Red Potion

Since I have read about Red Potion here on Fragrantica, I wondered how exactly this fragrance with completely different notes than BR540 can smell like BR540. I’ve tested it recently during a Douglas visit and everyone is right. The scent is not identical to BR540 but the difference are minimal, especially when the fragrance is on skin for a few hours. So yes, The Merchant of Venice has done their take on the super popular fragrance created by Francis Kurkdjian with Red Potion. Good news is that it’s way cheaper and comes in a luxurious bottle, depending on your personal preference, potentially even better looking than MFK’s bottles.

Another funny coincidence. I just received a travel size of BR450. First time I tried it (yes, I must be behind the times). I spray it on and think: “Boy, does BR540 remind me of Red Potion.” Not identical, but same vibe. I’ve been wearing and loving Red Potion for years. Now I know. I’m a huge fan of The Merchant of Venice perfumes and I naturally gravitate towards their products. Dupe or no dupe, Red Potion is good stuff IMHO.

I'm just wearing now. From first spray, it remind me to BR540 immediately. After ffew minutes, it's showing orange and oakmoss notes that remind me feel more Aventus and BR540 with no rubber scent. I think its another version of half-half BR540 and Aventus with more natural scent. This is so cool, it can use for unisex and I lovin this.

a perfect clone of Bacarat but in a very good way. i love this perfume especially the hair mist its a perfect price and good to buy. i bought this from Dubai Mall in the UAE, they have an amazing boutique with many lovely collectables from Venice.

I was given a tester of this in the Venice flagship store. I can't get enough of it and both of the two people I have asked to smell it think it is gorgeous. The best way I can describe it is that it is a facsimile of a berry fragrance but has been created without any actual use of a berry note. For this reason the name Red Potion seems very fitting to me yet it is warmer,smoother and much more complex than the description,'a berry fragrance' can ever convey. I own a ridiculous amount of fragrance (and find being on this site comforting as I think I'm in good company). As a consequence I really only invest in a new fragrance now if it is unique and different from what I already own. Red Potion is unlike anything I have ever smelled before. In addition it smells to me of an expensive composition which in my experience cannot really be faked. This is reflected in the price but justifiably I should think. I can't really comment fully on the silage as I am trying to eek out a tiny tester until I can bring myself to shell out for a full bottle but I put it on my wrists and can smell it as I move around for about 4-6 hours. It is quite a soft fragrance, no screechiness at all. When I have put it on clothes I can smell it the next day if I re-wear an item of clothing. I felt compelled to write a review when I saw how low the previous ratings of it were. I think that any unique fragrance is likely to be polarising and just wanted to present a balance as it could be a 'love' for many.

First impressions. Test on blotter. Imagine a basket of strawberries freshly picked on a sunny day. Red Potion by an Italian niche perfume house The Marchant of Venice smells just like that, although there is no strawberry note in it. It is a warm and sweet smooth woody fragrance. The stunning red and gold bottle can be misleading as it suggests a very seductive date night perfume. In fact Red Potion is a chic but also fun and uplifting scent. Very likeable. It seems to be easy to wear and versatile enough to become a signature scent. It is targeted to both men and women, but I do not find it to be unisex at all. It is so feminine! It reminds me of Miss Dior Cherie by Dior, which sadly has been reformulated. It has a similar vibe. I am not (yet) an expert in categorising perfume, so maybe I am wrong, but I would consider calling Red Potion a modern woody chypre. Traditional chypres have bergamot in the top notes, labdanum in the middle notes and oak moss in the base notes. Red Potion has orange in the top, orange blossom in the middle and oak moss in the base. Please let me know, if am right. If you enjoyed the strawberry note in Miss Dior Cherie or if you like the wild strawberry note in L’Interdit by Givenchy, Red Potion by The Marchant of Venice is a must try.

My sister in law gifted me this fragrance for my birthday which she has actually picked it for herself. :) I knew that “in your face” beast mode sugary gourmands are her deal, thats why this one surprised me a lot. The sweet effect is there as expected but with a sugar coated zesty and herbal twist, which makes this scent interesting. The drydown is very creamy and delicate and close to skin, i can not imagine this scent can be cloying to anyone like BR540. Even though i have middle eastern roots, i can not stand ambery heavy parfumes like BR540. Red potion is in a very different leauge. I can not understand the comparison to BR. Red potion is delicate and has kinda innocent sexy vibe. I am also happy i dont get any jammy fruity nuance which i dont like in parfumes. The sillage is sadly moderate to low and staying power is medium on skin, on clothing it stays.

Like a reviewer below ghunter said. It’s BR540 with an Aventus vibe in there as well! My GF even picked up on it without me even saying a word when she tried it for the first time. I dig it. Performance is ok from this house but not many original scents it seems..wouldn’t buy it again. On a side note, mix this with Venetian blue and you’ve got a great combo! Still wouldn’t buy anything from this house again once I use them up.

I didn't know anything about this perfume, I only heard the name in past and sice I own La Fenice and Tonka Venezuela, I was very happy to try other perfumes from this house in a new Douglas store in my city. I was shocked to find out right after first smell it's Baccarat Rouge dupe. They are so similar but Red Potion is a little bit weaker. Why did they do it?

I blindbought it because it was for a really good price. It definitely has BR540 DNA, but it’s not a dupe. It’s way more metallic and sweet. It’s nice actually

It's a baccarat rouge 540 without the projection and slightly more citric, which makes it more bearable (I absolutely hate BR540 to the point it makes me sick). If you like BR540 you will definitely like this, and it can be a body splash version of it for you when you don't want to make everyone in your office sick with the smell of that one. Overall I think the smell is better than BR540 because it's more citric, less heavy and smells less like burned cigarets... but it is a bit medical. Lasts longer than and projects more than Merchant of Venice fragrances, but is still way weaker than BR540.

baccarat rouge 540 clone! that iodine stink, but also a sweet note. love the bottle design, so elegant, a statement.

Br540 nothing special Im sad to have it Cuz this brand is so fancy and loveable but Scent of this one make me sad

Copy of Baccarat Rouge. I don't see anything to congratulate it on. Instead maybe buy the original. -

I find it quite strange that Red Potion by The Merchant of Venice is often deemed a clone of Baccarat Rouge 540 by Maison Francis Kurkdjian. Despite the candied sweetness of Red Potion, I actually don't find this to be at all similar to BR 540, which smells heavily of strawberry jam and caramelized sugar to my nose. Red Potion smells like a jar of hard boiled red lollies, and has a borderline raspberry cough syrup vibe that I don't particularly enjoy, especially in the opening. Sweet fragrances absolutely dominate the market at the moment, and a sales representative was quite certain that I would adore this fragrance seeing that I am in my 30s. She was quite surprised to discover that sweet scents are not my particular cup of tea. I must admit that the packaging for Red Potion is absolutely divine. The venetian glass inspired bottle and it's accompanying presentation is very luxurious and feminine, and is most likely what drives the sales for this brand. As a supposed clone of Baccarat Rouge 540, Red Potion has nowhere near the same kind of longevity and scent projection, and sadly this fragrance's lasting strength is rather weak. This fragrance's composition is mostly tonka bean and orange, with sugared orange blossom and a hint of rosemary to tone down some of its sweetness. If a BR 540 clone is what you are seeking, this is not it. Armaf's Club de Nuit Untold or Ariana Grande's Cloud are much better alternatives. I would suggest sampling Red Potion without any preconceived notions of what it should or shouldn't smell like to experience the scent fully.

i grabbed this from mall of dubai on my recent trip there. i smelled it on paper first (they were handing out strips and got me!). i did hit initially recognize this as BR440-adjacent; i was i initially captivated by the sweetest and most prominent red berry (strawberry?) smell (which is true artistry bc there isn’t an actual berry/strawberry note here) . i whipped out my wallet so fast - couldn’t pass it up (luckily they entertained my haggling and gave me a great deal. not normally my vibe but i was fresh from the gold souk... i digress). yes, this absolutely smells like (and is an interpretation of) baccarat rouge. but more like baccarat rouge’s sweeter / funner / more energetic sister. if you couldn’t get into the burnt/medicinal aspect of baccarat rouge, you might try this one. i have and love both but ive been reaching for this one more as i find it a bit more wearable for every day.

Wow yes. Baccarat 540 associations. I've now smelled 4 that smelled like it, all with varying notes. Based on the notes you again wouldn't think it's going to be so similar. But this one to me is definitely nicer than 540 it's not ruined by the pine. I also find it rather musky, leaning on masculine but absolutely able to be worn by women. This kind of musky I really enjoy, it's what I call a hormonal smell where it's a little bit feral, but not the typical pungent male's locker room musk feel. Very nice smell, if I had to chose this one would win over 540 for me. Rosemary super subtle, (this note isn't amazing if overblown) and the immortelle is also on it's best behaviour here (that also, can cause a certain type of dusty sticky bitter smell) Not in this one. It is a touch earthy, but super smooth and rounded overall. ***Get in touch to swap samples! UK ***

I've been wanting this for awhile so I have questions! This is supposed to be much like Baccarat Rouge 540...Is it similar, is it almost exactly or exactly ") Does it project well, or not much. I own Gharaam Swiss Arabian for women and men, it's supposed to be similar to Baccarat, maybe it is and maybe it's not. I love the smell of Gharaam Swiss Arabian and it does last, however it's more a skin scent, no projection whatsoever- this I do not like. I'm certainly not shelling out Baccarat monies but would purchase this one. Update: Did shell out $ for BR540. lol

Well, simply put, it's the "baccarat" from merchant of venice, why not?? Tiziana has spirito fiorentino, Mancera has instant crush, Montale has sensual instinct, Arabian Oud has bussma, burberry has burberry her, Ariana has cloud and Bond no 9 has Greenwich village. Though each brand has its own distinctive feature, but it has the same vibe nonetheless. Looks like every brand wants a piece of baccarat... But yeah, the juice is good, the quality is there, and the flacon is to die for...

Okay, this is something I have already said in my Eywa FreeShape Milano review, but... I do not get niche clones of Baccarat Rouge 540. BR 540, but for 50 euros? Sure. BR 540, but for 10 euros? Absolutely. BR 540, but for 250 euros? No. I'm going to buy the original for the same price, or 50-70 bucks more (depending on the region), and not have to explain to the 100th person who clocks the similarity that it's not the real thing.