Maison Alhambra Barakkat Rouge 54 | Eau de Parfum 1ml | By Fragrance World, 1

Product Information

It is so smooth. It doesn't have any off-putting notes (the Dua one has this weird smell). The quality is insane. It is like a magical journey. From the initial spray, I felt really bad about never trying this one before... The hype is so real. the ambergris combined w the musk is such a match made in heaven and has inspired hundreds of fragrances since. MFK was really in his bag when he made this! the dash of saffron was genius too. it adds a hint of spice but it doesn’t overpower the fragrance. the almond isn’t a powdery playdoh almond, it isn’t a cherry almond, it’s just lovely! i wouldn’t even call this scent nutty or spicy, and thats a testament to how well the notes are blended here.

Of course, each nose is different and all that, but I still stand firmly behind my opinion in this debate. In terms of uniqueness as of now, of course it depends where you live, but chances are that not many people are familiar with or own BR540. Most people have 2 perfumes at best. Also, wearing Cloud or anything as such, really isn't the same. It's like comparing a stunning designer dress with its dupe from Wish - might be similar, but the quality isn't the same. Baccarat Rouge, like so many people say, smells of nothing. Nothing that you know. Or at least that you know from nature, that is close and familiar. It is a scent of the the post apocalyptic future that many of us already live in, a heart of a big conglomerate like London or New York. It encapsulates the feel, the aspiration and the belly of the beast. It tries to warm you up and give you some comfort with a bit of fancy pastry but you are still standing in the doorway of some big, multi-storey, closed-system-air-conditioned building. You end up on the top floor, open the window and get hit by the heat and a brown noise of the streets below. And then you see him. A a dying, beautiful android that has seen unbelievable things and lived hundreds of lives. Its batteries are overheating, he is reaching the end of his life. Tears lost in the rain. The flying dove. You can smell it all. I just can't get enough of this scent, it is such a majestic & elegant scent that makes me feel so good about myself.To me the extrait seems to be the more introvert twin brother that works in the laboratory (extracting?), whereas the EDP is more like an outgoing twin sister. But to be honest, I personally am a bit disappointed. The extrait is in many ways similar to its EDP sister. They became more different after a minute. The burned sugar note is more prominent with the extrait. The extrait is noticeably warmer and sweeter, while the EDP is more airy and cooler. I noticed the so called “hospital” or “dentist’s office” or “latex gloves” note. I personally think it’s actually a lovely scent.

It can be regarded as a sweet fragrance, half intimate, half mild, half animalistic, very sensual and almost edible. The evoked scents pass through bitter almond candy, Alicante clod, milk caramels and pineapple barbecue, such is the richness of the sweet aromas aroused. I can appreciate that some people where frags for themselves, and aren't interested in what other people think, but I mean come on people - set some boundaries. I read once how this a fragrance of the high-earning, immaculately dressed, deeply fatigued London elite, how it hangs in the air of the Zone 1 Underground. And wow how fitting! A young server in a crisp, neatly pressed white shirt with a bowtie stops and offers champagne and fine Russian beluga caviar. You take a glass of champagne form his tray, but you politely pass on the caviar.I paired this with my Laura Mercier Almond body cream to bring out the almond note in the Extrait, along with BBW warm vanilla, and it is a nice vibe. Likely due to the stellar price, younger folk aren’t going around wearing this. As such, the only times I’ve smelled it have been on older women. I strongly don’t believe the scent itself is dated, but due to being a younger guy who only smells this on 35+ yo, I just naturally associate this dna with older groups. That isn’t a negative remark, but rather an observation. I did share my decant with people of various ages, and the results were very interesting. It was too ‘old and stuffy’ for the girls my age (22), but on anyone with a little more years, their eyes would open wide, and go “what is that!??” in a very good way. I also might note that I haven’t smelled any cheap clones of this that did enough justice to this Extrait. If you love it, just save up and buy the real deal.