Perfumes Similar to MFK Baccarat Rouge 540 (2015)
For the feel of Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540, try Moth, Rusalka’s Embrace and Nawab of Oudh. Baccarat Rouge 540 centres on saffron, ambergris and jasmine. Moth is smoky and honeyed, Rusalka’s Embrace feels cooler and greener, while Nawab of Oudh adds rich oud and cardamom.
Chypre Shot by Olfactive Studio £200.00
- Key notes:
- amber
- black tea
- coffee
- labdanum
- oakmoss
- saffron
- Aromagroups:
- floral
- woody
A new project with Bertrand Duchaufour and a landscape artist/photographer Martin Hill.
The same way in which Martin goes to a sight and rearranges what nature left there into an installation, the perfumer rearranged some molecules and materials to put the beauty of a natural material into focus.
Also Martin aims to let his stuctures to be absorbed back into natural chaos. Perfume evaporates into the environment in a similar fashion, beautiful but transient.
In Chypre Shot all the focus is on a classic chypre effect (citrus - tart flower- dark woody background). However, the traditional rose is replaced with peony and for the signature dessert gourmand touch of his, Bertrand throws in a delectable coffee and cardamom combination.
The structure and image which were the conceptual inspiration for the perfume are below. It's a mysterious, rich haze full of the sweet scents of a meadow. There is also a nod to oakmoss (one of the pillars of the chypre architecture).
Delilah by SweDoft £150.00
- Key notes:
- amber
- caramel
- jasmine
- Aromagroups:
- floral
- woody
A seductive intriguing incense with a floral touch: the sweet haze of amber and caramel are carrying hints of honeyed jasmine and lily-of-the-valley filled with cooling dew.
Moth by Zoologist £200.00
- Key notes:
- ambergris
- cinnamon
- gaiac / guaiac wood
- heliotrope
- honey
- incense
- orris (iris root)
- rose
- saffron
- smoke
- Aromagroups:
- woody
Perfumer: Tomoo Inaba
Rich and gothic Moth starts with a heavy dose of dark spices to jolt your senses before settling into a dusting of honey-sweet rose and powdery florals. Slowly, it tests its wings, taking flight on an exotic journey of nagarmotha, guaiac wood and patchouli. Beneath it all lingers a smoky undertone that serves as a constant reminder to fluttering creatures of the danger in the tantalizing flame.
Rusalka’s Embrace by Pictura Fragrans £177.00
- Key notes:
- ambergris
- birch leaves
- blue tansy
- fir
- geranium
- laurel
- seaweed
- Aromagroups:
- aromatic
- green
- marine
- woody
The tragic water spirit moves between rivers and seas, luring the man who has wronged her to his last sleep. Rusalka’s Embrace embodies the final breath before the depths close in: the slow sway of seaweed, a gasp of peppermint and pine, the frankincense waft of propolis, the clammy musk of drowned skin, and all the flowers he never lived to smell.
Stone Cap: 100% blue calcite
Nawab of Oudh by Ormonde Jayne £295.00
- Key notes:
- ambergris
- bergamot
- cardamom
- hedione
- oud
- pimento pepper
- Aromagroups:
- green
- leather
- woody
Nawab of Oudh is part of the Four Corners of the Earth collection and represents India, the land that gives us oud, a plethora of spices, and so many beautiful flowers.
The name of the perfume can be interpreted in two ways. It’s a literal reference to the rich history and culture of India: hawab or nabob meaning ‘the ruler’, and Oudh the historical name of the modern day Uttar Pradesh region. However, given the current fashion for oud perfumes, you can interpret the name “the oud to rule them all’.
Nawab of Oudh has the complex architecture of many ingredients, surrounding the oud heart deep within. And on the way there, you will travel through layers of cardamom and other fresh spices, extravagant garlands of exotic flowers, the sea breeze of ambergris, and more.
The elixir is also exceptionally concentrated, at 42% - hence the 'intensivo' in the title.
PG30 Alphaora by Pierre Guillaume - Parfumerie Générale £140.00
- Key notes:
- albizia
- ambergris
- blood orange
- candied fruit
- hedione
- hinoki
- Aromagroups:
- citrusy
- woody
Opening a new trend? A trend of happy hyper-pleasant gentle but super-diffusive perfumes to indulge the senses and notify the world of the wearer’s presence in a friendly jolly way.
PG30 Alphaora (rhyming with aura) is tenderly sweet and extremely far-reaching fragrant fantasy inspired by the albizia tree in bloom, with imaginary caramel smelling green moss that might grow on that tree.
Lawrence by Carine Roitfeld £190.00
- Key notes:
- jasmine
- oud
- saffron
- Aromagroups:
- floral
- woody
Among the colorful silks and glazed pottery, we loved to lose ourselves in the voluptuous atmosphere of the spices. Sheathed in my leather dress, I can see myself surrounded by all the mysterious, colorful flacons. You chose one exhaling the irresistible notes of oud and trickled two small drops into the hollow of my neck.
A magnetic, very leathery, spicy perfume. A composition of Egyptian jasmine absolute aroused by a complex of soft, sensual, highly textured balsams – tolu balsam, musk and agarwood – and softened by the warm, aromatic notes of cumin, coriander and saffron. Oud base notes define and complete this sultry, flamboyant fragrance.
903 Oud Ilam by Bon Parfumeur £175.00
- Key notes:
- amber
- animalic notes
- coriander
- musk tonkin
- powdery notes
- saffron
- Aromagroups:
- leather
- woody
Inspired by a rummage through antique shops, this extrait de parfum conjures precious woods, well-worn leather and rare spices. A full and comfortingly rounded blend on a bed of the softest musk and smoothest oud.
Perfumer: Serge de Oliveira
Athanor by Mendittorosa £430.00
- Key notes:
- amber
- gaïac wood
- incense
- saffron
- smoke
- sulphur
- Aromagroups:
- spicy
- woody
The new and third formula in the Extreme Talismans collection (after Osang and Talento).
Athanor is a scented incarnation of the 50th hexagon from the ancient Chinese Book of Change.
50/“Ting”, alchemic athanor or cauldron – a symbol of change within, the man being the crucible in which new energies come about from various ingredients transforming and merging.
Mendittorosa in their unique alchemic way try to explore the metaphysics of the universe through perfume formulas.
Athanor is a rich incense perfume with an unusual sulfur streak.
There is a tiny gold plated bronze nugget in the bottle and the cap is a miniature of two atlas-like figures holding the athanor of change.
Note from the brand:
“[Use] your nose. Always. Feel the sulfur evaporating from the process. Giving way to a delicate body of saffron and flowers, finding its space between incense and precious wood. Let the Athanor enhance your personality and lead your way.”
Perfumer: Luca Maffei
Concept: Stefania Squeglia
Azalai by Stora Skuggan £130.00
- Key notes:
- amber
- dried fruit
- incense
- saffron
- Aromagroups:
- woody
The azalai is a caravan route through the Saharan desert where camel trains have transported salt and gold for a thousand years. Along the route stood a single acacia tree, the only living thing in an ocean of sand. 150 km from any other, this was the loneliest tree in the world, a sacred testament to the resilience of life, that had guided caravans for centuries. When a drunken truck driver crashed into it in 1973, killing it, the sacred tree passed from legend to myth. This phantom tree in the desert is the inspiration for Azalai.
The scent is as an olfactory impression of gold, with radiant warmth from saffron and blood orange, and the plush musk velvione (a material redolent of the powdery scent of a newborn’s head). Gum acacia, a syrup made from acacia sap, provides sugary sweetness balanced by salty amber and incense. A touch of mint tea and dried fruit pays homage to the Tuareg caravan riders.
About Baccarat Rouge 540 by Maison Francis Kurkdjian
- What does Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 smell like?
- It smells warm, airy and sweet, balancing luminous floral spice with woody amber and a subtly mineral character. The overall mood is polished, sensual and distinctive rather than densely gourmand.
- What is similar to Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540?
- Chypre Shot shares its saffron, amber and oakmoss facets, but adds black tea, coffee and labdanum for a deeper, more bitter-edged chypre character.
- Is Delilah similar to Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540?
- Yes. Delilah combines amber, caramel and jasmine, giving it a related sweet amber-floral quality. It is softer and more gourmand, with less emphasis on woody and mineral facets.
- How does PG30 Alphaora compare with Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540?
- PG30 Alphaora shares ambergris and hedione, but blood orange, candied fruit, albizia and hinoki make it brighter, fruitier and more sparkling.









