Baccarat Rouge vs Sol de Janeiro: Which fragranced body cream packs the biggest punch?

Buy now £70, Selfridges.com

Before we carry on, we need to make it known that our tester loves the original fragrance version of baccarat rouge 540. It’s a scent that’s been around for a few years but has recently gone viral on social media thanks to its alluring and distinctive notes of saffron, jasmine, amberwood, ambergris and cedar. It’s a truly one of a kind fragrance, and the body cream is just as addictive.

Expensive, yes, but our tester says it’s worth it: the texture is luxurious, it absorbs beautifully into skin leaving a velvety sheen in its wake that’s never greasy or oily. And the smell. Oh the smell. It’s strong without being overbearing – which, if you ask us, is a fine line to tread.

You could easily wear this alone without layering the fragrance on top, something which our tester did multiple times. It gives you a hit of baccarat rouge without being too much; and for over half the price of a 70ml bottle (£215, Selfridges.com) it’s a good compromise if you want to invest without breaking the bank. But, if you are already the lucky owner of a bottle, then this body cream also layers beautifully underneath to amp up the scent. We especially loved that we could still smell it faintly over a day after the initial application.

The only downside is the packaging: the twist-top lid and the firm, square bottle make it hard to squeeze – something that isn’t a problem at first, but we imagine it could get difficult to dispense when we start to reach the bottom of the bottle. Instead, a pump might work better – but that’s a small price to pay for a body cream that smells this good.

Buy now £46,Cultbeauty.co.uk

Despite being a relatively young brand (it launched back in 2016), it’s fair to say that Sol de Janeiro has firmly made its mark in the body care space. The original, now-cult, bum bum cream was an instant hit thanks to its sugary sweet, summer-inspired scent and beautiful texture. Since then, the brand has launched a couple of other creams with the latest being beija flor elasti-cream.

On first sniff, some people have compared its scent to that of baccarat rouge 540, and while it is reminiscent, it’s not quite the same. However, if you don’t want to shell out £70, Sol de Janeiro’s offering is a good alternative – but the scent won’t last quite as long on skin. Scent aside though, our tester found that the longer term skin care benefits are better here, which is something that makes sense when you consider that Maison Francis Kurkdjian is first and foremost a fragrance house, while Sol de Janeiro is first and foremost a body care brand.

Beija Flor contains a blend of hydrating, nourishing and skin-plumping ingredients, including squalane and collagen, and while we can’t vouch for cacay oil – which is billed as a “gentle retinol alternative” – we can vouch for how soft and moisturised it made our tester’s skin in just a few days of continuous use. It also feels like good value for money, and scooping the product out of a tub that’ll sit pretty on your dressing table is always a joy.

Lather this plant squalane-infused cream all over and reap the highly-moisturising benefits, especially in delicate areas like your neck and chest that are prone to moisture loss. Perfect for everyday use, notice as your skin transforms into a velvety-smooth version of itself as the aforementioned collagen and cacay oil get to work on boosting cell turnover — that’s right, you can add youth-boosting merits to its long list of accolades.

Restorative, replenishing and a dream to apply, expect your skin to drink up this cocktail of good skin care stuff. Trust us, you won’t be able to keep your hands off yourself.