WHAT I SMELL: Baccarat Rouge 540 opens with a striking warm and luxurious jasmine that feels soaked and saturated with saffron. It’s heady, exotic, spicy and mysterious. It’s also incredibly sexy and erotic. There’s a very slight incense and smoke that feels like an extinguished candle that moves off the skin. And the perfume itself seems to live a couple of inches off of the body. After some time, a woody base which was there all along, comes more to the forefront, with the radiant jasmine and saffron still pulsating. As the perfume continues to develop, the perfume becomes more of an ambered spice. In the end, the fragrance evens itself out and your left with a nicely spiced and lightly sweetened cedar and amber perfume that lingers with the memory of the passionate flame that burned when the perfume first hit the skin.
Luminous and sophisticated, Baccarat Rouge 540 lays on the skin like an amber, floral and woody breeze. A poetic alchemy. A graphic and highly condensed signature.
Notes: Jasmine, Saffron, Cedar wood, Ambergris
Marilyn Red Velvet, 1949
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A sexy and erotic boudoir scent.
THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE BACCARAT ROUGE 540: lustful, erotic, sexy
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT BACCARAT ROUGE 540: No reviews to be found outside comments on Fragrantica.
BOTTOM LINE: Baccarat Rouge 540 is a collaboration between Maison Francis Kurkdjian and Baccarat, to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the iconic crystal house. As such, I was expecting a big, bold and proper perfume. Instead, I found the perfume to be highly sensual, and erotic…which makes this the perfect perfume to tempt your Valentine with.
WHAT I SMELL: Venenum Kiss (poison kiss) opens with a saffron laden ripened fruit. The perfume is fleshy and thick, and it feels like fruit that’s ready to fall off the limb of a tree with the weight of the rotting juice. That’s not a bad thing, it’s just very narcotic and rather fermented. Or in other words, it is forbidden-fruit in the best sense of the word. Overall, the perfume is warm, radiant and seductive. And as the perfume develops, the rose and the sandalwood come forward with a soured and sharpened melding of forces. What once was more seductive and fruited, is now more of a poisoned arrow; still beautiful and seductive, but it feels more deadly. As the perfume continues to morph, the sharpened edges soften, but not by much as the vanilla base continues to provide a sweetened, oudish bounty of menace. And in the end, it’s all topped off with a bit of incense, making it all so very seductive.
VENENUM KISS, a sensual and sophisticated liquor with hints of candied apricot and vanilla.
The strong and intense feel of an electric night in the Orient… The women are wearing their evening perfume, in their wakes, a veritable storm of scents. Wherever you go at night, you succumb to this same hypnotic smell.
TOP: Neroli, Saffron, Nutmeg
HEART: Rose absolute, Davana, Amber
BASE: Vanilla, Styrax, Sandalwood
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: The sin of desire.
THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE VENENUM KISS: sinful, dangerous, fleshy
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT VENENUM KISS: Colognoisseur
BOTTOM LINE: Venenum Kiss is named perfectly. The perfume is decadent, poisonous and it feels predatory and rather deadly. It also reminds me a bit of Armani Prive’ Cuir Noir, except that Venenum Kiss feels a lot more dangerous and over the top. Venenum Kiss is NOT an office scent and it would have to be worn on just the right occasion. Perfect when you want to bring out your deviled horns.
WHAT I SMELL: Constance opens with the most inviting deep mandarin floral combination; it’s gorgeous, big, beautiful and rather buttery…and it’s thick and juicy and completely rapturous…oh, I could keep on going! In a short time, the thick sheen of juice soon begins to thin and soften and the rather fruity opening moves to a light spice with jasmine at the heart. Constance remains incredibly pretty, but the big, and bold moves towards the more mysterious and exotic. Vanilla sets the tone moving forward, but with a light hand. The perfume is so incredibly warm and inviting and it feels as if it pulses off the skin as if it were an extension of one’s being. Additionally, a bit of labdanum adds just the right amount of amber like dimension keeping the vanilla in check. In the end, Constance is this intoxicating warm and exotic floral that’s spiced, lightly powdered and incensed. Constance is a head turner and absolutely beautiful.
…perfect for those who love fruity and spicy scents, jasmine, luxury woods and vanilla…
The year is 1927…Constance is vivacious, passionate and chic; effortlessly elegant in tailored blouses and trousers during the day, but at night she is the centre of attention in an Egyptian-inspired beaded dress, red lipstick and daring high heels …
Classification: Feminine, but I could see a man wearing this as well.
Expense: $120 for 50ml eau de parfum. Exclusively sold in the US by Indigo Perfumery.
QUENTIN
WHAT I SMELL: Quentinopens with a rather funky herbal tarragon and a cinnamon that mixed together is bold and smells a little off. This initial funk makes me wonder what kind of ride I’m in for. Soon enough, the herbal discordant opening starts to even out the rough edges and the mixture moves from the funkified to a more flattened woodiness and light leather. At this stage, the perfume is really dry and the leather is front and center and a woody vetiver takes its place next to it. In addition, a patchouli adds just a light sweetness to the perfume, but it chooses to stay in the background. For some time, there’s a noticeable petroleum smell, as if the leather was cured in oil and grease. But as the perfume develops, that starts to dissipate and a floral warmth takes its place. On paper, this smelled a great deal to me like Miss Dior. On my skin however, I am thinking not so much…that is until around 30 minutes into the wear. And that’s a good thing. Miss Dior rocks my world and it is about as masculine of a woman’s perfume as there is. As the perfume continues to develop, it becomes less Miss Dior and ends up in this petroleum fueled leather spiced musk. Quentin is a traditional scent fortified with just the right amount of daring.
…perfect for those who love assertive elegant woody scents, leather notes and musk…
The year is 1925… Quentin is charming, stylish and impeccably attired and is always impeccably attired in flamboyant style. You will often find him relaxing by day at the cricket drinking a fine Sauvignon blanc and at parties by night sipping champagne…
Top notes: Bergamot, Cinnamon Bark, Tarragon
Heart notes: Carnation, Geranium, Patchouli
Base notes: Moss, Leather, Sandalwood, Vetiver, Musk
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: The original Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen.
THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE QUENTIN: bold, self-assured, headstrong
Expense: $120 for 50ml eau de parfum. Exclusively sold in the US by Indigo Perfumery.
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT DECO LONDON PERFUMES: BGirl Rhapsody
BOTTOM LINE: The Deco London line beautifully captures the essence of traditional perfumery, but with a modern sensibility. As you can see, Constance is my favorite in the line, but the feminine floral essence of Millicent comes in a close second. For the men, Quentin has that modern edge that makes it unique, but Ernest is an incredible old school classic perfume. What a great start for a new perfume house. Welcome Deco London, you’ve made quite the splash!
The Scented Hound 