Bethenny Frankel is telling her followers they can skip the $360 price tag on Maison Francis Kurkdjian’s Baccarat Rouge and spend $40 instead.
The reality TV personality and self-described “accidental influencer” posted on Instagram Stories this month about Alt. Crystal No. 23 Extrait de Parfum, calling it a near-match for the luxury fragrance.
“This smells so similar to Baccarat for a fraction of the price,” Frankel wrote, adding she was “shook” by the find.
She followed up on her shopping account, The List, where she said she likes to “smell a little richer” in the fall.
“Love an expensive fragrance as much as the next rich b*tch, and Crystal No. 23 gives me my Baccarat Rouge fix for a fraction of the price,” she wrote.
The unisex scent carries notes of jasmine and saffron along with cedarwood and amber. The brand describes it as bold and unflinching, and says it’s built for both work and play.
Alt. Crystal No. 23 holds a 4.6-star average across more than 14,000 reviews. One shopper described walking into an upscale restaurant and having the hostess ask if she was wearing Baccarat Rouge itself.
“I asked if she was kidding and looked around to see if I was on Candid Camera,” the reviewer wrote.
Alt, short for alternative, builds its business around producing lower-cost versions of well-known luxury fragrances. As Frankel put it in her post: “Whatever your expensive scent is, ALT. probably has a version of it.”
