Baccarat Rouge 540 vs Cloud by Ariana Grande

Somehow, I forgot to do this post when I was really going through the Ariana Grande scents and various perfumes that Baccarat Rouge 540 smells like, months ago. Nonetheless, here I am to make up for that fact and do my full comparison post between Cloud and Baccarat Rouge. Which smells better? Lasts longer? Is the better buy?

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Tale of the Tape: Ariana’s Cloud vs Baccarat Rouge 540

Cloud by Ariana Grande

Notes include: pear, lavender, bergamot, praline, whipped cream, vanilla orchid, coconut, musk, wood

Click here to try: Ariana Grande Cloud Eau de Parfum Spray, clear, 3.4 oz

Read my full review: Cloud by Ariana Grande

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Baccarat Rouge 540

Notes include: saffron, ambergris, cedar, fir resin, jasmine

Click here to try: Buy from Saks

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Opening

Cloud begins with a nice sweetness and bright disposition. Pear is the main attraction early on in the wear. But, it is joined also by the light citrus juiciness of the bergamot, and the ever growing lavender note.

On me, it takes about 20-30 minutes to start to get to the soft and fluffy heart of Cloud. That’s when the praline, whipped cream, and creamy coconut show up. The bergamot will take a back seat and everything is rather well blended.

With Baccarat Rouge 540, the jasmine and lavender have the lead early on. It is much less of a sweetish fragrance than Cloud, but you do still get some, and a hint of a lemon-like aroma up top.

It will develop further into a woody and resinous aroma, as it moves along.

Which fragrance do I like more at the start? It’s actually kind of a close call.

I enjoy elements of Cloud, once it really gets going at around the half hour mark. The softer, creamy edible notes are a nice touch and the fruits have settled. It’s sweeter and in some ways smoother than BR 540.

With BR 540, I like the resinous aspects of the perfume. The hedione  with the light lemon note is pretty attractive. I think I lean slightly to the Francis Kurkdjian scent.

Edge: BR 540

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Projection

Both of these scents start off with a strong sillage. The Ariana Grande scent surprisingly keeps up well for most of the wear. Both will turn into scents with an airy quality about them, but they are still moderate with their projection.

However, in my testing of each, it seems that Rouge hits a higher peak and has a longer run before it becomes a skin scent than does Cloud.

BR 540 takes this one.

Edge: BR 540

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Longevity

The longevity is really one area where the relative quality of each scent becomes fairly apparent. With Cloud, I’ve never managed to get more than six hours, on my skin. It hits that 5-6 hour range before fading.

Baccarat Rouge, actually has a rather wide range of outcomes. Some days it’s 8 hours. Then, I’ve also gotten up to 12. It sort of depends on the climate and what I’m doing. But, 10 hours seems to be about the average.

So, about double what I get with Cloud.

Edge: Baccarat Rouge 540

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Versatility

Seasonally, they are both best served by being worn in the autumn or winter. Springtime is also fine, but I’d avoid either during the height of summer.

Cloud is probably more versatile for the younger crowd. It’s not a complete ‘teenager’ fragrance, but is more appropriate for that age group than is BR 540. Though, plenty of women over 30 wear Cloud too.

BR 540 has a more well put together and serious tone than the more sugary fluffy Cloud does.

Baccarat Rouge is probably a bit more versatile in when it can be worn. But, not by a huge margin.

Edge: BR 540

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Overall Scent

So, it’s a clean sweep for Baccarat Rouge? Yes. But, that doesn’t mean that it’s going to be worth the way more expensive price for everyone.

BR 540 has gotten a bit overhyped over the past few years. It’s a nice perfume, but not one that I absolutely love. Cloud isn’t either, but it’s fine and a lot more people seem to like it than I do. To me, there are better Ariana Grande scents.

I think Rouge Extrait is better than the original. Heck, Cloud 2.0 is better than its predecessor.

Cloud is nice. I like the whipped cream, coconut, and praline part the best. When there is still enough pear and before the dry down. It is an attractive perfume. But, it also has a plasticky smell on my skin, at times.

Plus, the lavender and woodsy dry down that’s most like BR 540, isn’t nearly as good.

Baccarat Rouge gets better and feels more dynamic. I like the smooth and candy-like sweetness, that can overcome the cold cleanliness of fir and cedar. Also, I love saffron as a note, and it complements this Francis Kurkdjian perfume well.

BR 540 wins this. But, if you haven’t smelled it before, I’d recommend getting a sample size before committing to a full bottle. Despite it’s popularity, you may not actually dig it quite as much.

Winner: BR 540