It was in July 2017 when I got to know and love Baccarat Rouge 540.
Up to that time, niche fragrances were a foreign territory for me.
I arranged to meet a fellow student for coffee that summer evening. We shared a common passion: scents
So this date turned into a perfume date. No kidding, he came to the date with a backpack full of bottles.
The people in the café probably thought we were crazy, luckily it was an open roof terrace and so nobody bothered :-)
He introduced me to the world of niche fragrances
Kilians, Creeds, Parfums de Marly, Amouage, Bond No. 9, Xerjoff, Memo Paris...I was overwhelmed by the new impressions and partly overwhelmed.
It was tested, evaluated, discussed, and coffee breaks were taken in between to neutralize the nose.
Around midnight I had no more free space, I had sprayed all over my wrists and ankles, I had used up all the test strips.
It looked as if he had saved the best for last: Baccarat Rouge 540 from MFK. A mistake, because I couldn't smell anything despite the extensive coffee breaks, the numerous Turkish Mocha, but I sprayed BR540 half-heartedly on my blouse.
The next morning I was met by a bright, sweetish woody scent. Where does this beautiful scent come from? From my blouse in the laundry basket!
I immediately called the friend, what was the last scent tested? Bacara... what?
It was all over me, I couldn't stop smelling my blouse before he landed with a heavy heart in the washing drum.
BR540 is difficult to describe and put into words, it triggers many associations;
Cotton candy, strawberry jam, caramel? No, sweet wood, fir, woody?
That medical grade! Pharmacy? Dental practice? Bandage, Band-Aid? Tomato vine?
Many have already described the fragrance in detail here, so I don't want to repeat myself or even summarize everything, my overall impression and what I liked most about BR540 was just this sweet and sterile, medical note.
My friend added that Ethyl Maltol, Ambroxan and Hedione make this fragrance so distinctive, but many people are anosmic for it
(fortunately I do not belong to this group).
At that time as a student I could not afford this fragrance, fortunately I regularly got a generous bottling from my colleague. Over time a deep friendship developed between the two of us and BR540 became "our" signature fragrance.
At the same time an endless search for a budget-friendly dupe or replacement began; No. 94 by Atelier Rebul, Ariana Grandes Cloud, Burberry Her, Tinharé and Cosmic by AP thus landed in my collection.
But no, of course, nothing could even come close to matching the masterpiece.
Last year I treated myself to a bottle from my first salary
But I was horrified to discover that the formulation had been slightly changed. Much lighter, more transparent or watery and therefore (worsened) durability. Or had my nose changed over time?
Have any of you had a similar experience? (compared to older batches from 2016).
Nevertheless, I was overjoyed, because BR540 stands for my long, unquenched longing to be "reunited" after a long time, as if you would see an old friend again after years.
Familiar, yet slightly alienated.
It fits - correctly and in moderation - for almost all occasions, during the day in the office, in the evening and for going out. It has style and class, radiates elegance, absolutely unisex but must definitely fit the wearer.
I associate very pleasant memories with the fragrance, starting on a balmy summer night under the clear starry sky in Istanbul.
BR540 is radiant, warm, vibrant and magical - just like the vibrant metropolis where we met.
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