Dior Sauvage is, hands down, one of the most popular and bestselling men's fragrances of our time. It tops bestsellers lists year after year, and it has probably become one of the most iconic fragrances of the 21st Century, full stop. And while I appreciate that not everyone likes a widely-worn scent (myself included), Sauvage deserves an exemption from such preferences. Why? Because it is, hands down, the most versatile, great smelling and wearable men's scent in existence.
Look, I know what you're thinking, and I too am aware of the commentary around Sauvage at the moment—you only have to step foot into any given bar on a Friday night and be somewhat accosted by its fresh, citrusy aroma. In 2024, it feels like everyone considers it their signature scent. But, in my opinion (which I hope carries some weight, having been a beauty editor who has worked with fragrance every single day for the past nine years), Sauvage's popularity shouldn't deter anyone from buying into it—particularly when it comes to the other blends that aren't the classic Eau de Toilette.
You can't deny it, Sauvage is a total work of art and exists as a wonderful sort of fragrance chameleon (similarly to Bleu de Chanel)—it works for anyone at any time, working in the exact way you want it to and when. Take my husband, for example. Over the years in this job, I have created somewhat of a fragrance monster out of him. Not a single one of his 'signature scents' costs less than £200 and, for the most part, he will only wear niche fragrances—the minute he smells it on somebody else, he wants out.
Dior Sauvage, however, is the one exception. In fact, he keeps a few variations of it on his shelf at all times. Sauvage possesses that sort of sweet, juicy freshness, paired a peppery, skin-like element, that creates what I like to call a 'just showered' fragrance. You know the one I mean—the sort that radiates clean-smelling, just-out-of-the-shower skin. To me, a whiff of Sauvage signifies that my husband is pulled-together and feeling his very best.
Key notes: Bergamot, ambroxan
And while, in recent months, the classic (and most popular) Eau de Toilette has taken a back seat in his collection, the more powdered Eau de Parfum, the creamier Parfum and the spicier Elixir have had more air time than ever before. And if you (or whoever you plan to buy a fragrance for) is put off by the popularity of Sauvage Eau de Toilette but adore the olfactory experience it delivers, I urge you to look into these variants.
While the Eau de Toilette is juicy and tickles the nose, the Eau de Parfum still possesses that cool, sinus-clearing hit, but manifests in a creamy, more delectable sort of way. It melts into the skin with a sort of warmth that the EDT does not, leaving an ever so slight trail of smoke in its tracks.
Next up on the intensity scale is the Parfum, where sandalwood and cedar play into the subtle skin-like aspect of the original scent to deliver a beautifully warming, creamy concoction.
Key notes: Bergamot, vanilla extract
Key notes: Mandarin, bergamot, sandalwood, cedar
The real MVP in my husband's 2024 fragrance wardrobe, however, has to be newest addition to the Sauvage family, the Elixir. It is, by far, the most unique-smelling of the bunch, leaning furthest away from the coolness that Sauvage has become renowned for. It delivers an intense hit of sugar and spice and everything nice. A sweet pepper spikes the nose first, before trailing off into a spicy forest where powdered lavender lines the floor. But while it does this, the fresh, moreish and frankly sexy appeal of Sauvage is still there, making you want to go back for just one more sniff every single time. It is, in my opinion, absolute perfection.
Key notes: Grapefruit, cinnamon, nutmeg, lavender,
Sauvage is, in essence (pun sort of intended), the men's fragrance to own. If the Eau de Toilette is simply too popular for you (although, the very fact that so many people adore it should tell you a thing or two about how great it is), the Eau de Parfum, Parfum or, my favourite, the Elixir each deliver a point of difference that sets them apart in a crowd while still luring in the abundance of compliments that Sauvage has become famed for.
