The Truth About Baccarat Rouge 540: Is It Worth the Hype?

How a $30 Sample Kit Saved Me from a $335 Mistake

If you’ve spent any time on the perfume side of TikTok, you’ve undoubtedly heard about Baccarat Rouge 540 — the fragrance that’s constantly praised as the one to have. With a price tag to match its reputation, it’s marketed as the epitome of luxury. A full-size bottle of the Eau de Parfum will set you back $335, and the Extrait (a more concentrated version) is an eye-watering $475.

As someone in the process of revamping my fragrance collection and moving beyond Bath & Body Works, I was curious. I’d tried dupes and even picked up a knockoff fragrance oil from a beauty supply store, but none of them fully satisfied me. That lingering curiosity almost had me reaching for yet another dupe — this time from Oakcha — until a review stopped me in my tracks.

The reviewer mentioned trying a sample of the real Baccarat Rouge, and that got me thinking: Why not just sample the original myself? A quick visit to the Maison Francis Kurkdjian Paris website revealed their Discovery section. To my delight, they offered a $30 sample set where you could choose four fragrances to try. Naturally, I added Baccarat Rouge 540 in both the Eau de Parfum and Extrait versions, as well as Amyris Femme in the same formats.

The Arrival of My Sample Set

Fast forward to this past Sunday morning, and I woke up to see that my package was out for delivery. First off, let me say that the shipping was impressively fast — I’d only ordered it on Thursday. Excitement bubbling over, I prepared for the unboxing, complete with a quick beauty routine (thank you, Fenty Eaze Drops, blush, and mascara) and my camera setup.

The Moment of Truth

Here’s where things got interesting. After all the buildup and hype, Baccarat Rouge 540 turned out to be… a letdown. Don’t get me wrong — it’s a nice fragrance, but it wasn’t groundbreaking. It smelled exactly like the dupes I had already tried and even like the knockoff oil from the beauty supply store. In fact, I realized I already owned this scent in another form: In The Stars by Bath & Body Works. Aside from the longevity of Baccarat Rouge, there was nothing remarkable about it.

Now, Amyris Femme, on the other hand, stole the show. It was elegant, refined, and everything I wanted Baccarat Rouge to be. So much for an “iconic” fragrance — iconic my ass, respectfully.

Lessons Learned

Looking back, I wish I’d skipped Baccarat Rouge entirely and added another scent to my sample kit, like the Oud Satin Mood I’ve been eyeing. But there was a silver lining: Maison Francis Kurkdjian included a $30 coupon for a future purchase. I’m seriously considering using it to grab a full bottle of Amyris Femme, because that fragrance? Chef’s kiss.

If you want to see my full reaction — excitement, disappointment, and all — click here to see my YouTube unboxing video below. Spoiler alert: You’ll thank me for saving you a few hundred dollars.

Until next time,

Muah!