Worth It: Maison Francis Kurkdjian Paris Baccarat Rouge 540 Shimmering Body Oil

Welcome back to Worth It, our weekly seal of approval on noteworthy launches and bespoke collaborations in the worlds of beauty and fashion. If it's featured here, consider these investments worthwhile.

The Promise 

Just a few years ago, Maison Francis Kurkdjian Paris’ Baccarat Rouge 540 Eau de Parfum, which launched in 2016 in celebration of Baccarat’s 250th anniversary, was an elusive scent. The unique blend of jasmine, saffron, amber, and ambergris, was a can’t-quite-put-your-finger-on-it fragrance that would prompt strangers to stop you on the street. The aroma isn’t overwhelmingly floral nor woodsy—it rather encompasses a sophisticated, sensual, airy aura that’s fleeting to the wearer, but powerful to those who manage to walk by. But in the past few years, even months, the fragrance has become a phenomenon—mainly because it’s really, truly that tastefully intoxicating. It’s a blend of notes that most beauty industry experts or fragrance aficionados can recognize, and identify, from a mile away. Research done by Hey Discount earlier this year named the luxurious parfum the number one popular perfume, noting that it accrued nearly six million google searches, nearly 111 million TikTok views, and roughly 205,000 Instagram hashtags. 

That in mind, it’s only natural that the range is wide and vast: It boasts body cream, candles, hair mists, and more. Most recently, and for a limited time only, the fragrance house has released a Shimmering Body Oil for the holiday season. It blends the famed 540 scent with flecks of 24-carat gold and crystals to create a subtly sparkly oil that promises to provide a subdued scent and silky sheen. Naturally, I put the product to the test. 

Why I’m Obsessed 

I find fragrance funny. I know, eloquent word choice. But “funny” is accurate if nothing else. There are hundreds and hundreds of thousands of eau de parfums out there. I’ve smelled a heck of a lot of ‘em. And yet, despite the nuanced notes and the fact that I love dozens of scents on other people, I’ve still only found a select few (I can count them on one hand) that I’ll *actually* wear on my own skin. Funny, right? Maison Francis Kurkdjian’s Baccarat Rouge 540 takes the top spot—naturally. Its profile is a bit of an enigma, not too overpowering or overtly one-note. It smells luxe yet warm yet somehow feminine. And at this point, everything I own smells like it. My clothes, my sheets, my home, my hair, my scarves. I’m basically one with Baccarat Rouge 540. 

I heard whispers about this limited-edition holiday drop a few months back, and I swear on my life I’ve been keeping a countdown in anticipation of its release date. Because if there’s one thing I love in addition to Baccarat Rouge 540, it’s body oil. You understand my excitement, yes? I had the highest of high hopes and I was not disappointed in the slightest. In fact, I’ve stocked up on a questionably large supply so I don’t run out in the foreseeable future. 

Here’s the thing: This body oil nails every important category. The scent is obviously otherwordly (I’m forever indebted to you, Francis Kurkdjian). But the texture is just as elite as the famed fragrance. Because while it is an oil, it’s not oily whatsoever. It dries within seconds, leaving a smooth and silky film atop the skin. It’s not designed to be hydrating perse, but it’s certainly nourishing. Then there’s the sparkle of it all. The formula, which requires a good shake before use, is infused with flecks of gold and crystal. Now I pinky-promise it’s not excessively or disturbingly glittery. Instead, it gives a gorgeous glimmer. You can amp up the glitz with more product (I like to do this on my décolletage and chest), but you really only need about eight-ish drops per limb to get a luminous coat. 

Don’t let the glitter aspect limit your use, though. Because while it’s great for open-neck tops or for holiday parties, it can—and should—be used as a daily ritual. I lather myself in this oil before I climb into bed and rest assured I sleep like a baby. My skin feels silky smooth and I get little whiffs of Baccarat Rouge 540 as I drift off. I promise you: There’s nothing better.