Red Temptation Elixir Parfum by Zara

I bought it blind because I couldn’t find the traditional version, and the surprise was wow—an extraordinary first impression. A very captivating scent, very similar to the previous one that I praised so much. I’m happy with the purchase and consider it a very versatile and timeless perfume.

A new, more intense version of Zara’s successful Red Temptation, famous for being considered the dupe of the mythical Baccarat Rouge 540. In my opinion, without diminishing its quality, although it has a very reasonable resemblance, I don’t consider it an exact clone. What stands out is its intensity and longevity, which far surpass the eau de parfum thanks to the concentration (you can tell by the darker color). In the opening, you note that warm sweetness of bitter orange, like a slightly spiced orange reduction. Then it evolves into praline, something like a chocolate filled with orange liqueur, and as it dries down, woody and green notes appear, where the cilantro is most noticeable. It’s a long-lasting fragrance with good projection and an interesting evolution that you feel like a small personal bubble of scent.

The Elixir is rounder, very well blended, and it doesn’t give me the headache the original did. I love it; I can’t wait for the cold weather to wear it on a special night. It smells tremendously elegant and lasts on the skin for an eternity. It’s warm, mysterious, and alluring. It has more sweetness in the praline than the original, but it’s not cloying; it’s woody. It’s one of those perfumes that leaves a mark, with a lot of personality, for a confident woman, a boss. I think it’s a great perfume.

Excellent quality-to-price ratio. It easily lasts more than 12 hours, and two sprays are enough. It’s a darker and more mysterious scent than the Baccarat Rouge 540, and certainly much more potent. I’ve been wearing it for a month, and there’s polarization in the opinions. Some love it, others hate it. I personally believe it has a lot of class, although it’s not a standard perfume. I recommend trying it before buying.

Stronger and longer-lasting than the first Red Temptation. It resembles the BR540 extrait and Mancera’s Instant Crush. It lasts all day, ideal for cold weather. It shines the most in winter.

I don’t get the hype that Zara’s Red Temptations are amazing dupes of my beloved Baccarat Rouge 540. My desire to get Baccarat at a steal price led me to believe everything I read online, and the truth is, what a letdown. And with this Elixir version, even more so than the rest of the line (though I’ve bought them all, and this is the one that reminds me the most), it doesn’t resemble it! It has a super alcoholic opening, takes time to settle, and after a while I find out why people say it smells like BC540: it’s just a few shared notes. As I said, it can remind you of it, but don’t buy this if you expect it to smell like the wonderful, wonderful Baccarat. Forget about it entirely.

Amazing perfume!!! You can clearly tell it’s the Elixir version due to its concentration and longevity, and yes, it’s practically identical to the traditional Red Temptation, but with that wonderful praline. If you like the Red Temptation, it’s a safe buy.

It’s incredibly similar to the BR540 Extrait and crushes the regular Red Temptation; this Elixir version is super oily, you can tell the quality, it’s warm and long-lasting, you really get that delicious burnt sugar vibe! Worth every penny for me, I even feel it outshines the well-known Al Haramain Ruby Edition because the RT Elixir projects in the air (I get anosmia to all BR540 dupes), while the other Arabic scent falls flat and is quite expensive. A Zara hit for me.