Brand: Maison Francis Kurkdjian
Basis: Original
Concentration: Eau de Parfum
Sex: Unisex
Generally: Loved by many, and one of the most talked-about fragrances in modern perfumery
Season(s): Fall, Winter
Wear: Evening, works day to night
Occasion: Evening, Special Occasion
Perfumer: Francis Kurkdjian
Creation Date: 2015
Ingredients/Ingrédients : Alcohol, Parfum (Fragrance), Aqua (Water), Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Limonene, BHT, Benzyl Benzoate, Linalool, Eugenol, Benzyl Alcohol, CI 60730 (Ext. Violet 2)

Main Accords: Amber, Woody, Sweet

Notes
Top: Saffron, Jasmine
Middle: Amberwood, Ambergris, Hedione
Base: Cedar, Fir Resin, Ambroxan

The Scent

A modern niche icon, and one of the most imitated fragrances on the market today. Saffron and jasmine open it up, then a glowing amberwood, ambergris, and hedione heart takes over, resting on cedar, fir resin, ambroxan, and a touch of sweetness. It's genuinely its own thing, an airy, mineral, faintly sweet woody amber that projects beautifully and reads unmistakable from across a room. A scent for evenings and cooler weather, and one of the true reference points in modern perfumery.

Worth Knowing

It's the creation of Francis Kurkdjian himself, who also composed Jean Paul Gaultier's Le Male back in 1995, one of the best-selling men's fragrances of all time. Baccarat Rouge 540 takes its name from the famed French crystal house Baccarat, which produced a limited run of crystal bottles for the original launch.

Where It Came From

Released in 2015, it quickly became MFK's signature scent and one of the most talked-about releases of the decade, inspiring an entire wave of "inspired by" fragrances across every price point.

About Maison Francis Kurkdjian

Francis Kurkdjian is a French perfumer who started composing fragrances as a teenager and trained at ISIPCA, the perfume school in Versailles. He co-founded his own house with business partner Marc Chaya in 2009, near Paris's Place Vendome, after already building a career creating scents for major fashion houses. LVMH acquired the brand in 2017, and in 2021 Kurkdjian was also named creative director of perfume for Christian Dior.