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In today’s cologne comparison, I’m going to do a head to head matchup between two more extremely popular fragrances for men, Dior Sauvage and Invictus. Which of these scents smells better? Which has better performance? Which one is the more versatile cologne? Please continue below for my full take on these two fragrances.
Which is Better? Sauvage EDT vs. Invictus
Tale of the Tape
Sauvage
Notes of Sauvage: bergamot, ambroxan, lavender, pepper, wood notes
Click here to try: Christian Dior Sauvage for Men Eau De Toilette Spray, 3.4 Fluid Ounce
Invictus
Notes include: grapefruit, sea notes, mandarin orange, bay leaf, jasmine
Click here to try: Paco Rabanne Invictus Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 3.4 Ounce
Opening
The opening of Sauvage gives off an aroma of amber, pepper, and the sharp bergamot note. There is a bit of spice to it but I do get a lot of the ambroxan. It’s nice and dries down to a clean/soapy scent with some slightly spice wood notes and the ever present bergamot.
Invictus has a candy-like opening of grapefruit/orange while retaining an aquatic appeal. It’s youthful and summery. Invictus also ramps it up with a bay leaf spice and amber.
It’s like the candy sweetness of one of the 1 Million fragrances with its oceanic element giving it a different direction. It does change somewhat, as it moves along, but you get most of what the fragrance is up front.
In this case, I enjoy the bergamot/amber combo than the artificial candy scent that Invictus puts out. I’ve actually grown to enjoy Invictus more than I used to, but I still think that the opening of Sauvage is better…and I’m not even a huge Sauvage EDT fan.
It was almost enough to tip the scales in favor of Invictus, but not quite.
Edge: Sauvage
Projection
Both Sauvage and Invictus are strong from the start. Invictus dips somewhat after a few hours of wear, while Sauvage mostly keeps chugging along.
These scents lean towards the stronger side of things, but I think Sauvage is slightly ahead. That being said, I think that the sweetness of Invictus can be much more noticeable/annoying, when over-sprayed.
I think Sauvage will leave a greater scent trail behind you, as well. It’s a more consistent sillage.
Edge: Sauvage
Longevity
Sauvage gives me 6-8 hours of wear, usually towards the higher end of that range. Meanwhile, Invictus gives 6-7 hours most of the time, and can occasionally surprise with an extra hour. Sauvage is more consistent in this regard.
Both are pretty good, but not elite with the longevity. Most of the time, they will be about even, but Sauvage has an extra gear that Invictus lacks.
For some people, Sauvage can go even longer than what it seems to do for me.
Edge: Sauvage
Versatility
I think both of these colognes has good versatility in terms of when you can wear it. They can both be casual scents and then also be worn for a night out or for romantic wear.
Both are mostly spring/summer scents and while you could technically wear both in the colder months of the year, they aren’t really in their element.
I might give the edge to Sauvage, as it can have a more mature vibe, but it really isn’t enough to separate them. As I don’t feel, that either is a formal type of scent.
Edge: Push
Overall Scent
I like both of these scent, but I’m not personally crazy about either one. Other folks, seem to have a much higher opinion of both, than I do. However, if I had to choose one to wear, I’d pick Sauvage. It’s just better, in my opinion.
If you really like the way Invictus smells, that’s cool. However, I can’t place it all that highly even in the Paco Rabanne family of scents anymore. I’d rather wear, Invictus Intense over the original and either 1 Million cologne over both of them.
To me, Sauvage smells better than either Invictus option. tThough, I’d wear 1 Million Prive ahead of any of them.
Sauvage is a bright and upbeat cologne that has amber-y citrus freshness, that dries down into a clean and soapy blend with woody undertones. It’s nice and works well.
As of right now, if you enjoy both of these colognes, you might select Invictus, since you can usually find bottles for much cheaper than you can for Sauvage. If it’s just based of smell and performance, go with Sauvage. There are plenty of other cologne alternatives to Dior Sauvage too.
Both have become insanely popular over the years, so, you won’t really stand out with either choice.
Winner: Sauvage
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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.