#NOTSPONSORED: Why Is Everyone So Obsessed With This Maison Francis Kurkdjian Fragrance?
Photography: Danielle Gay
What’s the hype?
Every now and then a fragrance comes along that’s truly special. Over time, it goes from being a closeted cult secret to an icon. If you’re a total fragrance addict then Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 will not be news to you—it was released back in 2015. But if you’re a regular fragrance lover, it’s likely that you’ve only recently started seeing (and smelling) Baccarat Rouge 540 everywhere.
What I love the most about this fragrance is that when I wear it, I always get compliments. Without fail. I am not sure if I’m alone when I say that this is one of the reasons I wear fragrance. Let me tell you about some of those times…
A few months ago, I went to see Hamilton at the Sydney Lyric Theatre, and was stopped while trying to edge across the theatre aisle in the dark to find my seat by a woman who asked, “Oh my god, what fragrance are you wearing?”
More recently, I picnicked (thanks, Gladys) with a friend of mine, who I’d met a few years ago at pub trivia. We’d since created a permanent weekly trivia team but that was of course on hold due to the Covid-19 lockdowns in Greater Sydney. Anyway, when we caught up, he said: “Hey you smell like trivia!” Such was the unique olfactory experience of Baccarat Rouge 540—it had, for him, become the scent of our weekly trivia nights.
So what makes Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 so good that it literally stops people in the street?
Photography: Danielle Gay
Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540
The Sell: The fragrance was created by French fragrance house Maison Francis Kurkdjian to mark the 250th anniversary of French crystal house Baccarat, which is known for its chandeliers. The perfumers tried to capture what the ruby crystal—used in the chandeliers—would smell like, if it had a scent. They used notes of amber, jasmine and saffron and voilà.
The Price: $368 for 70ml EDP from Mecca.
The Review: What does a luxurious, glittering red crystal smell like? With one spray of this fragrance on your pulse points, you have your answer. Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 is incredibly unique. I’d describe the scent as complex. I think that’s why so many people ask me what I’m wearing—they can’t quite put their finger on it.
It has base notes of amber and cedar, so it’s technically a woody scent but there’s none of the musky, earthy or forest-floor notes that are present in a typical woody fragrance. Instead, jasmine floats across the skin as a top note, while hot, buttery saffron melts the fragrance into the skin.
A Baccarat Chandelier needs to be heated at 540 degrees celsius—that’s hot. And so is this fragrance. It’s romantic and sexy; warm and sweaty.
I am a signature scent girl, not a scent wardrobe girl, so finding one complex and unique scent was important to me. I have definitely found it in Baccarat Rouge 540—it’s long-wearing nature makes it a great signature scent because the fragrance doesn’t fade.
It’s expensive but this is an investment scent and a little goes a long, long way. It has sillage—a beautiful French word that basically means the olfactory trail of scent left behind from a perfume. Isn’t that divine?
The Score: 10/10. (Yep, it’s that good).
Comments
I came across Bacarrat In Paris in a small cafe. The scent washed over me like a soft rain and I had to have! The women wearing it floated by me in a Chanel suit and an Hermes bag. I felt like a typical American on holiday as I left my boyfriend eating a croissant as I chased her out the door. Excuse me I said to this beautiful creature. She smiled and in a soft French accent she said “Baccarat Rouge 540” and she turned and walked away like she had read my mind. I dashed back to my table and told my boyfriend I had to find this perfume. He googled it and announced it was $425. I said I don’t care I need to get it. Why he said puzzled? Because it smells like cotton candy! Well I’ll buy you cotton candy he laughed. I could not tell him that I met the love of my life at a county fair while I was buying cotton candy, He died a year later on my 16 th birthday in an accident. He was My first true love,Now at 40, in Paris with a great guy /I couldn’t tell him that I think of Mark all the time and this is a reminder of a love lost. I wear Baccarat every day and smile when I put it on. The guy I went to Paris with proposed on our trip there. I turned him down and he left me there & went home. I stayed the next 5 days smelling of cotton candy and happy I was confident enough to be alone in a city I loved
I don’t understand why Mr. KURKDJIAN releases new fragrances, when Baccarat Rouge is unrivaled and no other fragrance comes close to matching this fragrance?
This is one of the best perfume I've used in a while. The scent is so soft & energizing. I feel on top of the world Everytime I wear it. Gives me a lot compliments from friends & strangers..
I recently got one as a gift from a dear friend and to say the scent in consuming is an understatement. I literally hide mine before I go to work to avoid family members tampering www.glowyshoes.com
I may be the only human , well, and my man who DOES NOT like this scent. I don’t know what it is. I just do not like it. ! I’m so sorry
Yes, it is that good. And the best part, is I know wayyy more men that wear it than women. It's very much a unisex fragrance. It's not hyper masculine obviously, but a man can absolutely wear this gorgeous fragrance. I put it at my 2nd fav fragrance that I own.(and my wife owns. We have his & hers bottles) I've got it wedged between 2 all time great Creed frags...#3 Green Irish Tweed and Aventus takes the top spot but 540 is a good close 2nd.