By Designer

Sauvage Eau Forte by Dior

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Sauvage Eau Forte is the 2024 release under the popular banner from Dior. I wanted to get a sample of this one as soon as I could t see what this different formulation could provide (if anything) versus the rest of the lineup.

Sauvage Eau Forte Overview

Notes include: elemi, spice, blanched lavender, wood, musk

Click here to try: Eau Forte from Sephora

My Full Review

Apparently the innovation here is that this is a water based formula. Dior even says that it has a ‘unique milky composition’. I think that’s what it looks like in the full bottle.

I must say, it does sit on the skin a bit differently. It’s like a light stickiness when sprayed on and it does hang around.

Anyway, Sauvage Eau Forte starts off with cold feeling. A fresh and cold fougere, with a distinct elemi early on, and more of a generic spice. I wouldn’t be surprised if they blended some of the pepper used from other Sauvage entries.

The elemi note here is also found in Dior Homme Sport (2021). To me, the Dior elemi always seems to be more waxy than resinous, different from the one that Chanel has used in some fragrances. I do like it here, much more than in Sport.

Eau Forte does do a great job early on to capture the vibe of sitting by a waterfall in a forest. It’s more of an emotional impression to me, rather than the smell.

Although, the freshness with the woods and elemi, and emergent lavender to give you a naturalistic influence. There’s an earthiness here to the smell, the woodiness isn’t like a pine tree or anything just a resinous woody aroma.

I actually quite enjoy the opening act. It’s not too musky, you get a fresh and aromatic fougere, and there’s a good balance between the lavender and spices.

The next phase after the first 10-15 minutes is more influence from the lavender, musk, and the spices do hang around too. I get periods throughout the wear, when it seems the elemi is more heavily weighted than the musk.

But, ultimately the musk not is stronger. Lavender, musk, and spices. A bit of a different feeling than that waterfall impression, that I got immediately, still something enjoyable.

It’s clean with less of an intense freshness. It’ll shift into more of a laundry-like clean, as we move along, but it doesn’t fully stray into that territory as some others on the market.

The back half is where Eau Forte loses me. I get the first half, I like it. The back half is kind of a boring blend of musk and lavender. Elemi is still around some, a touch of wood maybe, no spice left on my skin.

Not a terrible smell. Just nothing really interesting.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, it’s not a powerhouse. It’s got a bit of a reach in the opening, but this is going to be more of a light to moderate fragrance. You can probably get a decent scent trail with some substantial sprays, but it’ll take more work than the other Sauvage perfumes.

That being said, the longevity is actually pretty good. It stuck around for just over 8 hours for me, on skin, despite this middle of the pack power.

Seasonally, I could wear this pretty much whenever. I might avoid the extreme cold or heat, but for the rest of the time, it’d be fine.

It’s not going to offend and probably won’t even stand out very much. Which, makes it safe enough to wear whenever, and basically fit in without problem.

Though, I would think of this much more as a casual or daily wear rather than something that is sexy or going to grab complements left and right. Although, I could see myself wearing this at night, if I wanted to.

Eau Forte isn’t too limited, for the most part. It’s not the sexiest scent nor the most formal. It’s good to go otherwise.

Overall Impressions of Sauvage Eau Forte

Overall, do I like Eau Forte? It’s pretty good, but nothing too spectacular. I do appreciate Dior actually taking the Sauvage line in a different direction and not just remixing the formula for another time.

Is that difference worth it? For me, not at this price point. It’s a fragrance that is worth trying out to see if you’re somebody it clicks with, but there’s no need to rush out and buy it.

Style-wise (not necessarily how they exactly smell),  Eau Forte reminds me of Rain Essence, H24, and a Narcisco Rodriguez fragrance (don’t remember exactly which one) in different ways.

Outside of Bvlgari Rain Essence, the other two are better fragrances than Eau Forte. Also, much cheaper than the $160 this one retails at as of now.

The opening 30-60 minutes of the wear is pretty nice. I like the coldness, the spice, and the balance of the notes. After that, it’s whatever.

It’s fine, on the whole. The performance is solid in terms of longevity, even if it isn’t a heavy sort of bomb that you may have come to expect from the series.

I would choose others in the line, if I wanted a Sauvage. I might pick this over Sauvage EDT, because that gets on my nerves now.

Eau Forte will probably get more hate for a while because it’s a Sauvage release. But, it’d be pretty mid-tier, if someone else had released it. A few years from now, people will probably be loving this edition.

I actually sprayed some Luna Rossa Ocean Le Parfum on my other arm, at one point during testing, and that cologne grabbed my attention more than this Dior. And I don’t even think that’s an amazing scent.

The truth is, this is a middle of the road scent. One that is overpriced for what you get in return.

YSL Myslf vs. Dior Sauvage EDP

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Myslf has become a popular fragrance from YSL in the relatively short time since its release. This is of course a short time when compared to the massive decade-long success of Dior’s Sauvage lineup.

Now that they are competitors, these two colognes will often be the final two scents that guys are deciding between which to get for themselves. I want to compare the two and give my own opinion on the better options, after having tested and worn each of them.

Now, since Myslf was released as an eau de parfum, I’m going to be comparing it with Dior Sauvage EDP, instead of the original EDT formulation.

Tale of the tape: YSL Myslf vs. Dior Sauvage EDP

Myslf

Notes include: bergamot, orange blossom, woods, patchouli, ambrofix

Click here to try: Myslf by YSL

My Full Review: Myslf 

Dior Sauvage EDP

Notes include: nutmeg, bergamot, ambroxan, vanilla absolute, lavender, Sichuan pepper, anise

Click here to try: Sauvage by Dior Eau de Parfum Spray 100ml

Read my original review: Sauvage EDP

Opening

Sauvage EDP starts things off with its ambroxan note, a smoky vanilla, and lavender. It’s warm, clean, and has a lot less of the lavender than the original Sauvage.

The bergamot, up top is lighter, and then you get spicy pepper later on in the wear.

But, that Sichuan pepper will share duties with both anise and nutmeg, which allows it to come across less harsh and more balanced than EDT.

I never expected to be too much of a fan of this opening, with the ambroxan. But, this formula really nails the weighting of all of the ingredients extremely well.

Myslf begins with bergamot and orange blossom, as it’s main combination.. It’s fresh and it also has a bit of a creaminess to how it smells, mostly due to the orange blossom note.

But, the very opening stage is a bergamot centered fragrance. That will change later on, but for the start it’s a fresh citrusy cologne.

If I were comparing Myslf to the EDT version of Sauvage, I’d give the YSL a pretty easy victory in this category.

However, the EDP is better. It has more complexity than the original and really sets a great tone early on. It’s a pretty close match, I do like the bergamot in the YSL cologne, but I’m going to go with Sauvage.

Edge: Sauvage EDP

Projection

Myslf for the first hour is actually fairly strong. Not a heavy fragrance, but it will create a substantial enough scent trail in your wake.

After that, it’s more of an intimate scent surrounding you. I’d say it sticks in that 1-3 foot range off of the skin, but it’s still noticeable.

Sauvage EDP is a beast. It will project itself much further and has a heavier feeling than you’re going to get with the YSL. Now, that might not be a great thing, depending on your tastes. However, it will provide some power.

Plus, after a few hours it will moderate, while still maintaining a high level of performance. It’s an easy win for the Dior scent in this category.

Edge: Sauvage EDP

Longevity

Myslf is an okay performer in terms of how long it lasts, it’s just not great. Every time that I’ve tested out the YSL fragrance, I’ve gotten around 6-7 hours worth of wear out of it.

With Sauvage eau de parfum, it will go for over ten hours on my skin. I’m not sure exactly when it quits, but it’s a much better performer than is Myslf EDP. Actually, any of the Sauvage entries seem to have a better longevity than the YSL.

An easy win for Dior.

Edge: Sauvage

Versatility

I think that this is where Myslf EDP has a distinct edge versus Sauvage EDP. And that’s not taking away from the versatility of the Dior, which is still quite good.

Myslf is just such an inoffensive and easy to wear fragrance, that it can fit in pretty much anywhere during any time of year. It’s an easy on to just spray on as an everyday wear, but is attractive enough to hit the nightlife, even if that’s not it’s main function.

Sauvage is less of a formal wear and something that works better in the autumn and winter months, the eau de parfum formula at least.

Overall Scent

Overall, which of these fragrances is the better buy? Again, since I’m comparing the two eau de parfum releases, I have a fairly distinct winner for most guys.

It’s going to be Sauvage EDP. If this were between Sauvage EDT and Myslf, the YSL would win easily, since I’m not too big of a fan of the original Sauvage. The eau de parfum really improved things, in my mind.

I think that it is the more interesting of the two fragrances. It has more depth and a greater variety of aromas to enjoy throughout. Beyond that, the performance of the Dior is much better.

That being said, I do like Myslf as a daily wear scent. While it is popular, not everyone already wears it like they do with Sauvage (the best selling fragrance on the planet).

So, if you want something more unique or that’s a better low key kind of daily wear that still smells good, you will probably want to go with the YSL scent.

Otherwise, just going off which of the two I think is better, it’s Sauvage EDP. I could enjoy wearing either, but I do have a preference for it versus Myslf EDP.

Winner: Sauvage EDP

Opium Pour Homme EDP by YSL

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Opium Pour Homme eau de parfum was released back in 1995. I haven’t come across a bottle of this concentration in many years, even after owning multiple bottles of the EDT version. I saw a bottle for sale on eBay while scrolling through fragrances, and immediately bought it.

Now, this is a discontinued cologne, but I want to do a full review of it anyway. How does this vintage scent hold up? Does it still last long? Is it worth a try?

Opium Pour Homme Eau de Parfum Overview

Notes include: star anise, black currant, Sichuan pepper, vanilla, ginger, balsam, cedar

My Full Review

Luckily, I managed to buy a bottle of Opium EDP both in its original box and sealed in the plastic wrap. This purchase and my buy of Kouros Fraicheur, both came, as they originally shipped.

I looked up the batch code for this bottle and it’s from 1997, during the Sanofi Beaute era of YSL Parfums. Actually having the box, made it easier to narrow down.

Based on the bottle alone, it would’ve been a 1995-1999 (maybe 2000, depending on when the change to the markings took place after the sale to PPR) guess as to when this scent was bottled.

It’s a 50mL (1.6 oz) bottle that can be refilled (or at least could’ve been).

Anyway, Opium EDP opens up with a blast of spice and the blackcurrant note, giving it a slight fruitiness. The blackcurrant in this old bottle isn’t all that great anymore. A bit sour, sort of like how the top citrus notes play out in my bottle of L’Homme Haute Concentration.

Still, not terrible, for how long its been shelved.

This does have the same balsam presence, as I notice in the EDT version, but here it is sitting under much more spice. The anise note is strong and is backed by a powerful blast of Sichuan pepper.

Quite warm, medicinal, spicy, and you can say that this has more relation to the opening of Opium EDT for Women.

For me, the pepper dies down first. That’s when I can notice the bit of ginger peaking through.  Opium becomes smoother, with an emergence of the vanilla, and great balsamic influence.

What’s interesting here, is the eau de parfum has a powdery aspect to it that I find is lacking in the edt version. Not a ton, but it’s there.

The back half of this is fresher, sweeter, with an ambery finish. Less of a powerful punch and more of a simple and well put together scent. Comparing it to the EDT, I get more cedar in the dry down, which was probably the weakest part of the lower concentration cologne.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The opening act is pretty strong here. You get a nice reach and scent trail going with this Saint Laurent fragrance.

I’d call the sillage strong. Well above average at first. Then, it will settle into something that is more moderate and has sort of an airy feel to it, rather than being a dense cloud .

It lasts over 10 hours for me, but it’s not a powerful 10 hours. More like it’s just sort of around, during the back half of the wear, after a much more substantial start. Honestly, not too much more powerful than the bottles of Opium EDT that I wore many years ago.

Spicier yes, just not a massive amount of difference in the performance.

Seasonally, this is autumn and winter all the way. It really shines in the colder weather, so it seems I won’t get much use of this one for at least a few more months.

I like to have Opium EDT on in the daytime, but with the greater depth and intensity, EDP can fit in either night or day.

It’s different from most of what’s out there today. Opium EDP isn’t going appeal to most of the younger set. There is a refinement here, still with appeal for plenty of people, just not something that’s going to be a daily wear for most.

It’s darker and does have an attractive or sexy aroma. Very masculine.

Overall Impressions of Opium Pour Homme EDP

Overall, do I like Opium EDP. Yes, it’s one that I’ve always appreciated and I do greatly prefer this version to the eau de toilette.

That ramped up spiciness really sells it for me. The anise here is potent, with an added warmth of spice from pepper and ginger notes. The ‘medicinal’ kind of aroma that this YSL fragrance can have, may not be for everyone.

It’s still a modern cologne, much more approachable than those that came before it, despite being released about 30 years ago. Still, it is different from much of the mainstream offerings today, especially from YSL itself.

Is it worth getting? For some people, yes. My bottle was just over $100. Though, I’ve seen other Opium EDP bottles going for way more than that. To me, approaching $200 is a tad too much, unless you’re a collector.

The EDT is much more available, but the last batches of that aren’t as good as they once were. My current bottle of that, is pretty mid, especially the performance.

Apparently, this was discontinued much later than I thought it was. Not sure exactly when, but I think it was still for sale in a few places around Europe not too long ago. Though, it’s done for good, as of now.

Opium EDP is a scent that I love adding to my collection. In a sea of men’s fragrances, which seem to copy one another, it’s nice to be able to wear something that’s completely different every so often.

Tuscan Leather vs Ombre Leather Comparison

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In this head to head comparison, we are going to take a look at two of the Tom Ford leather laden scents, Tuscan Leather vs. Ombre Leather 18. Ombre Leather was released in 2018 and is a variant of a 2016 release with the same name. Which of these unisex fragrances smells best? Which has the better performance? Which is a better buy overall?

Tale of the Tape: Tuscan vs. Ombre Leather

Tuscan Leather

Notes include: leather, suede, raspberry, jasmine, olibanum, saffron, amber

Click here to try: Tom Ford Tuscan Leather Eau De Parfume Spray for Men, 1.7 Ounce

My original Review: Tuscan Leather

Ombre Leather

Notes include: leather, moss, jasmine, amber, patchouli and cardamom

Click here to try: Ombré Leather Eau de Parfum Spray, 1.7-oz.

My review: Ombre Leather

Opening

Tuscan Leather opens up with a fantastic and rich leather note plus saffron. It reminds me a lot of Godolphin by Parfums de Marly. Also, Tuscan features a smooth and familiar black suede note and a bit of juicy raspberry to change things up a bit.

Update: Coming back to this one, years later. That raspberry note feels really potent this time around. It’s sweeter and really different. It almost makes me want to change my opinion on the openings here, but still would go with Ombre.

Ombre Leather, is actually closer to Godolphin than is Tuscan Leather. It shares notes of jasmine, leather, moss, and amber with that fragrance. The leather is just like that in Tuscan and better than the Parfums de Marly fragrance.

It is a dark, dry, warm, and supple scent. Much more like a leather jacket and earthier than is Tuscan Leather.

Which do a I prefer? I think that Ombre is the more interesting opening, it doesn’t have that hint of raspberry, but it does have a dry rugged quality that isn’t found in Tuscan Leather. I just like that opening better.

Edge: Ombre

Projection

Both fragrances start out strong and then move into a more moderate scent. However, Ombre Leather, reaches a higher peak in its sillage before moving into the moderate and feels more intense when I have it on than does Tuscan Leather.

Neither of these is a sillage bomb. However, they do both have a good amount of power, and Ombre is the better of them.

Edge: Ombre

Longevity

With the latest batch of Tuscan Leather that I tried, I got about 8-9 hours of wear from it. While Ombre Leather has a bit better sillage, it lasts on my skin from 6-8 hours, and doesn’t quite keep up with its predecessor.

Tuscan is marginally better, but it definitely has the edge on my skin.

I’ve seen some people say that they get a really long wear out of Tuscan Leather, at least more than I do. It seems to be the consensus that it is the longer-lasting perfume from Tom Ford.

Edge: Tuscan Leather

Versatility

Both of these scents are mostly for the autumn and winter months. Both can be unisex. Both can be worn casually or dressed up without problem. I don’t see a real edge in this category. They pretty much assume the same role.

The leather foundation pretty much sets things up that way. They are pretty similar fragrances in a lot of ways.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

I will start off by saying, that I enjoy both of these scents a lot. They are fantastic examples of leather used in fragrances, both have good performance, and smell great. They have a whole lot in common.

However, I am going to give the edge to Ombre Leather 18, over Tuscan Leather. For me, the newer scent has more going on and isn’t a linear as Tuscan Leather. Yes, they both start close to what Godolphin smells like, but Ombre Leather,

Ombre has a light addition of warm amber, dry moss, and earthy/slightly spicy patchouli. Add to that, a wonderful dry down in which jasmine gets paired with the leather to add a floral element to an already great fragrance.

Tuscan is great, but Ombre Leather has won me over versus that scent, and I’m going to give it the win in the head to head match up.

Update: I still like Ombre Leather more than Tuscan years later. I also personally prefer it to the later Ombre Leather Parfum release. That’s a good one, if you are a fan of violet leaf, as a note. I’m not too keen on it, but some other people like the Parfum version more

Winner: Ombre Leather

Creed Viking vs. Viking Cologne

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Viking became a fairly popular release from Creed some years back. With its success, the brand naturally launched a flanker fragrance to this formula, called, Viking Cologne. Now, consumers have two options to choose from when they want to own a Viking scent. The question is, which fragrance is better? Lasts longer? Is the better buy?

Tale of the Tape: Viking vs Viking Cologne

Creed Viking

Notes include: rose, pink pepper, bergamot, peppermint, sandalwood, vetiver, patchouli

Click here to try: Viking Eau de Parfum Spray for Men by Creed

Read my original Viking Review

Viking Cologne

Notes include: mandarin, lemon, bergamot, pink pepper, lavender, geranium, rosemary, sage, nutmeg, vetiver, sandalwood, patchouli, olibanum

Click here to try: Viking Cologne

Opening

Viking starts off with a bit of citrus up top. But, the peppermint, pink pepper, and sandalwood notes are all stronger. The citrus is just a bright blip in the mix.

It’s a mix of cool freshness and that warm peppery spice with woods. I love the crisp aroma of the peppermint, even as this settles into a fragrance with more balance.

Viking Cologne starts off with a strong pink pepper note, that is flanked by citrus notes. I mainly get lemon, but it’s being overshadowed by spice and some smokiness.

So, it’s mainly a fresh/smoky accord of the pink pepper, sage, and some of that incense wafting up from the base. After like 5 minutes, more of the citrus seems to finally break through on my skin. It’s like a lemon/orange blend.

This will transition into something with more of the sage, rosemary, lavender, and geranium. The citrus and pink pepper fade a good deal.

Which do I prefer? It’s actually a very close call for me. Cologne has plenty going on and I dig the blend and the emergence of the citrus.

But, between them, I’ll go with the original. The peppermint note really makes it for me. Plus, there is still overlap between these two, and I like the presentation of these notes by Viking more than Cologne.

Edge: Viking

Projection

I’ve always found the original Viking to have a very nice and steady ability to project. It was never a heavy fragrance that would bog down on you, but it’s got a nice reach and doesn’t just quite.

Early, Viking Cologne is similar. However, that will only last 30-60 minutes, before it begins its quick descent into skin scent territory.

Nice start, light moderate for an hour or so longer, and skin scent for the back half. Overall, it’s a lighter fragrance, as the cologne moniker would suggest. You should just be aware of that, before committing to a full bottle purchase.

Edge: Viking

Longevity

With the original Viking, I get somewhere in the 7-9 hour neighborhood each time that I wear it. The performance is actually good, not elite, but it gives you plenty.

With Viking Cologne, it’s around 4-5 hours. To be clear, hours 3-5 are basically a skin scent. It’s a pretty faint smell by that point, but still there.

This is an easy win for the original. A ‘cologne’ version of an above average performer, probably wasn’t ever going to be great, but Viking Cologne doesn’t even seem to reach mid-tier longevity.

Edge: Viking

Versatility

Both of these fragrances are daily wear types of fragrances, that are clean, but not super formal. You can wear them casually, to work, etc. Neither is all that ‘sexy’ or a club beast.

But, outside of that they are very versatile. I like Viking better in cooler to moderate temperatures. Viking is lighter, so maybe it has a slight advantage in the heat. Even still, it’s not that much of a summertime cologne.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

Overall, which of these fragrances do I like more?

In terms of the scents themselves, it’s a lot closer call than the categories might indicate.

Viking Cologne has a nice aroma. I like the smokiness, the freshness, and the citrus notes in the beginning. Also, that transition to the latter stages is also pleasing, especially wearing it outside on a mild day.

The performance of the cologne, is pretty bad. The longevity isn’t great and what power it has, doesn’t even make it far into that short run time.

Viking, I think, smells better. Beyond, just being a much better performer.

I like the balance of the notes. You get a floral middle, spiciness, freshness, and then woods in the dry down. There’s some smokiness and even a touch of sweetness, at times. All together, I am more impressed with the original versus what you get with Viking Cologne.

Cologne doesn’t live up to the lofty price tag, even if, it isn’t a bad smelling scent.

Winner: Viking