Baccarat Rouge 540 vs. Extrait – Which is Best for You?
Baccarat Rouge 540 vs. Extrait.
A battle of two super-performers.
In this review, I will describe the smell and performance of both. Then I’ll compare the two from my personal experience and help you decide which will be the best for you.
Table of Contents
Baccarat Rouge 540 EDP
It smells simple yet elegant; it embodies the scent of a crystal. It is an amber floral fragrance. Baccarat Rouge 540 EDP is a transparent scent.
When I talk about a fragrance being transparent, you can think of it as becoming part of the air. Rather than just being a block of smell.
As well as being transparent, the scent is molecule-based. Like many other fragrances, it does not have natural fruits, woods, and florals. It was designed this way and created using synthetic ingredients.
Don’t think of it as fake but consider it “unnatural”; it doesn’t take away from the fact that it smells lovely.
The most prominent notes are saffron, amber wood, and cedar.
The initial opening is airy and smells the most synthetic of the fragrance’s entire life. Some compare the opening as being medicinal, like a doctor’s or dentist’s office smell.
This is one of the most challenging fragrances to describe. It is airy, transparent, and well-blended.
As the scent develops, it gets a smooth semi-sweet cotton candy accord. In the dry-down, it loses most of its synthetic smell and retains a woody base the entire time.
Baccarat Rouge 540 EDP Performance
- Longevity: 12+ hours
- Projection and Sillage: 3+ hours and 3+ feet
- Versatility: Spring, Summer, and Fall
- Uniqueness: Excellent
- Compliments & Likability: Excellent
- Cost for Value: Excellent
- Number of Sprays: 2 – 3
- Most Prominent Notes: Saffron, Amberwood, and Cedar
Baccarat Rouge 540 Extrait
Right off the bat, it is sweet and powerful. Mainly, I smell equal parts saffron and creamy almond in the opening. Yet, in the background, I still pick some ambergris. This gives it both depth and subtle warmth.
The opening trio is very smooth. It is less about the notes mentioned above’ smell and rather the accords they lend. After a few minutes, saffron gets more prominent spice, yet never overwhelming.
If you are familiar with the original, you’ll know it has a cotton candy vibe in the opening. The Extrait version has a similar feel.
The heart of the fragrance is still sweet but becomes airier. This is attributed to jasmine becoming the star of the show.
What’s interesting is that it wasn’t too prominent beforehand. It washed over all other notes but never through the scent out of balance. Once this happens, the creamy almond fades.
At this point, the base starts to develop. Ambergris has carried over and pushed into the limelight.
Followed by musky and woody accents. I catch wafts of all, but the main idea is the emphasis on warm woody depth. Light florals linger, but nothing to write home about.
Baccarat Rouge 540 Extrait Performance
- Longevity: 12+ hours
- Projection and Sillage: 3+ hours and 3+ feet
- Versatility: Spring, Summer, and Fall
- Uniqueness: Excellent
- Compliments & Likability: Excellent
- Cost for Value: Excellent
- Number of Sprays: 1 – 2
- Most Prominent Notes: Saffron, Jasmine, Ambergris, Musk, and Woods
Final Words
A tough battle between two amazing fragrances. These both have very similar smells and performance.
The biggest difference is the creamy almond note in the Extrait. The Baccarat Rouge line has always leaned feminine, but Extrait is more masculine.
On the Maison Francis Kurkdjian official website, the original EDP is $325 for a 2.4oz bottle. The Extrait is $435 for a 2.4oz bottle. Both are very expensive, but if you’re going to get one. I recommend the Extrait.
The creamy almond note in the Extrait is that much better. It makes the scent more masculine and diverse and eliminates the “dentist’s office” smell in the original.
These are both outstanding fragrances and know how to last all day. However, don’t just limit yourself to these two. Discover the best long-lasting fragrances for men here.