that will certainly not come to pass!

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    • Angela says:
      8 February 2016 at 5:52 pm

      You didn’t get all that lavender and sage in the dry down? It sounds like I had a better experience with it. (I should add that I dabbed it from a sample vial, not sprayed it, if that makes a difference.)

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      • C.H. says:
        8 February 2016 at 6:13 pm

        I mean now I want to give it a second test! And I did spray so maybe that accounts for some of the difference… but in any case yeah in my spray test, it just did its sheer jasmine-cedar thing for a while, and then it was gone. It’s mysterious. I’ve also heard others find it MUCH sweeter than I do, and/or, find it gone completely in 30 minutes! Curiouser and curiouser… 😉

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        • Angela says:
          8 February 2016 at 7:27 pm

          I’m constantly amazed at what one person’s skin can do to a fragrance compared to someone else’s skin, too.

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          • C.H. says:
            8 February 2016 at 8:59 pm

            It has been so fun to finally have some local perfumista friends because watching–smelling–this in action in side-by-side tests is wild.

          • Angela says:
            8 February 2016 at 9:38 pm

            I love my perfumista friends, too.

  4. annemarie says:
    8 February 2016 at 4:44 pm

    I’ve seen the marketing but paid scant attention and assumed it was a rose fragrance. Wrongetty wrong, I now find. Any idea what the ‘540’ is about?

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    • C.H. says:
      8 February 2016 at 4:50 pm

      Evidently it is the temperature in degrees centigrade required to achieve the signature red in Baccarat crystal! (Personally I did not know until now Baccarat had a signature red but there you are.) I guess the bottles of the perfume that are actually Baccarat crystal came with a pipette in this red. More details here: http://us.baccarat.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-bct_us-Site/en_US/HubPage-WOB?cid=parfum_celebration

      It does seem like rather a stretch when the perfume is sold… not in a Baccarat bottle. But what do I know.

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      • Angela says:
        8 February 2016 at 5:53 pm

        Thank you for the info! I had no idea there was a signature Baccarat red, either.

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      • annemarie says:
        9 February 2016 at 5:18 am

        Thanks, that’s a lovely film. Glass making is wonderful to watch. I had to smile at this though:

        “As a tribute to the illustrious House colour, a red crystal pipette is provided with each bottle to place a few precious drops of this legendary perfume behind the ears.”

        Behind the ears? I’d be a danger to myself with that pipette, poking myself in the ear every time.

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        • Angela says:
          9 February 2016 at 10:14 am

          It doesn’t really feel like a “behind the ears” fragrance, either, if you know what I mean. It’s more a “spray after shower” short of thing.

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    • Angela says:
      8 February 2016 at 5:53 pm

      I figured it was a rose, too! It’s definitely not rose.

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  5. mals86 says:
    8 February 2016 at 5:29 pm

    I generally do well with FK’s stuff… but I Don’t Do Fougere. (I like them, just not on ME. Feels like wearing Y-fronts, without the proper equipment for them.)

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    • Angela says:
      8 February 2016 at 5:54 pm

      Hilarious!

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    • Oakland Fresca says:
      8 February 2016 at 6:59 pm

      My thoughts exactly and could not have explained it so eloquently!

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      • Angela says:
        8 February 2016 at 7:28 pm

        Agreed!

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  6. Ede97005 says:
    8 February 2016 at 11:04 pm

    The Baccarat price is like a downpayment on a small house or apartment here in PDX! Yikes!

    I already have a Jolly Rancher like scent ! It’s called Wasabi+Pear Body and Soul spray. It smells like a mouthwatering candy, with a sort of salt skin finish. It’s fresh.

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    • Angela says:
      9 February 2016 at 10:14 am

      …And I bet it’s not $3,000.

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      • Ede97005 says:
        9 February 2016 at 1:03 pm

        Oh, friend I think I paid like $13 for it at TJ Maxx in Beaverton. I am kicking myself for mot buying two!

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        • Angela says:
          9 February 2016 at 8:26 pm

          That’s a heck of a deal.

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  7. Annikky says:
    9 February 2016 at 1:55 pm

    I’m late, but wanted to say that this sounds fascinating. Will definitely give it a go.

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    • Angela says:
      9 February 2016 at 8:26 pm

      I’d love to know what you think of it!

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  8. ajax says:
    12 January 2017 at 1:33 pm

    I don’t find the sweetness on me even though I’m searching for it. On my skin it begins smelling medicinal (like Betadine I think) and (dirty gray) salt air. I’m 3 hours in without a real change to this profile. I’m enjoying it very much.

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    • Angela says:
      12 January 2017 at 6:58 pm

      Fabulous! And it’s much more affordable these days than in the Baccarat bottle.

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  9. ajax says:
    13 January 2017 at 1:50 pm

    And even more affordable in the decant vial!
    Cheers

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    • Angela says:
      13 January 2017 at 9:47 pm

      Hurray for decants!

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  10. hstallo says:
    16 March 2017 at 6:05 pm

    Initially, I abhorred what I (affectionately) coined the cotton candy, cigarette smoke, bacon, leather perfume…

    I was given a sample in a birthday package, and since the contents were to be shared between me and my Mother, I opted out of this sample in particular and chose Amethyst… I did spritz my wrist lightly with 540, but just couldn’t get down with it.

    Hours later, probably 5, I couldn’t remove my nose from my wrist. I still didn’t love the 540… but I was already strangely addicted to punishing myself with it. Fast forward to today and I find that I have begun to hoard the tiny sample bottles… for shame… I have fallen head over heels for this fragrance and I still don’t know why… it’s sweet and sticky, it’s tanned animal flesh, and greasy fried pig belly, it is late nights at a bar, and a croupey smoker’s cough, and I LOVE IT! I’m Hillary, and I’m a 540 user… don’t judge me. We all have our vices.

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    • Angela says:
      16 March 2017 at 9:34 pm

      I’ll never judge you for falling for a perfume that mystifies you! That’s one of the most rewarding things about perfumistahood: finding love and intrigue from a scent that isn’t pretty.

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  11. Owen says:
    12 January 2018 at 11:52 am

    one of the sales team at Harvey Nichols introduced me to this line today. they told Francis Kurkdjian is the creator of Juliette Has A Gun perfumes, of which I’m also a fan. so far rouge 540 is the only one of Kurkdjian’s own line that I’ve sniffed, but by God did I fall for it, absolutely head over heels! and then it broke my heart when I saw the price :'( so I wondered if anybody knows of other sweet and interesting gourmand perfumes similar to this for a more reasonable price? at the moment I couldn’t stomach paying nearly £200 for 70ml

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    • Angela says:
      12 January 2018 at 10:57 pm

      I hope someone chimes in with an answer, but in the meantime I hope you’re able to buy a decant of it somewhere! It’s heartbreaking to fall in love with a perfume outside your budget.

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      • Owen says:
        14 January 2018 at 7:25 am

        thanks, Angela 🙂 this literally smells perfect to me, like liquid gold. so I may come round from my shock and start saving for a bottle.

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    • Jenni G says:
      8 December 2018 at 11:27 pm

      Ariana Grande’s newest, Cloud, smells incredibly similar to BR 540. Couldn’t get over it when I tested Cloud at local Ulta. Closest main-stream dupe on the market. $60 USD for 100ml.

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      • Angela says:
        8 December 2018 at 11:57 pm

        Nice tip! I haven’t smelled that one yet.

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