Is Baccarat Rouge Worth It

Let me tell you a little story about this perfume. And it’s a lesson in just buying the damn thing when it’s all you can think about it. And also growing a pair of balls I suppose. Let’s dive in.

I ran into an old friend I used to cocktail waitress with years ago at Bloomingdales one day. She always smelled good, it was her thing. Her perfume game was strong and you always would ask what she’s wearing.

And that day was no different. I asked her what she was wearing per usual because it was intoxicatingly good. When she told me I quickly did a Google search.

It was Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 perfume for $350.

Was she insane? She was always into nicer perfumes but I just couldn’t fathom spending that on a single small bottle. I was more of a $100 perfume kind of gal. I was annoyed, I wanted it, but I just couldn’t spend the money on it.

Fast forward a couple more years and I’m at a spin class. There’s this woman who is always in my same class, I see her all the time. She’s clearly loaded by the jewelry, the shoes and the bags she always wears.

And what do you know, she smells just like my friend did at Bloomingdales that day. I was pretty sure it was the same perfume. But something about this woman’s presence made me not want to ever ask her what she was wearing.

This is odd for someone like me. I’m usually the first to tell you your cat eye looks fantastic, or you smell amazing what is that? I’m a big complimenter to strangers. But for whatever reason, I just couldn’t do it.

It had been so long since I had seen my friend in Bloomingdales that I totally forgot the name of the perfume. I had to text her to confirm what it was. Once she sent through “Baccarat Rouge” and I Googled it yet again, I did the same thing I did years prior and just stared at the price tag and talked myself out of it. Again.

Fast forward a few more years…

Then fast forward another year or two, and guess what EVERYONE is talking about on TikTok? The Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 perfume. Which dupes to get for a similar scent and how much people are obsessed with it. Everyone’s wearing it, literally everyone. Once you smell it you’ll know because it takes over a space with its incredible smell and you will start to notice it everywhere you go.

I could’ve been ahead of the curve, which is where I prefer to be on stuff like this, but I was now behind. Rarely do I ever regret NOT buying something. It’s typically the other way around. So I finally had to get my hands on it.

Spending $325 on a 2.4 fl oz bottle of perfume is a commitment. So I decided to wait until my month in Paris so I can do one of two things. First, treat myself and wear it while I was in Paris. I thought it would be a nice way to have this smell remind me of Paris, genius, right?

However, the joke was on me. You can’t open stuff you want your VAT back on because they may check it. A rare instance, but something I was not worth risking with a 12% VAT refund. Even though I never opened it, it was one of my favorite things I bought while I was in Paris.

And two, it was significantly cheaper to buy it in France. Between the exchange rate at the time, getting VAT back and not having to pay the US price that includes customs and taxes and so on (it’s only 215 euros), I only had to shell out a little under $200. A steal if you ask me.

Now that I have the perfume in my possession, and it’s now open so I can spritz myself with it before heading out the door, I can confidently say this splurge was 100% worth it. The Maison Francis Baccarat Rouge smells like no other perfume I’ve ever tried. Sure there are dupes, but nothing compares. And nothing lasts quite like this.

Is Baccarat Rouge Worth It?

One of the reasons why I love Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 is that it lasts for what feels like EVER. My seatbelt permanently smells like it. And anytime I play with my best friend’s dog, she reminds me days later that “Bowie still smells like you”.

I also only spray one spray. I used to be a multi-sprayer. But at $200 a bottle, really $325, there was no way in hell I was going to be liberal with the sprays! I wanted to make this bottle last. And last it shall.

What Are The Scent Notes Of Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540

The thing that sets Baccarat Rouge 540 perfume apart from others, is the complex, warm yet slightly sweet scent. Baccart Rouge has notes of jasmine, saffron, cedarwood and ambergris.

Funny because I hate all jasmine scents except the jasmine plant itself. I have never thrown out a candle so fast than when I was gifted a jasmine scented one. Goodbye, it’s horrible. So if any of these scents turn you off, I urge you to just try it.

And don’t just smell it out of the bottle. I had my friends do this in Saks one day to show them the splurge I couldn’t seem to justify and needed their moral support to splurge. They both said “I don’t get it”. Yet now when I wear it around them, it’s the first thing they say when I get in their car “ooh are you wearing that Paris perfume”. You bet I am.

Where To Buy Baccarat Rouge 540

You can buy the Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 perfume at any major high end department store. From Saks, to Nordstrom and Bloomingdales to name a few.

Shop directly at Maison Francis Kukdjian as well to shop their entire collection of fragrances, lotions and even candles. Sometimes at Saks you can snag this at a slight discount during their sales. But haven’t ever seen that at Nordstrom or Bloomingdales.

Which Baccart Rouge 540 perfume should you buy? There are a few options, but honestly, the eau du parfum is all you need. I have the 2.4 fl oz bottle and it’s the perfect size. I also really love the body lotion if you want to just test the waters with the scent.

The Baccarat Rouge 540 Extrait de Parfum is a more potent (and much more expensive) option. The eau du parfum is already quite concentrated in smell and longevity that I don’t think there’s any need to spend even more money on such a lux fragrance.

The Best Baccarat Rouge Dupes

I get it, spending $325, hell even $215 if you try my crazy Europe hack, is a lot of money on a perfume. If you’re not ready to commit to the price tag, there are a few really good dupes you may want to try.

Ariana Grande Cloud eu de Parfum

This is a very good dupe of the Baccarat Rouge. I once asked someone if they were wearing Baccarat and she was so thrilled to tell me NO and that it was Ariana Grande Cloud. It’s definitely a little sweeter. But it has a very similar vibe and is a fraction of the price.

I wear this and Ariana Grande’s God Is A Woman which is kind of similar but different. They definitely don’t last as long as Baccarat Rouge but a great option as a substitute.

Sweven by OAKCHA

The notes on the Sweven perfume by OAKCHA are very similar to that of Baccarat Rouge. It also has jasmine, saffron, cedarwood and ambergris. It also has notes of fir balsam for a more masculine earthy scent.

OAKCHA prides itself on this perfume, or cologne considering it’s unisex, is inspired directly by the Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 perfume. And it’s only $60.