Certain iconic fragrances have an army of supporters who despise any “fiddling” with their beloved perfume; Dior's Eau Sauvage by perfumer Edmond Roudnitska is one such fragrance. Released in 1966, Eau Sauvage has been getting lots of love for decades, even as the formula was tweaked. I like Eau Sauvage and enjoyed its variations: Eau Sauvage Extrême (1982 version) and 2007’s Eau Sauvage Fraîcheur Cuir (both discontinued). I’ll admit to getting a little excited at the prospect of Eau Sauvage Parfum (which is not, strictly speaking, a flanker, but a new concentration of Eau Sauvage Eau de Toilette).*
Featuring bergamot, vetiver, myrrh, woods and amber, Eau Sauvage Parfum was developed by perfumer François Demachy and is described as a woody-amber perfume (as opposed to the original Eau Sauvage Eau de Toilette, an aromatic citrus-floral); thus, I didn’t think for a minute that the new Parfum would be a “stronger” version of the original fragrance.
Eau Sauvage Parfum goes on watery and weak; my first thought on smelling it was: “Parfum?” Quickly, the fragrance intensifies. During most of Eau Sauvage Parfum’s development, notes bang into each other like hard, heavy balls do on a pool table (the effect is “jarring,” especially when smelled up close); fragrance notes fragment on skin to produce “patches” of citrus, wood, myrrh.
The first “interaction” of Eau Sauvage’s notes is between strong bergamot and even stronger myrrh. There is also an unidentifiable “earthy” (root-y) note that doesn’t smell like any vetiver I’ve encountered before. Is it “engineered” vetiver? Vetiver taken apart in the lab and reassembled? Something else entirely?
As Eau Sauvage Parfum dries and heads into “mid-development” (the difference between head and heart notes is not “stark”), its myrrh becomes vegetal, almost like the scent of an herbal cough drop (mildly medicinal). During Eau Sauvage Parfum’s next phase, I can isolate smells of green citrus peel mixed with sheer woods and a moment or two of a scent that reminds me of “chilled green olives!”
Near the end of its development, Eau Sauvage Parfum smells of sweet “nougat-y” incense: myrrh mixing with liquor-y tonka bean. If only the Parfum ended here, I’d be happy. But Eau Sauvage Parfum’s last gasp, I should say blast, is of amber-y white musk. In Eau Sauvage Parfum, the white musk is strong, outlasting a hot shower, but it’s not as ‘destructive’ to Eau Sauvage Parfum’s formula as it is in other perfumes I’ve tried lately. Still, this “white” musk brings with it sticky sweetness and a laundry-esque vibe. Too bad this overused ingredient has cheapened the base notes of so many fragrances, especially in the last few years, even ruining otherwise high-quality perfumes with its obnoxious presence.
Eau Sauvage Parfum is not my favorite Eau Sauvage variation (it’s last in line), but it kept me “engaged” during its development on my skin. About 15 minutes after applying the Parfum, the scent of “original” Eau Sauvage Eau de Toilette makes a ghostly, and fleeting, appearance. Eau Sauvage Parfum is neither sparkling and crisp like original Eau Sauvage Eau de Toilette nor powdery like 1982 Eau Sauvage Extrême — it’s somewhere in between, veering toward “silken” in the dry-down.
Christian Dior Eau Sauvage Parfum has excellent lasting power and sillage; it’s $84 for 100 ml.
*Flankers get new names.
Wonderful review, Kevin! This sounds like something to get a few mls of and keep on hand for days when I want a few hours of delightful olfactory entertainment. ^_^
Anne: true…maybe you can snag some carded samples
There’s something just perfect about the original Eau Sauvage. I just gifted my “tween” son with a little 30ml bottle yesterday in preparation for back to school, instructing him to apply one discreet spray under the collar of his shirts. A decant of the parfum had been tempting, but I thought I’d take a chance with the original. From the sound of your review, Kevin, we made the right choice for the effect we were hoping to achieve. He was thrilled as was I with its lovely citrus/earthy combination and reverently carried the bottle up to his dresser after I helped him put on a “test spray.” Of course we all had to hug him and tell him how great he smelled and he’s been trying to keep his little brother away from the bottle all day today. 😉
If this particular concentration is available on the counters, I might give it a sniff. But the classic take is just perfect for a edt/cologne and the seemingly obligatory inclusion of white musk into everything–especially reinterpretations of classics, is just annoying. This take on Eau Sauvage and Chanel’s Coco Noir haven’t done much to invigorate my faith in the venerable old perfume houses, which is where I like to go for reliable “comfort” fragrances. *sigh*
Perhaps I should look into some of the past ES flankers…
Abscent: so cool for one’s first perfume to be Eau Sauvage. Excellent indoctrination skills you have!
BIG YAY for tween sons that smell good.
mals: really — here’s to AXE-less youth!
Wish my mum had bought me Dior ! Applause *
I love Eau Sauvage…It is one of those fragrances I always have in stock…I like the bottle and love the fragrance. I have some of the Fraicheur Cuir…don’t care for it as much, but it’s pretty good. This fragrance truly is a classic…made just a few years after I was born and still is fresh and dynamic. I also like the original Armani pour Homme…Kevin, maybe you could review that if you have not already!
VMF: isn’t the Armani discontinued?
Kevin – it is still available on a lot of web sites, but maybe it has been discountinued because its not on the “official” Giorgio Armani Beauty web site. I rarely buy fragrances in stores these days – Eau Sauvage is even hard to find in dept. stores.
VMF: I do remember liking that fragrance…too bad they tossed it.
I had no idea this was even in the works when I stumbled upon it at Sephora a month or so ago. I like it fine, but it strikes me as a rougher, slightly clumsier Tom Ford Grey Vetiver, with a dash of wintery spice toward the end. Nice, and better than I anticipated, but not a must-have for me. Besides, I have trouble with the idea of an Eau Sauvage without oakmoss, parfum or otherwise. (The latest formula of the original Eau Sauvage is oakmoss-free as well, and I can smell its absence. You know those gluten-free cupcakes that taste rather surprisingly like the real thing, except you can just tell there’s a certain something missing? Yeah. Eau Sauvage needs gluten.)
Sub: perhaps a tiny vial of oak moss should come with Eau Sauvage
“use at your own risk”…
I have Cuir in my collection and I think it’s lovely , only carded the original ! Your review summed up my thoughts and reactions on this new perfum ! I really hoped this one would be good ,
Sinnerman: I believe Cuir was so much better done that this. No doubt there’ll be more variations to come.
Maybe it is heresy to say this, but what appealed most to me, Kevin, is that you say it has lasting power. The “original” that is available today lasts about half an hour on me – so I have a terrible need to keep re-applying it to recreate the initial citrus effect. As a summer citrus that lasts for a bit longer, I have been using Caron’s Yuzu.
Norman: DIptyque Oyedo also lasts ages…and is a wonderful yuzu scent. Yuzu Fou too.
I loved fraicheur cuir but I was prepared for its loss (it was announced as a seasonal/limited edition from the get go) BUT EXTREME???
Is it really gone? This is the worst news I’ve heard in a while!!!
KG: yep…it just sort of disappeared without fanfare.
This REALLY does not sound like it deserves the Eau Sauvage name. Besides, we all know the REAL Eau Sauvage Parfum was done long ago: Diorella. 😉
Noz: And they’ve all been “tweaked” to death! HA!
Thanks for your review Kevin! I really like Eau Sauvage, but Parfum version is not here yet.
By the way, how come Sauvage Extreme is discontinued? It’s still widely available in Sephoras and Douglases all over Poland.
Lucasai: interesting. Is it back-stock or just not sold in the U.S. anymore? It was reformulated in 2010 and that version can certainly be discontinued in my opinion. The “original” Extreme was much better. I’m betting you’re seeing/smelling the 2010 version.
Subhuman, you made the quote of the day: Eau Sauvage needs gluten :D.
But how lovely to see the young Alain Delon again. Now he had class…
Bradamante: love the contrast between his almost-angelic face and those beefy hands. HA!
I tried this one today. Didn’t like it one bit. Mind you I only tried it on paper but found it very crass. I adore the original, or whatever version I have of it.
Wasn’t Delon gorgeous when he was young?
Eau Sauvage and Alain Delon: they don’t make ’em like they used to!
Just wanted to add that the Extreme is still sold in South Africa. I assume it’s the 2010 version. Someone I very much admire said he wears this and so I was hoping I would like it too (since I wear many men’s scents.) Alas, it’s far too dry and comfort-less for me:(
I may be bucking the trend here, but this is something of a review with the benefit of hindsight. I tried this out a couple of years ago when it was new, and I myself was first getting interested in fragrances after a long hiatus…. At the time (the warm late summer), I found it too strong for daily work wear, and opted for the original, which led to a much-needed education in the classics. I recently circled back to the Parfum (really an EDP) when looking for a fragrance for winter that combined warmth with retro classicism. I am convinced that this is a somewhat misunderstood fragrance, mostly because of the fame of the original Eau Sauvage (the original EDT, even in its current formulation, is hard to beat), but I would argue for enjoying this composition on its own merits.
Many reviewers coming from a more referenced background lamented its seeming lack of resemblance to Roudnitska’s masterpiece; this is not an extrait or concentrée, but is, I suspect an alignment of sympathetic accords in a deeper (lower octave?) register. It doesn’t sparkle and sweat in the unearthly way the EDT does, but sits close to the skin, humming, tickling and smarting agreeably. It is mellow rather than sharp, dense rather than dynamic, and deep rather than dandyish.
Aspects of the myrrh (sometimes nougat-y, other times camphorous, and, as someone said below, at times recalling latex in a the rubbery continuum between lactonic and smoke-bitter) are tantalizingly articulated and supported by a host of other semi-submerged notes borrowed from the original composition. Though one’s first impressions are dominated by the myrrh, I find it quite mobile and multifaceted, and surpassingly well balanced and discreet. My experience of wearing it daily is that there is indeed something distinctly Eau-Sauvage-esque about this composition, a quality of sensuality, sophistication and abstraction that makes me think of René Gruau’s original illustrations (which are worth looking up if you haven’t seen them), with all their Apollonian/Dionysian connotations.
In any case, a few quick thoughts: it may well have been tinkered with a bit since 2012… Sillage is good but not beastly, longevity is very good but not extraordinary (both a plus as far as I’m concerned.) The bergamot note seems more integrated into the overall composition than it was when I first tried it (not as noticeable in the beginning but it reemerging in the drydown), and the myrrh feels better blended with the amber base. As a winter work scent, it is really wonderful: discreet, richly buoying and reliable. The drydown is much more even now, with no moments of exposed white musk (I’d noticed these too in the past), but instead a pleasant balance between amber, a residual hint of bergamot and a sweet, sheer smokiness.