Hey guys! Kayden here! Today, I’ll be reviewing my favourite perfume, Baccarat Rouge 540 (BR540).
Let’s start off with a brief introduction. Baccarat Rouge 540 by Maison Francis Kurkdjian (MFK) is a niche fragrance catered for both men and women. Top notes are jasmine, saffron; middle notes are amber wood and ambergris; base notes are fir resin and cedar. It is composed by Francis Kurkdjian and released in 2015.
Scent:
On the first sniff, I was completely blown out of the water by this ultra-luxurious and sexy-smelling fragrance. It smells just like crushed rubies. Yes, those delicate and expensive red rubies. It was only a few months later I realized what this scent is inspired by as I was walking past a candy store. It smells like cotton candy! But this one smells like cotton candy sprinkled with crushed rubies 😀
On my skin, this fragrance opens up sweet and slightly spicy, possibly due to the saffron. When first trying out this fragrance, it may seem very sweet and unsuitable for the hot weather. Even quite a few fragrance reviewers made this mistake a while ago only to realize that they made a mistake. Yes, this fragrance is sweet, especially if you put your nose too close to your skin. However, its sweetness is very airy and transparent, unlike the dense sweetness that will get cloying during the hotter days (One million by Paco Rabanne).
Throughout its lifetime, this fragrance stays pretty linear. This means that it will smell almost the same from the start till the end. However, this is not necessarily a bad thing, especially for this fragrance. More often than not, perfumes are designed in a way that the top notes are the ones that capture the attention of their audience and it is the determining factor for many consumers. If a perfume stays the same way which led you to the purchase, isn’t it wonderful?
Longevity & Projection:
Baccarat Rouge is beast mode in both categories! It lasts the whole day and if you happen to spray your shirt, it will not come off until you wash it. Sometimes you even need 2 washes! That’s how powerful this fragrance is, which may be a good thing for those looking for attention or who want to smell great the entire day but bad for fragrance enthusiasts who want to wear several fragrances a day. Projection is very powerful as well. 2 sprays and someone can smell you from across the room. My advice is not to go with more than 3 sprays.
Seasons & Occasions:
This is a signature-worthy scent as it can be worn year-round. Despite being sweet, it is not cloying due to its transparent nature. Occasions-wise, I feel that this is a date-night scent because it is sweet, luxurious, and sexy. It can be worn to parties as well because it is just so loud that others’ wearing One Million and Ultra Male will not be able to cover over your scent. Lastly, you can wear this casually if you dress up a little.
Please do not wear this fragrance to the gym or the beach. A clean and fresher fragrance would suit those scenarios more. In addition, I do not recommend wearing this to work as it may annoy your peers, especially in an enclosed air conditioning space.
Are you looking for a gentlemen scent as well? Read our Tom Ford Fougere D’argent review!
