A friend recommends a movie: "Kevin, it's perfect for you...about death, suicide, the past...the things you love!" I go, and want to leave the theater after 15 minutes. I've often bought a chocolate bar or bottle of wine after reading an article proclaiming their merits: "...you'll experience rich notes of raisin, orange peel, dates, rose, saffron." I eat and drink and want to spit. "Read this book, it will change your life!" Mostly unread, the book is now in Africa...either delighting or puzzling a child who happened to grab it from a bookshelf. If you're reading this blog, you've probably bought a perfume without smelling it because it was praised by a "trusted" reviewer. I have! I buy...and cry: "What a waste of money!"
In my early years, I would get mad at being 'tricked' out of my time and cash. I'd rant: "Liars!" "Fools!" "Tasteless ignoramuses!" Now, I'm gentle. I think: maybe that book or chocolate bar or movie or perfume DID bring joy, a sense of revelation to someone — else.
Regarding the new Dior Sauvage, I trust perfumer François Demachy believes what he says about it: 1. Sauvage is composed of materials that are"Natural...selected with extreme care...in excessive doses." 2. Sauvage's Reggio bergamot is better than ordinary bergamot, it's "fruitier...with a tinge of pepper." 3. Sauvage's Ambroxan is "An ingredient of natural origin" (so is Tupperware, quoth Robin here at Now Smell This).
Demachy and I have different takes on Sauvage.
Sauvage begins with bergamot so disfigured and diluted by alcohol/chemicals it smells cheap and abrasive (like a Whole Foods "natural" household cleaner). Sauvage's opening leads to a stale ozone and generic fruit accord that mingles with Ambroxan (delivering some pale, faux-wood aromas, with a hint of powder and meek muskiness). Sauvage smells unnatural, "plain," frugal. I'm betting 99.9 percent of Sauvage's budget went to Johnny Depp's salary and to advertising expenses (the photography and ludicrous Sauvage video).
When Chanel released Bleu de Chanel, there was a mini-uproar from perfume lovers in the blog-o-sphere; the gist of the complaints was that Chanel was "selling out" to please the mainstream, mall-loving, middle-of-the-road consumer. Well...yeah! That's how you make the big bucks! Bleu de Chanel is a huge success. Lots of online perfume commenters have said Sauvage is Dior's Bleu de Chanel. Certainly Dior wants a BIG perfume hit, but compared to Sauvage, Bleu de Chanel is complex and luxurious (though no more than a tad better in the originality department). It will be interesting to see if bland Sauvage is as big a success as Bleu de Chanel (I'm betting it won't be).
For those wondering: Sauvage has no scent relationship to the best of Dior's men's perfumes — Eau Sauvage.
Dior Sauvage is available in 60 ($72) or 100 ($89) ml Eau de Toilette; after-shave lotion and spray deodorant are also available.
I tried this today, but I think I ought to give it another go, since I only got a vague fruitiness with a hint of dustiness in the background which may or may not turn out to be interesting.
The sprayer is excellent, however. I’d urge people to go out and try Sauvage’s sprayer.
Uday…haha! What an endorsement!
Hysterical. Sprayer, highly recommended 🙂
Maybe we can at least get fragrance execs to go try the sprayer??
CH…a good nozzle comes in handy!
What a drag. But I totally agree that most of the funds probably do go to the campaign PR, managers, video, stars, etc. with little left over for the juice. I don’t mind if companies want to release dreary “mainstream” fragrances to make some money, but they should at least spend a few dollars coming up with a new name for the dreaded dreck rather than sullying the name of a classic.
Anns…and doing Internet searches always brings up OLD Sauvage.
“Old Savage: For when all you need is a good trigger and a handy sprayer…”
I won’t complain as long as they still make Eau Sauvage! It’s a shame most department stores around my area don’t even carry it.
Chandler…maybe people will get confused and buy Eau Sauvage? Ha! Here in Seattle I do see it on shelves.
Yet they carry three different formulations of Dior Homme…pick your blandness.
Chandler, indeed!
I actually watched most of the Apple Event this afternoon and was seriously creeped out by Apple TV. They want you to just basically sit there in front of your Apple TV, ask Siri to find things for you, and buy with one click. Sure, they show pictures of a beautiful California living room and suggest a family planning their vacation with the Airbnb app or shopping for a new home on Zillow, but I just imagine being trapped in constant temptation and buried in worthless stuff in a dark apartment that smells like Sauvage.
On a more positive note, I am loving Thierry Mugler Oriental Express, modernism done right. I’d like to see their take on the old Diors.
Noz…true…really wish some perfume genius would reconfigure, in a great way, the old Diors.
I could only focus on the Hermes Apple Watch!
This begs for its own Hermessence!
I recently tested this at Macys. I just plain did not like it.
Lilly…for me, it’s one of the year’s worst releases.
I tried it today (on paper) and was underwhelmed. Must try once more, to pay proper attention to the sprayer.
Annikky, a contender for Nozzle of the Year(tm)!
Great review, Kevin. You always make me smile, and usually, the worse the dreck the bigger the chuckle! 😀
And thank you for the charity rec. I’ve not heard of them, and will be very happy to donate!
Rappleyea…yes, a great organization.
Kevin, I love bad perfumes, because they inspire your very amusing reviews! But I think I will stick with Eau Sauvage – I have a fairly new bottle, which smells great to me since I am not familiar with the vintage.
Bastet…yes, I enjoy the current version, too.
I cannot wait to try this… I have heard everyone ripping this scent a New one and am sure that it isn’t nearly that bad. The lust to jump on the train of Bad Reviews for this fragrance is EPIC! There have been so many Snobbish reviews of fragrances I have read in the past that if I were of less strong mind I would never have sniffed and been disappointed for not doing so because all the Vituperation thrown at them was Wholly Unjustified.
This could have been the Equivalent of the Second Coming of Christ in a Bottle and it would have gotten nothing but Snark and Derision! It’s Bewildering! Guess my standards aren’t as Olympian in their breadth as some as to what constitutes a Great, Hell, SCREW GREAT, Even Decent Fragrance!
I am always a little sad when a perfume I wear and love gets a poor review. On the flip side, there are so many perfumes that get rave reviews, that I just don’t get at all. I just wear what I like. Reviews have helped me sometimes in understanding what I do like or dislike about a fragrance. As far Sauvage, I didn’t care fot it because I knew it would not be a good fit for the person who I wanted to buy a gift for. It might be fine for someone else.
TheNose: I notice much more often the tendency in blogs to adore every new launch. I write what I believe about a perfume; I could care less what others are saying. Thankfully, NST gives me that freedom!
I do think our experiences are very different. I think that the tendency to be dismissive and difficult to please far surpasses the fanatic adoration spoken of. Many times I have seen reviews that are patently vicious for a fragrance being simply, Pleasant rather than Amazing and Soul Enhancing! I just wonder when Good became reason enough for disdain and the bar was raised to such a outlandishly high and nigh unreachable level for the person reviewing a fragrance to even express any sort of interest in!?!?
Nose: but ‘good’ and ‘pleasant’ are in the nostrils of the sniffer. One’s pleasant…is another’s disaster.
My only ‘worry’ is that I’ll miss smelling a scent that would make me happy…None of us can try them all. Ha!
You mean you couldn’t care less?
My husband tried this and it was awful… Scrubbed it off within 30 minutes. It was a loud chemical mess.
OK, now tell us what you really think!!
No need for me to try this–
but I have to say Bleu de Chanel smells great on my 20-something son!!
I have virtually given up on designer scents being ‘great’. A few each year are ‘good’, and for those i will wait until they are in online discount stores and pick up super cheap. I have no interest in any Dior Mens offerings though.
I really think this is the best overall scent for men.
So fresh and elegant, yet raw and masculine at the same time. Works for every weather, every occasion, every age group and gets compliments every time I test it.
Can only recommend this for anyone looking for a safe fragrance that will get you compliments, without busting the bank.
Of course there are more unique scents out there, and it is kind of overused these days, but I still think you can’t go wrong with Dior Sauvage.