Baccarat Rouge 540 is probably one of the most talked-about niche fragrances along the same line as Creed Aventus so it’s really famous and it’s also very expensive.
I wanted to share with you my thoughts as to whether it is worth the investment or whether we should go for more affordable alternatives.
What does baccarat rouge 540 smell like
Before Baccarat Rouge, there were no unique fragrances like this. This scent is really abstract and complex at the same time. It is light but really dense, it smells a little bit sweet, a bit musky. It reminds me of the sweet sugar that has been melted on top of candy apples that is the effect that I get from this fragrance.
This perfume is extremely long-lasting. The quality of the ingredients in this fragrance they’re super tenacious and this will last over 12 hours on your skin. This perfume is very much associated with class and status, as it’s very luxurious. It isn’t the cheapest fragrance it goes for $300 for 70 ml and that’s also why I think that people enjoy buying this perfume now.
Here’s a list of top dupes for Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540
What Smells Similar to Baccarat?
1. Burberry Her Eau de Parfum
The first dupe is Burberry Her Eau de Parfum by Burberry. This is the original Burberry Her there have been two versions since it launched. This is the original one that resembles the baccarat rouge 540 most.
So what does it smell like? The notes in here are crushed berries, there’s jasmine, violet, some woods, and musk.
How does it compare to baccarat rouge? Well, it opens very much more floral, it’s lighter, it doesn’t have the density the fullness of rouge 540. The sweetness in Burberry her is very berry-like and also powdery. It reminds me a little bit of the love hearts candy that you would give to Valentine’s Day or something. That is a kind of powdery sweetness that I get from this fragrance. On the skin this powdery feel enhances, that’s where it deviates a lot from baccarat rouge 540.
2. Ariana Grande Cloud Eau de Parfum Spray
This dupe is very famous because it is significantly more affordable. This perfume goes for $50-70 for 100ml, so you can see the interest in this fragrance. This is a celebrity perfume but celebrity perfumes aren’t always your super cheap smelling sweet fragrances. Cloud by Ariana actually won a radiance award that is how good this fragrance is.
So how does it smell? This perfume opens with bergamot, pear, lavender, coconut, whipped cream, woods, and musk. When I spray this fragrance on the blotter, I immediately got a tropical vibe from it. It’s coconut laced with exotic fruits perhaps pineapple (even though pineapple isn’t listed in the notes). I get a sort of that Pina Colada feels from this fragrance. In that aspect, it’s very different from baccarat rouge 540.
This perfume is also very creamy however it does share this density that baccarat rouge has. So in that aspect, is quite similar especially when you test it on your skin. This perfume is definitely sweeter than baccarat rouge. It is less layered and less complex.
This fragrance is also highly addictive, when I sprayed it on my arm all I wanted to do was smell it over and over again. Which is also a similar characteristic that I have when I smell rouge 540.
3. All Saints Sunset Riot
All Saints is an apparel brand and this fragrance is super affordable. It goes for $79 for 100ml. This fragrance in terms of complexity and in terms of having that effect of lightness and density at the same time is super close to baccarat rouge 540.
This fragrance has notes of orange flowers, cedarwood, and pink pepper. It opens much fresher than baccarat rouge. There is a certain freshness & lightness. It’s also more floral, I get a little bit of neroli and perhaps a tad of citrus. Overall it’s a little bit more transparent but it does replicate as I mentioned this lightness that rouge 540 has.
The longevity is really good on this perfume as well, it’s not as long-lasting as baccarat 540. This fragrance lasts maybe six-seven hours.
4. Tinharé by Le Couvent des Minimes
This dupe in my opinion is a 10 out of 10 in terms of how it recreates the overall effect of baccarat rouge, how it wears, and just how close it is in terms of smell. It isn’t the cheapest of juice it goes for $120 per 100 ml. Nonetheless, it is significantly cheaper than rouge 540.
I think this is the best baccarat rouge 540 alternative because when you spray this fragrance it has a similar duality that the rouge 540 has. The dense and light airiness is what I get from this fragrance. Also in Tinharé, the sweetness is the closest to baccarat (the sweetness that I described before as a hard surface of sugar that covers the candy apple).
I have also tested it on my skin, and let me tell you this is super long-lasting. It lasted at least eight hours on my skin!
Things you should know before buying baccarat rouge 540
- There are many clones out there that smell exactly like this rouge. For example, would be Ariana grande’s cloud or Burberry Her. The performance and smell of this scent is equal to Baccarat Rouge for about one-tenth of the price.
- This is a molecule-based fragrance. So this does not have a tremendous amount of natural ingredients. There are fragrances I have a lot of natural ingredients like Bleu de Chanel (grapefruit, patchouli) or Ambre Nuit (tobacco, patchouli). These perfumes are loaded with natural ingredients but just because a brand or a fragrance doesn’t use a lot of natural ingredients doesn’t mean they have cheap ingredients.
So it’s not bad if a fragrance has fewer natural ingredients. It’s about the perfect blend of everything however you should know Rouge is mostly is a molecule-based fragrance.
Conclusion
If you want to have a cosy second-skin type of fragrance with immense performance and you are willing to spend the money. You want to have a versatile fragrance and you’re not angry that it doesn’t have a lot of natural ingredients and you’re not angry that many people wear it. Then I clearly again suggest you buy baccarat 540 as a sexy fragrance for men and women.
