- I’ve tested many dupes of Baccarat Rouge 540, but I’ve found ALT. Fragrances Crystal No. 23 to be the most affordable option that really does perform like the original.
- Crystal No. 23 opens bright and citrusy, turns sweet and spicy, and dries down warm and woody.
- It also performs extremely well on the longevity front.
A few months ago, I embarked on an experiment wherein I tested virtually every popular Baccarat Rouge 540 dupe. Try as I might, I still struggled to find something that could really overtake the original fragrance. Maison Francis Kurkdjian’s Baccarat Rouge 540 is a legend for a reason: It’s layered in a way that is so special that it’s incredibly difficult to replicate. But there was one I hadn’t tried yet: ALT. Fragrances Crystal No. 23.
ALT Fragrances is a full line dedicated to delivering affordable alternatives to all the buzzy scents I’ve tested. I’m a firm believer in expensive perfumes, but I also believe that you might find a better version for what you’re looking for without having to spend all the money. Case in point: ALT. Fragrances Crystal No. 23.
Key notes: Jasmine, saffron, orange, ambroxan, cedarwood, ambergris, fir balsam
When I sniff Crystal, I immediately pick up the orange and jasmine notes. The scent is sparkling and bright, with that awakening citrus. As soon as I spray it on my body, the spicy saffron comes through a bit, and it turns into a juicy, sweet smell—almost like the whole perfume is spun with sugar. The longer it sits on my skin, though, it becomes a warm woody scent as the cedarwood, ambergris, and ambroxan come through. To me, it almost veers into beachy territory, with ambergris adding a saltiness.
That’s always been the beauty of Baccarat Rouge 540 to me: how the scent changes as you wear it. Sure, all perfumes do this to some extent. But the way the scent adapts and moves with you is what has always made Baccarat Rouge’s $355 price tag somewhat sensible amidst a sea of so many dupes nowadays.
ALT., however, has somehow found a way to replicate this, even at such a smaller price tag. I believe the average perfume sniffer could barely tell the two scents apart, especially once sprayed on skin. My nose is well-trained, though, so I catch a slight difference between the two bottles. ALT.’s Crystal isn’t as sugary as Baccarat Rouge 540. In fact, I’m not even sure I’d categorize it as a gourmand in the same way I do with BR540. To me, it’s fresh and citrus, but with a sharp turn to a warm woody scent on the dry down. Baccarat Rouge, however, has a strong saccharine throughline.
One thing ALT. has going for it? Longevity. For me, that’s always been the biggest downside of Baccarat Rouge (aside from price, ofc). A spritz will last a few hours, but never all day. But this ALT. Fragrance dupe has shocking longevity. I sprayed it on my wrists yesterday around 1 p.m. At 10:30 a.m. the next morning, I can still smell it on my skin—something that’s virtually unheard of with me for any fragrance, let alone one that costs less than $50.
FYI: Crystal No. 23 comes in three sizes at varying price points, which makes sniffing it yourself a lot easier. Feel free to grab the 1 oz bottle at $39 before making a bigger commitment with the 3.3 oz (however, if you already know you’re gonna love the scent, this is a fantastic deal at only $59 for three times the juice).
Final thoughts:
I’ve tested every single viral Baccarat Rouge 540 dupe out there now, and I can confidently say, ALT. Fragrances Crystal No. 23 is the best. It smells the most similar with a fantastic longevity that actually rivals the original $$$ perfume. I’m not saying I won’t continue to spritz my MFK version—in fact, I certainly will, especially for its sweetness—but this is a great accompaniment to my collection when I wanna spritz without abandon and not stress about the money I’m literally spraying into the air.
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Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan with more than seven years of experience researching, writing, and editing fragrance stories.
Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers skincare, makeup, hair, nails, and more across digital and print. She can generally be found in bright eyeshadow furiously typing her latest feature or hemming and hawing about a new product you "have to try." Prior to Cosmopolitan, she wrote and edited beauty content as an Editor at The Everygirl for four years. Follow her on Instagram for makeup selfies and a new hair 'do every few months.
