Duping My Favourite Perfume

Finding the best MFK Baccarat 540 dupe.

Hi! Near here!

I’m relatively new to fragrances and blind-bought some, I liked most of them but some are just not for me. But out of around 10 blind-buys I have for the past six months, one really stood out and has been a staple for me. It’s a quite famous fragrance from a quite famous brand that is definitely not quite cheap. haha! 

If you’re thinking Maison Francis Kurkdjian, then you are absolutely right! I have been using Baccarat 540 EDP and Extrait, and Gentle Fluidity Gold from this brand because I’ve heard it’s a good brand. 

https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Maison-Francis-Kurkdjian/Baccarat-Rouge-540-33519.html

https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Maison-Francis-Kurkdjian/Baccarat-Rouge-540-Extrait-de-Parfum-46066.html

From the two (BR540 & GFG), BR540 EDP has been my staple and the one I get compliments the most  I must admit, I didn’t like it at first because of the metallic notes on it which gets amplified on my skin, but it grew on me after a few uses! The price is well, high. Don’t worry, I didn’t get the full bottle, I got a decant first before buying a bottle – which actually still has a hefty price tag.

I like the amber and warm spicy notes the most, and I think these are the notes that make me smell it every once in a while, like an addict. It sounds stupid but I really do sniff my wrist a lot every time I wear it. The die-down is also heavenly, sweet but pleasant kind of sweet, like a burnt sugar from a cup of Crème-Brule. It has a crazy silage and projection, which I think gets amplified on my skin – it really fits well with my skin chemistry and stays quite long. It’s my boyfriend’s favorite scent on me. I use it almost daily, but because of its hefty price, I decided to start to look for cheaper alternatives and dupes, some of them gets really close while some should just be called as the perfumes that they are and not as dupes.

Come with me as I try and give my personal views on the dupes and alternatives, I got my hands on.
Note that these are my personal views based on my experience, it may be different for everyone else.

 Bloom Scentsations’s Rouge

This is a local start-up brand and the first branded-inspired alternative I have gotten my hands on. The brulee-type of sweetness is very on-point but that’s the problem, the other notes that sets BR540 apart from others are missing. All you can smell is the sweetness – the rest are either really faint or just don’t exist. Don’t get me wrong, those who haven’t had their hands on the real thing will absolutely love this alternative, but it should stay as it’s own. IT HAS CRAZY CRAZY SILAGE and LASTS FOR 6-8 HOURS ON MY SKIN. But it’s kind of 4/10 as dupe of BR540.

Dupe rank: 3/10

Sillage: 10/10

Projection: 9/10

Longetivity: 10/10

photo: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=678898771021635&set=pb.100067045550742.-2207520000&type=3

Mancera Instant Crush

I’ve been hearing a lot about this perfume and the hype that comes with it. One thing I’ve heard is that it is a good dupe for BR540. I got my hands on a decant bottle to try it out. Mancera Instant Crush is probably the most expensive one I have on the list but that doesn’t mean it’s a good dupe. What I mean is that I.C is a good perfume, I love it, but it’s not close to what I’m looking for. Its spicy and metallic notes are far too strong, the perfume itself is too strong, too strong it sometimes gives me the allergies, crazy silage and projection, It lasts long on the skin too – overall, it’s a good perfume. But to cut this short, I don’t think Mancera Instant Crush should be called a dupe for BR540. It’s a perfume on its own and you can say that it is definitely not baccarat when worn. I still wear mine on occasions, especially when I know there’ll be a crowd, because of its strength, it will stand out.

                                                                                    photo: https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Mancera/Instant-Crush-54885.html

Dupe rank: 6.5/10

Sillage: 10/10

Projection: 10/10

Longetivity: 10/10

 Luxodor  GyrFalcon White Phase

 

I absolutely love this perfume, but not on me. The starting notes are quite similar to of BR540 especially the type of sweetness of it. which is a good thing and good start but I noticed that the dry down is quite close to Bleu de Chanel or something of that DNA, so it starts off as a good BR540 dupe but ends like a dupe of something else. I like smelling it but I don’t like the dry-down on me because it’s really close to men’s perfumes than a unisex one.

Dupe rank: 6/10

Sillage: 5/10

Projection: 6/10

Longetivity: 6/10

photo:https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Luxodor/GyrFalcon-The-White-Phase-61255.html

    

     Paris Corner Pendora Rouge

Now this one is a little candid because it doesn’t hide the fact that it is a dupe of something. It doesn’t shame itself for being a copy of something more expensive, it explicitly says it is a BR540 dupe, even the bottle says so. But that’s the good thing about it because it does what it says. From the first spray to the dry-down, it’s definitely close to BR540, but it doesn’t get as close as some on the list, but I’d say it definitely is a good dupe. Except that the projection and silage are a bit weak, but the two sprays I did lasted me for around 6 hours, which is a good thing. The down side is the weakness, but hey, perfumes are supposed to make people drawn to you, right? If people get close enough, they’ll smell you. 

Dupe rank: 5.5/10

Sillage: 5/10

Projection: 5/10

Longetivity: 6/10

photo: https://www.amazon.com/Fragrance-Long-Lasting-PARIS-CORNER-PERFUMES/dp/B08DL3L8TH

 

Zara Red Temptation

On to one of my favorites from the list. Red Temptation is what I call “dupe na naay sariling kaluluwa” or “a dupe that is its on soul” because it’s definitely close to BR540 but it also has its own DNA. It’s kind of hard to explain and I’m not really good with terms but I’ll try my best. The first notes you can smell upon spray is the metallic and spicy notes, but the dry down reveals the amber and the sweetness of it Which is more present on the Extrait de pArfum version than the EDP. The best part of it is that it stays for a long time on my skin, and the price is a catch! Overall, this perfume is a good dupe for BR540 while it’s also a good perfume in its own right. I wear it without the thought of wearing a dupe but rather just because I want to wear Zara Red Temptation – it’s an addictive smell and it has been a favorite and a daily for me.

Dupe rank: 8/10

Sillage: 8.5/10

Projection: 9/10

Longetivity: 9/10

photo: https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Zara/Red-Temptation-For-Her-63264.html

Armaf Club De Nuit Untold

If we’re talking BR540 dupes, then Untold gets to sit on the throne for being the best one. I wasn’t expecting much at first since I’ve already tried a number of dupes but man, first spray has been incredibly amazingly similar to BR540! I’s say it comes close to about 90% of BR540. From the amount of spice and woody notes down to the sweetness, it is spot on. The best part is that the price for a full bottle is less than ¼ of the half bottle of the original, and the bottle is gorgeous. The thing is because it is really close to the real one, it’s hard to know if you’re using one or not – which is a good thing and what we are after, right? Only the experts and those who actually use and is very close to the original will be able to determine. Overall, it is definitely my favorite from the list and I would say the best BR540 dupe in the market.

Dupe rank: 9/10

Sillage: 9/10

Projection: 9/10

Longetivity: 9/10

photo: https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Armaf/Club-de-Nuit-Untold-78476.html

***

Now that I’ve named those what I have tried I’d say I still have Red Temptation as my favorite from the list, not because I love it being a dupe, but rather because I can wear it without thinking it’s a dupe – it’s its own perfume.

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