[Dior Eau Sauvage vintage review based on a sample obtained by me in 2023.]
This isn’t something that happens very often. And certainly not in this extremely uneventful corner of Hampshire. But the other day, at a local charity shop, there it was: a sealed bottle of Dior Eau Sauvage that I immediately recognised as being from the 80s. I snapped it up without a moment’s hesitation, and I opened it live during a recent YouTube broadcast. Here’s a link to the video: Dior Eau Sauvage vintage review.
As is often the case, the main difference between this vintage find and newer versions is the level of complexity they possess. Current Eau Sauvage is certainly recognisable as an expression of Roudnitska’s original idea, but it’s devoid of the nuances and depths that make older iterations so memorable. The 80s bottle showcases why the scent is considered to be amongst the greatest ever composed. Its citrus-herb-jasmine-moss-wood structure is gentle (there is a petal-like delicateness to it that takes your breath away at times) but it’s never limp or wan, maintaining its integrity throughout its development.
Amongst the great men’s scents of all time, if Habit Rouge is the ultimate expression of the romantically poetic sides of masculinity, and Antaeus is the epitome of virility, then Eau Sauvage must be the ne plus ultra of understated sophistication. As piercing as those Alain Delon eyes that Dior used for many years to sell the scent, and, interestingly, as androgynous as the actor’s somewhat Bowie-like features, it remains a thrill to smell and to wear. If only there were more vintage bottles of it waiting for me at charity shops.
Persolaise
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Oh my goodness, this brings back happy memories – my late father wore Eau Sauvage for many years, possibly due to my influence after his sister/my aunt gave me her leftovers of a bottle of Diorissimo (this was in the mid 70s when Diorissimo WAS Diorissimo!) & triggered my lifelong love of perfume. Prior to his use of Eau Sauvage, when I was a child & we were living in the Republic of Ireland, I do remember Hai Karate & possibly even Brut (yuck!) sitting on my father’s chest of drawers!
Don’t knock Brut 😉 That was quite something.
Thanks very much for sharing these memories.
I’m of the generation that when boys in my class at school discovered aftershave, they did indeed ‘splash it all over’, hence my comment!
New look website is very wow!
Thanks, Carolyn — you’re the first person to comment on it.
I loved the original eau sauvage when i was a student in the late 70s – it definitely no longer smells the same , the nuances are gone and the citrus is no longer fresn n broght – i wore eu rochas pour homme but cant get it anymore and it wasnt as herbal can you suggest a contemporary available scent that is closest to eau sauvage – is monsieur givenchy any good ? Im a citrus wood creature dont.like soapiness found that in modern versions of eau savage the vetiver ?
Oh dear — finding an Eau Sauvage substitute isn’t easy. Maybe you should check out some of Jean-Claude Ellena’s creations for Hermes: Un Jardin Sur Le Nil or Voyage.