Sauvage Review

Last month, I posted my initial impression of Dior’s latest male release on Basenotes, following the very briefest of in-store sniffs. Then, I pegged it as a ‘...very generic modern fougère: a fresh head accord of sundry hesperidic notes linked to cologney, dihydromyrcenol lavender, the whole thing backed up by some powdery dry woodsy-ambers and musks’.

Having had the opportunity to spend a little more time with the fragrance, I can’t say my thoughts have greatly changed, but it’s worth adding a little flesh to the above skeleton.  

The fragrance opens with a standard smelling citrus accord built around bergamot and melonal/calone (/vel.sim.) that’s tartly breezy. The linalool/linalyl facets are freshened up with a good dose of dihydromyrcenol lending the composition a legible masculine cologne character. This metallic coolness carries over to a fruity green heart that has a distinctly oily, violet leaf quality – an oblique reference perhaps to J.-L. Sieuzac’s 1988 Dior classic, Fahrenheit. Sauvage though, has a much more pronounced woodsiness, with plenty of Iso E Super radiance that ties in with a powdery base of desiccated woody ambers and, carrying on the laundry detergent theme introduced by dihydromyrcenol, clean polycyclic type musks.

Dior’s answer to a question nobody asked.

Nose: François Demachy

House: Dior

Release date: 2015

Notes (per Fragrantica): bergamot, sichuan pepper, ambroxan.

Grand Bal Review

One of the weaker links in Dior’s Collection Privée line, Grand Bal is essentially a lightweight, jasmine soliflore. The central, Hedione brightened white theme carries lily of the valley nuances and is surrounded by some standard smelling, watery-metallic green notes. After an hour or so on skin however, the composition has all but run its course, and what remains is a nondescript, jasmine tinged, starchy-clean musk fond. 

Nose: François Demachy

House: Dior

Release date: 2012

Notes (per Fragrantica): musk, jasmine, orange blossom, ylang-ylang, sandalwood, bergamot. 

Diorling Review (Vintage EdT)

Diorling, by Paul Vacher, was an exceptionally elegant floral-leather chypre; a classic coming together of bone-dry suede and a soapy-aldehydic bouquet dominated by muguet, rose and jasmine. Of course, since this is a child of the ’60s, there’s patchouli and real oakmoss aplenty in the fond, just to dirty things up some.  

While Diorling may not have caused any seismic shifts in the perfumed paradigm, to sniff it now, one can’t help but smile at its optimistic, retro charms.

Nose: Paul Vacher

House: Dior

Release date: 1963

Notes (per Fragrantica): hyacinth, bergamot; iris, jasmine, rose, lily-of-the-valley; vetiver, musk, patchouli, oak moss, leather.

Dior Homme Review

Dior Homme’s silver box presentation is apt to reflect the metallic tones of orris and the coolness of lavender, which pairing essentially constitute the fragrance.

After a fresh bergamot opening that has a slight waxy facet, the scent gains in floralcy with the appearance of subtle, lily-like accents. Assertive woody ingredients meanwhile, serve as a ‘masculine’ balance: these include vetiver or, more precisely, vetiveryl acetate, which represents vetiver oil freed of its more earthy qualities, as well as the ubiquitous Ambrofix + Iso E Super blend. Though I find the dry cedar initially intrusive, it soon settles into its proper place. Finally, the steely composition reveals its soft side with a gourmand finish of cocoa and vanilla.

Nose: Olivier Polge

House: Dior

Release date: 2005

Notes (per Fragrantica): lavender, sage, bergamot, iris, amber, cacao, cardamom, patchouli, leather, tahitian vetiver.