Maison Francis Kurkdjian: the house and its perfumes

Maison Francis Kurkdjian was co-founded in Paris in 2009 by the perfumer Francis Kurkdjian and Marc Chaya. Chaya leads the company and Kurkdjian provides the creative vision. Kurkdjian had opened his own bespoke perfume workshop in 2001 and was named Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres in 2008. The ten perfumes we list are together in the Maison Francis Kurkdjian collection.

What the house stands for

The house thinks of its collection as a fragrance wardrobe: scents to choose from according to mood. It names its codes as purity, sophistication, timelessness and a reinvented classicism. Its product pages explain each key raw material, naturals such as saffron, jasmine, rose and sandalwood next to aroma-molecules such as Hedione and Ambroxan. The brand states no launch years, so this guide gives none either.

What the perfumes have in common

The main fragrances come in 35, 70 and 200 ml. Of our ten, six are Eau de Parfum, three Extrait de Parfum and one Eau de Toilette. A name can appear twice, because here each concentration is a perfume of its own with its own list of key ingredients, and that is how we present them; what the words themselves mean is covered in our guide to concentrations. For nine of the ten the house gives that list and a descriptive text, not a pyramid, so we do not sort the ingredients into top, heart and base. What such a pyramid would tell you is explained in our piece on top, heart and base notes.

The perfumes we list

In order of Parfumo rating counts, read from the site's list for this house in early October 2026, most rated first, which puts Grand Soir at the top. No Fragrantica counts were recorded for Maison Francis Kurkdjian.

Grand Soir Eau de Parfum

An evening perfume, set at the moment before the city lights come on, when the sky turns from honey tones to amber. The key ingredients listed are cinnamon tree, a vanilla amber accord, ciste labdanum and lavender, and the text adds lavandin, cinnamon leaf and benzoin facets. Ambery, woody and sensual, the house says.

Baccarat Rouge 540 Eau de Parfum

Created with the crystal maker Baccarat for its 250th anniversary, to capture the transparency and density of crystal. The list is short: Hedione, Ambroxan and saffron. The brand builds it on three auras: air, with jasmine and saffron, a mineral one from an ambergris-like, dry woody accord, and fire, from a gourmand ethyl maltol note.

Oud Satin Mood Eau de Parfum

A free interpretation of oud wood, a rare material, made to shimmer on the skin like a rich fabric. Violet, oud, Damascena rose, a vanilla amber accord and benzoin are listed, the rose as both essence and absolute. The house files it as woody, ambery and floral.

Baccarat Rouge 540 Extrait de Parfum

Not the Eau de Parfum at a higher strength but a perfume with its own list: Cashmeran, Ambroxan, Grandiflorum jasmine and saffron. The house presents it as a more intense reading of the same three auras, in which ethyl maltol and a touch of bitter almond give the gourmand fire. The bottle is dressed in a red that recalls Baccarat red.

Gentle Fluidity Silver

One half of a pair: two Eaux de Parfum made from the same six ingredients, juniper berries, nutmeg, coriander seeds, musks, amber woods and vanilla, dosed into two different silhouettes. In Silver, nutmeg and amber woods lead, with a very fresh juniper note above them. The brand calls it aromatic and woody.

Oud Satin Mood Extrait de Parfum

The Eau de Parfum's intensified sibling, a satin-like oud with stronger ambery accents. Its list is longer: violet, geranium, oud, Centifolia rose, Damascena rose, a vanilla amber accord and cinnamon. Plentiful roses round off the dark, animal side of the oud wood.

Gentle Fluidity Gold

The other half, made from the same juniper berries, nutmeg, coriander seeds, musks, amber woods and vanilla as Silver, in a different balance. Coriander seed, an extra measure of musks and vanilla take the lead, and amber wood adds brightness. Musky, ambery, comfortable and reassuring are the brand's words for it.

Amyris Homme Eau de Toilette

The brand's masculine take on what it calls the flamboyant pair of amyris wood and iris. Mandarin, rosemary, saffron, amyris, cedar, tonka bean and iris make up the list. Aromatic mandarin and rosemary are warmed by tonka bean absolute, in a scent described as fresh and woody at once.

Amyris Homme Extrait de Parfum

Here too the Extrait de Parfum has its own list: mandarin, saffron, vanilla, amyris, cinnamon, tonka bean and iris. Soft, spicy vanilla adds richness to the woody amber character of the amyris and iris pairing. The brand links it to the constant energy of Paris and writes it for men.

724 Eau de Parfum

The exception, because here the brand's text does give a full pyramid. A fresh urban accord of bergamot and aldehydes opens it, the heart is a bouquet of white flowers shaped by Grandiflorum jasmine absolute, sweet pea and mock orange, and sandalwood with white musk forms the base. The idea comes from city light and architecture.

Where to start

• Warm and ambery, for the evening: Grand Soir.
• Saffron and Ambroxan: Baccarat Rouge 540, as Eau de Parfum or as Extrait de Parfum.
• Oud with rose and violet: Oud Satin Mood, in either concentration.
• Juniper, nutmeg and musks: Gentle Fluidity Silver for the aromatic side, Gentle Fluidity Gold for the musky, vanilla side.
• Fresh woods with iris: Amyris Homme.
• White flowers and musk: 724.

Other houses, each with its own way of working, are listed on the brands page.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Extrait de Parfum at Maison Francis Kurkdjian just a stronger Eau de Parfum?

No. The house gives each concentration its own list of key ingredients. Baccarat Rouge 540 Extrait de Parfum adds Cashmeran and Grandiflorum jasmine, and Oud Satin Mood Extrait de Parfum adds geranium, Centifolia rose and cinnamon.

What is the difference between Gentle Fluidity Silver and Gold?

Both are made from the same six ingredients. In Silver, nutmeg and amber woods lead over a fresh juniper note; in Gold, coriander seed, extra musks and vanilla take over.

Why are there no top, heart and base notes for most of these perfumes?

The house lists key ingredients per perfume and explains each raw material, but gives no top, heart and base. Only for 724 does its text describe a full pyramid.