Description
The most famous house that manufactures crystal, Baccarat, is celebrating its 250th birthday in 2014 and launching a limited edition perfume called Rouge 540. The number 540 indicates the temperature needed to achieve the red color of Baccarat crystal.
The floral-woody-amber composition is signed by perfumer Francis Kurkdjian. The fragrance is announced as both “luminous, dense” and “transparent and intense.” It includes notes of blood orange, citrus peel, lavender, sage, hedione molecule, saffron, ambergris, white oak moss and ancient woods.
“I wanted to create a graphic fragrance with a formula that was taut and compact in the extreme,” says Francis Kurkdjian.
The bottle was designed in the 1940s by Georges Chevalier, who was the creative director of the house from 1916 to the 1970s. The Rouge 540 bottle is a monumental crystal spiral weighing 500 grams and comprising 160 facets: 96 on the bottle, 64 on the stopper.
Only 250 bottles of 100 ml Eau de Parfum are available at the price of 3000 Euros.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyXjWguyymU&rel=0
Diabet7777 – :
Enticed by the SelfBlurbs and positive reviews, I went out of my way to procure a costly sample. I expected magnificence.
Now, after one lengthy try only: this smells to me like a very very rich, very very expensive red velvet cake. Try before you buy.
hotboy – :
Why is this fragrance so strong? It’s too much! I don’t mind the overall scent blend, but some friends were so averse to me wearing this that I thought they were going to kill me and throw me into a dumpster. Rouge 540 really is too aggressive and cloying to wear in a public space. As one of the reviewers mentioned, you may have to “decontaminate” yourself for the sake of others, if not yourself.
Anastasia13 – :
I received a sample of this in a mini-swap with the very kind Tigerlillian. She saw that it was on my want list and graciously included a 3ml travel spray of this.
What I perceive above all else is aromatic lavender, immediately reminiscent of Tom Ford’s discontinued Lavender Palm but in the far deydown becomes something akin to LUSH Dirty. And together with the other notes, it comes across as cool geranium which is curious because geranium is not listed amongst the notes. I get none of the citrus nor any ambergris. It was on my want list for quite awhile and I surmise that I originally placed it there for the promise of ambergris, one of my top 5 most beloved notes.
It is altogether herbal and cold cold cold. Reviewer doxology likened it to sweaty armpits and curiously enough I do understand the association but it is not offensive to me on that front. To like or not to like? I go back and forth. I find it actually leaning more masculine but that has never deterred me wearing a scent if I like it.
I spritzed ONCE on my shoulder in the evening. All throughout the following day I could still smell it all the way to bedtime. It tenaciously held its own though I had generously sprayed LUSH Lust as my fragrance du jour. That is no small feat so I feel that the high price is justified. Ultimately I don’t need a full bottle though.
volkmelih – :
I got a sample of this from Luckyscent on the strength of that other Baccarat comet, Les Larmes Sacrées de Thebes. My expectations were high.
Armpits again. Hairy, unmoderated armpits in Tunguska mode. Gone to the bin, in several layers of ziplocked bags. I must be hyper-susceptible to whatever that note is, as I don’t see anybody else complaining. If you do like it, pls don’t wear it in an elevator or theatre.
The bottle might be collectible, once decontaminated.
WebStudioBlog – :
I was fortunate enough to first encounter ‘Baccarat Rouge 540’ while vacationing in New York City in the summer of 2015. Walking down Madison Avenue in July’s stifling heat, I came across the beautiful Baccarat boutique and sought refuge in its air conditioned milieu. Gleaming crystal pieces adorned the storefront, sparkling in the afternoon sunlight and enticing passersby to stop and take a closer gaze. Despite all the amazing glassworks around me, my sights immediately fell upon the ‘Baccarat Rouge 540’ bottle on display, its heart of precious amber liquid calling out for me to experience. With the help of a gracious sales associate, I was suddenly able to deeply inhale the scent of this precious creation which I had been so longing to meet. The attraction was immediate, and well worth the wait. Instantly I was transfixed by the delicate opening scent of citrus peels with blood orange being most prominent. There was an effervescent effect present, as if a champagne cork had just been released. Included hedione (a synthetic jasmine-like note) helps to further add to the scintillating quality of the composition. I felt there was a sugary development as the scent transformed on my skin. It drew visions of artfully spun sugar works, which themselves resemble edible crystalline confections. Later one is embraced with earthy nuances of saffron, while ambergris provides a flinty minerality.
‘Baccarat Rouge 540’ is one of Mr. Kurkdjian’s most transcendent works to date. Its an abstract vision into the world of crystal making. The fragrance is airy and transparent in tone, symbolizing the fragility of its subject matter while paradoxically still maintaining an enduring denseness. As an “eau de parfum” its sillage and longevity are both above average. Each time I’ve worn the composition I’ve received numerous compliments from complete strangers all inquiring as to what mesmerizing scent I’m wearing. I feel both men and women can enjoy use of this fragrance, though its jasmine-floral notes and slightly sweet accord can sway somewhat more feminine. Thus far I have only worn ‘Baccarat Rouge 540’ during the current cold temperatures of January, though I look forward to utilizing it this summer. I feel the summer’s heat will only further amplify its ethereal beauty, lifting the lead notes off the skin. As much as I would like to adequately describe ‘Baccarat Rouge 540’, certain elements of its architecture elude me. Thus, Maison Francis Kurkdjian’s newest offering must be experienced first hand, as the enigmatic artistry of this impressionistic masterpiece defies all vocabulary.
Read my complete review at my personal blog:
Fragranceemergency.blogspot.com
al_ink – :
Finally got to try this in their concession of London’s most famous department store.
First impression: Interesting, mysterious, avant-garde, but also harsh, cold (in the sense of standoffish) and medicinal. First off, I sprayed on my skin from a small sample spray, but it should nevertheless represent the actual juice.
The medicinal note, I think, comes from the saffron that is very prominent in the beginning, but still carries on later. If there is some blood orange, it is very brief in the beginning and given I love all agrumes, I wish there was more of it. No citrus later on whatsoever.
What I do get later on is that thick, red, crackling sugar coating of a “caramel apple”: the ones you see in rows on display at the fair grounds. It is not so much sweet, but it conjures that material of Baccarat’s signature red crystal somehow; on that note I think of plastic shrink wrap and those slightly bitter, plastic-y notes you get from unpacking a printer and anything PVC containing from a brand new box.
I guess what Francois K. wanted to capture, was that metallic smell paired with the sweat of hard work in the crystal blowing manufacturing sites. The ovens are hot and it is dusty and not that pleasant, but the outcome is sensational, yet somewhat cool and ‘standoffish’ like crystal, the material for it is not as warm and nice to the touch as wood or leather.
A truly ingenious of a concoction, yet certainly an acquired taste.
Verdict: The most interesting of perfumes I have smelled in a while,but very hard to wear. Cold, sharp, and somewhat industrious, yet fascinating and abstract.
The bottle alone is a piece of art (it has real gold inlaid branded font on the top cap). For that alone, one should buy it, in case you have £3000 lying around. Potentially a collector’s item in a few years to come, given this was released in limited numbers for their 250th anniversary last year.
10/10 for exclusivity and creation of an abstract smell of freshly burnt crystal, straight out of a piping hot oven!!
whitepuzo – :
I smelled this perfume in the Las Vegas store this weekend. The sales lady gave me one spritz. I must say, it is the most incredibly beautiful perfume I have ever smelled. If I had 4k to blow, I’d spend it on this.
ssvfgt – :
I don’t know why this is marked as for women, as it’s totally unisex. Also totally romantic, which is rare for something so unisex. On my skin, it’s a sweet, incredibly animalic amber. The fruit notes are less distinct and seem to be there to sweeten up and support the earthy herbal and amber notes. But it’s so well blended, you can’t really make anything specific out of it; it’s a beast of its own.
Finaapami1983 – :
Wow. Amazing bottle, very interesting notes, would love to smell this one… still the pricing is not really affordable.