Looking to try a fragrance from Dior? Here are the ones that we recommend checking out this year.
French designer Christian Dior often proclaimed himself to be as much a parfumier as he was a couturier; he excelled in both, of course.
His first fragrance, Miss Dior, was created for women in 1947, and it became one of the most important fragrances of the 20th century. It was not until much later that the House of Dior turned its attention to the men’s market.
Quick Take
Here are our top three recommendations from the list:
Our Pick
Dior Dune fragrance may have slipped under your radar, but is well worth your consideration. Its profile is woodsy and quasi-oriental, yet with a lightness that makes it perfect to wear in the spring and summer.
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Budget Pick
Dior Homme Sport is a casual wear, discreet fragrance; it has 4-hour longevity, and it can be worn all day long, at any time of the year. This one is office and post-exercise safe.
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Upgrade Pick
Dior Homme Intense is a rich, classy, and seductive fragrance that lasts all day long. It is a masculine fragrance but not an overpowering one. It settles down to woody and sweet notes.
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Read on for more info and the complete list…
The 7 Best Dior Fragrances
Here are the best Dior colognes in no particular order.
Dior Eau Sauvage
Dior Eau Sauvage, Dior’s first men’s fragrance, is a perennial best-seller and has been since its launch in 1966.
It has an interesting name derivation — supposedly as the result of a friend, Percy Savage, arriving late at his house as a guest. Dior’s butler mistakenly announced him as “Monsieur Sauvage.” The name stuck.
Eau Sauvage was produced in collaboration with perfumer Edmond Roudnitska.
It is a formal scent that has stood the test of time. It has distinctive citrus notes and is popular with gentlemen who go for that classic type of citrusy fragrance.
Dior Eau Sauvage is a timeless classic that exudes effortless sophistication. Its crisp citrus opening, balanced with herbal and woody undertones, makes it a perfect choice for daily wear or elegant occasions. With its refined yet approachable scent, it remains a staple in men’s fragrances for decades.
Eau Sauvage opens with lemon, bergamot, rosemary, basil, caraway, and fruitier tones with woody base notes of vetiver, oakmoss, musk, and amber.
If you’re a collector of classics, this is a must to add to your fragrance wardrobe.
Dior Sauvage
Dior Sauvage is a newer fragrance with a modern and spicier scent, popular with a younger, hipper demographic and suitable for everyday, casual use.
Dior Sauvage has also had a profound influence on the industry. With Johnny Depp as its spokesperson and brand image, Dior Sauvage enjoys unprecedented popularity and inclusion on Top 10 Lists everywhere.
It was masterminded by brilliant in-house Olfactory Head, Francois Demachy, and smells spicy, fruity, and fresh straight out of the bottle. It’s a sexy fragrance, but it manages to maintain a touch of classicism at the same time.
Top notes are pepper and bergamot; heart notes include geranium, lavender, vetiver, patchouli, pepper, and elemi, and base notes are of labdanum, cedar, and ambroxan.
Dior Fahrenheit
Dior Fahrenheit is an aromatic fougère fragrance that was introduced in 1988. It was created by Jean-Louis Sieuzac and Michel Almairac.
Fahrenheit has an extensive note profile which gives it wonderful depth and masculinity. The first spray on your skin will give you citrus and violet leaf. Wait a few minutes and you’ll enjoy deeper notes of leather, nutmeg, and amber as it settles down.
The complexity of Fahrenheit is evident; top notes include nutmeg, lavender, cedar, chamomile, mandarin orange, hawthorn, bergamot, and lemon; middle notes are violet leaf, nutmeg, cedar, sandalwood, carnation, honeysuckle, jasmine, and lily-of-the-valley.
Base notes are leather, vetiver, musk, amber, patchouli, and tonka bean.
With such a complicated profile, you expect greatness, and you get it. Fahrenheit is a consistent best-seller. Deservedly so, of course.
Dior Dune Pour Homme
Here’s a Dior fragrance that may have slipped under your radar, but is well worth your consideration.
Dune was released in the late 1990s; its profile is woodsy and quasi-oriental, yet with a lightness that makes it perfect to wear in the spring and summer.
This fragrance has herbal notes of moss, basil, and sage, so its freshness is all about levels of greenery. Fig leaf, cassis, sage, moss, and basil comprise its top notes; middle notes include fig wood bark, rose and mignonette; base notes are sandalwood, cedar, tonka bean, and vanilla.
You will want to snap this cologne up quickly, as it is increasingly hard to come by.
Dior Homme Intense
Dior Homme Intense, launched in 2011, is our next pick. This one packs a delicious, intense, long-lasting punch.
It opens with a blast of lavender, cedar and vetiver with warm notes of ambrette. It settles down to woody and sweet notes finishing with a hint of cacao to give it a rich powdery, vanilla-y chocolaty-ness.
Here are the fragrance notes; top note is lavender; middle notes are iris, ambrette, and pear; base notes are vetiver, cacao, and cedar.
Homme Intense is a rich, classy, and seductive fragrance that lasts all day long. Wear it in late fall, during the winter, in the evening, and for date nights. It is a masculine fragrance but not an overpowering one.
Dior Homme
Reformulated in 2020, this Dior Homme is modern and masculine, fresh and sensual — without the intensity of its predecessor.
Francois Demachy is again the brilliant nose behind this one; when creating it he had in mind the modern man who can show tenderness as well as strength.
A look at its profile shows you top notes of bergamot, pink pepper, and elemi; middle notes of patchouli, cedar, cashmere, and sandalwood and base notes of white musk, vetiver, and Iso E Super.
The overall effect of Dior Homme is citrusy sweet, leading to a warm, fresh woody cleanliness and on to a later dry-down to cashmere and Iso Super E. And its longevity? 6-8 hours is the consensus.
It can be your day-to-day fragrance and works at any time of the year, so versatility is its middle name.
Dior Homme Sport
Want a light cologne or eau de toilette you can wear after a strenuous workout at the gym? After a run? After a shower? This is it.
It came out in 2021 to good reviews, and is a bright, energetic fragrance, as you might expect from its name.
It opens with a fresh mix of lemon and bergamot, underscored by a richer heart of pink pepper and resin and base notes of wood and frankincense. The combination of citrus notes with a woody dryness will get you noticed in a good way.
Homme Sport is a casual wear, discreet fragrance; it has 4-hour longevity, and it can be worn all day long, at any time of the year. This one is office and post-exercise safe.
Dior Cologne FAQs
Still have questions? Read on for more info.
Why Is Dior Sauvage So Popular?
Dior Sauvage is popular because it’s a great, spicy, fruity, and fresh scent. Also, Dior has expertly marketed this cologne, leveraging Johnny Depp’s broad appeal.
How Old Is the Dior Brand?
Dior began in Paris in December 1946.
Final Thoughts
These then are our picks for the best-smelling Dior men’s colognes. There have been new iterations of some of them, but to our mind, these are the cornerstone fragrances from the House of Dior that have – and will – stand the test of time.
Dior fragrances have elegance, sophistication, and class galore. They are well-made, seductive, and appealingly masculine.
Go ahead and try one. You can’t go wrong!
Questions? Comments? Leave them below!
