Sauvage EDT by Christian Dior

In the world of fragrance, it is often an exciting event when Christian Dior releases a new cologne for men. After all, this is a brand which has come out with some absolutely amazing scents in the past and has a long history of creating winners for guy’s who enjoy a sophisticated scent.

In 2015, they released a new fragrance, Sauvage, which features an ad campaign starring Johnny Depp. Since then, this fragrance has become an absolute powerhouse in the world of men’s colognes.

Sauvage is super popular and a constant best seller (literally became the first men’s fragrance to be number one worldwide, outselling even all ladies’ perfumes) . The question is, is it worth it?

In this post, I want to give some of my thoughts about this new cologne and whether or not it lives up to the name of Dior. How does it smell? What are the notes? Does it last long? How’s the sillage? Is it actually something one should buy?

What does Dior Sauvage EDT Smell Like?

Notes include: Bergamot, Ambroxan, Sichuan Pepper, lavender, pink pepper, and more

Click here to try: Sauvage by Christian Dior Eau de Toilette for Men, 2 Ounce

My Full Wear Review

By now, one has probably seen the magazine adverts or the short ‘film’ starring Johnny Depp, in the media blitz before this fragrance’s release. This eau de toilette cologne is definitely a mass market affair.

However, that doesn’t mean that it is a terrible cologne. In fact, I rather enjoy the scent even it isn’t 100% unique in it’s scent or even if it can become a signature cologne for a guy.

2022 Update: Sauvage has become an absolute best seller in the world of men’s fragrance and has spawned seemingly endless imitators and somewhat similar scents (like: Dylan Blue)

Before we start, let’s see how Dior describes this eau de toilette: A radically fresh composition, dictated by a name that has the ring of a manifesto. That was the way François Demachy, Dior Perfumer-Creator, wanted it: raw and noble all at once. Natural ingredients, selected with extreme care, prevail in excessive doses. Radiant top notes burst with the juicy freshness of Reggio di Calabria bergamot. Ambroxan, derived from precious ambergris, unleashes a powerfully woody trail. Sauvage is an act of creation inspired by wide-open spaces. An ozone blue sky sprawled above a rocky landscape, white-hot beneath the desert sun. 

The composition is rather simplistic yet definitely delivers the masculine vibe that the designer was going for. The ambergris derivative , Ambroxan, is quite noticeable and gives Sauvage a solid foundation from which to present itself. It is clean, fresh, and inviting with a warm and spicy kick delivered by the Sichuan pepper note.

The opening features a very sharp bergamot note and lavender to go with that pepper kick. It is very similar to that of Luna Rossa Carbon, only that Prada fragrance doesn’t have the same level of citrus intensity in the start. I’ve done a post comparing these two colognes.

While Sauvage definitely has a sharp start, I feel like it gets smoother after some time has passed after application.

On my skin, the citrus subsides, after about 20 minutes of wear and I really start to get a noticeable ambroxan aroma. It is so well blended with the pepper, that some of the spicy edge is taken off of that note. However, the warm and smooth composition does have that solid spice throughout.

Sauvage is another cologne that strikes me as really fresh and sort of has that ‘right out of the shower’ vibe to it. The lavender note, which is found in so many soaps and fresheners, really adds to this feeling.

Lavender is one of the main differences between Sauvage and Luna Rossa Carbon, as it is much stronger in the latter than in this Dior scent.

The floral notes here are a bit underappreciated. Yes, the lavender is prominent in the composition, but there is also geranium and labdanum that are present in the background of Sauvage.

These help to support the outdoorsy, wide open spaces, vision that the designer was going for. They are pretty faint but they can come through in a whiff, if you’re familiar with how these notes smell.

While it is warm and has that underlying spice, there is a certain woodiness of cedar, which helps to further the raw masculinity which comes through in this scent. It is a very pleasant experience, though, it does draw reminders of other colognes I have smelt in the past.

So, I can’t really reward it points on a factor of uniqueness. A lot of that enveloping sort of feeling that comes with Sauvage, I think is due to the presence of pink pepper, especially in the dry down. It’s one of the main notes in something like Guess Seductive Homme, and I pick up on that pink pepper vibe with this Dior.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sauvage is a fragrance for the warmer months and it did very well on a hot day here. It seems like it should have been released before the summer season and not after because I don’t get a cold weather aura from it at all. That’s sort of odd considering how ‘warm’ it smells with the amber and pepper notes.

It has a moderate to fairly strong projection, in that it doesn’t overpower but it seemed to hold up fairly well on my skin for maybe 6-7 hours so the longevity is at least decent as well.

This is based of doing a few sprays for each wear, however, it can be overwhelming sometimes if you’re prone to wearing a lot of fragrance.

The opening act can indeed pack a punch. But, that is fairly short-lived and it becomes more moderated thereafter. Still, not a bad ability to leave a scent trail or just project off of the skin.

Update: Since I originally wrote this review, I have a lot more experience with Sauvage, and I do get much longer wear during the wintertime. Maybe bump that to 8-9 hours. Humidity, stifles its ability to last on my skin for its full capability.

Other folks report, having much better longevity with Sauvage than I do, and say it goes all day. Again, like every fragrance, it is going to depend on your own skin chemistry and how the cologne reacts with it on a particular day. For me, it’s just pretty good but not outstanding in how long it lasts.

Sauvage is actually a very versatile fragrance and I think that is one of the reasons that it has become so popular with the masses.

It’s something that could be worn to work or school (if you go light), but can be worn causally, dressed up, or even at the bar. It really has become ubiquitous at this point, but it does have so many uses that it’s completely understandable.

Lots of women do find this to be a sexy fragrance. I think it smells more ‘clean’ than anything sexy, but if members of the opposite sex are saying its sexy, I guess it is.

It’s pretty ubiquitous at this point, there are so many guys wearing it, and so many clones that it’s lost some of its appeal.

Overall Impression of Sauvage EDT

Overall, I think this is a very solid cologne but nothing all that special. I’ve never been a huge fan of wearing it, but I like it well enough. Dior Sauvage is too sharp for me at times, but then I catch a whiff and I rather like the ambroxan/citrus/lavender blend of the eau de toilette. I ‘get’ why people like it so much.

Though, as someone who reviews and wears a ton of different colognes, Sauvage just strikes me as kind of meh. However, if you want a cologne that is very versatile, has a wide fan base, and delivers good performance…Dior Sauvage EDT is a solid bet for the vast majority of guys. You won’t stand out, but you’ll get a lot of use out of a scent, with such a massive appeal.

Since the release of this original Sauvage, Dior has also released, the EDP and Parfum versions. In my opinion, they are both better than this one, Sauvage EDP being my personal favorite.

This version is very wearable and will provide a solid daily wear option for many guys. It’s not amazing, but it does an overall good job.

Best Men's Colognes

Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with different fragrances, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, I have written hundreds of reviews and other pages about perfumes and colognes.