The 9 Dior Colognes Every Guy Needs to Know About
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These days, just about every major fashion house has a fragrance collection (think Chanel , Prada, Louis Vuitton), but Dior has been in the scent game longer than most. Christian Dior created the brand's first perfume, Miss Dior, all the way back in 1947, and Dior has spent the decades since building an impressive line up of both women's and men's fragrances , from timeless classics to modern crowd-pleasers .
What makes Dior fragrances stand out, however, is that even the classics still smell modern. These are not dusty old scents that remind you of your grandfather. Even the original Eau Sauvage , released in 1966, is something you'd want to wear today— fresh , gentlemanly, and somehow still modern. Truly, for nearly every decade of the past half century, Dior has created a fragrance that both perfectly captures that time but also transcends it, which is why Dior colognes are routinely found on lists of the most popular colognes .
The other benefit of having such a deep history of cologne is that Dior has something for every man. Whether you're a spicy , woody , rock-and-roll type or a fresh, sporty go-getter (or a little bit of both), Dior has a cologne that you want to wear. The trick is finding it, which is why we advise starting with this list of the absolute best.
Dior Sauvage Eau de Toilette
The original Sauvage remains one of Dior's best sellers for one simple reason: It's just that good. Since its debut in 2015, there have been a thousand imitations, but the unique scent of Sauvage will always stand out. The fresh top and middle notes of Calabrian bergamot, lavender, and geranium are uplifting and energizing while the base of warm Ambroxan and woody cedar anchor it to your skin as the three different types of pepper offer a spicy kick. It's a cologne that's as versatile as it is singular.
Dior Sauvage Elixir
Elixir is a darker, sexier take on the classic Sauvage EDT and EDP. It dials up the spice in a big way but also adds a bit of warmth that turns it into a more mature, seductively masculine cologne than the more versatile original. It's bolder and more concentrated, so it will last longer on your skin and creates a sillage that's noticeable but not overpowering. Think of this as the mature older brother of the Sauvage family. Wear it at night for optimal effect.
Dior Homme Sport
The word sport in men's cologne-speak is always code for "fresh," which this scent is—very much so. The lemon and bergamot at the top are sharp and zingy and give it a bit of a kick to the nose, but what keeps it from being too literal are the aldehydes, which give it a clean soapiness that also lends an elegance to the citrus. The dry-down—which reveals warm amber, smoky olibanum, and masculine woody notes—lasts for hours (and we mean hours ). It's one of those colognes that you keep coming back to, because it's not just easy to wear; you actually want to keep smelling it.
Dior New Look Eau de Parfum
This new unisex fragrance is anything but mainstream. It's deceptive in its simplicity, with a top note of clean, crisp aldehydes, which are usually used more as background players than as the lead role. As it dries, the smoky, smooth frankincense and warm amber reveal themselves and help it stick closer to your skin, but it never loses a slightly sterile aspect that's unexpected and utterly unique. Inspired by the couture designs that put the House of Dior on the map, this scent is definitely niche but so attention-grabbing that people can't look away.
Dior Homme Eau de Toilette
This version of Dior Homme, reimagined in 2020, is a modern take on the classic woody men's cologne. Crisp cedar and smooth cashmere wood take center stage through the entire fragrance, but the freshness of bergamot and pink pepper in the opening perk up your senses at the first spray. The dry-down, while still very wood forward, slowly reveals a skin-like white-musk note. It's not as aggressive as some of your more traditional woody colognes, but that's the point. It's a modernized take that's incredibly easy to wear for nearly every man.
Dior Sauvage Extrait
One of the most exciting fragrance launches of this summer was Dior's newest Sauvage expression: Extrait. This is not a fragrance for those who want to fly under the radar—it's the most intense version of Sauvage, and with the highest concentration. With a formula of nearly 50 percent oil, Sauvage Extrait has just enough alcohol and water to be considered an extrait de parfum and not a scented oil. That said, it really is a special scent; it's quite masculine and rugged, and woody and earthy with its inclusion of oud and patchouli.
Read our interview with Francis Kurkdjian for the full story on how he created the boldest Sauvage scent yet.
Dior Gris Dior Eau de Parfum
One of the most popular scents from Dior's La Collection Privée, Gris Dior is an elegant chypre fragrance that, instead of being just one thing like black or white, lives in that alluring gray area. At least that's the inspiration behind it and the reason for its name. It begins with a burst of citrus from Calabrian bergamot, then introduces a floral heart of rose and violet. The base is more classically masculine, with woody notes and smooth amber along with earthy oakmoss and patchouli. If you want an even more concentrated version of the scent, try the Gris Dior Esprit de Parfum .
Dior Eau Sauvage Eau de Toilette
Widely considered one of the masterpieces of perfumery, the original Eau Sauvage is all about vintage vibes (it debuted in 1966, after all). Think of it as what Dickie Greenleaf would wear while tooling around on his Vespa—crisp, fresh, herbaceous, and refreshing with a slight undertone of a fresh barbershop shave. Not only is it the quintessential summer fragrance, but it's also extremely gentlemanly. It's subtle and never aggressive and is appropriate for every occasion. It's professional but somehow also alluring at the same time. And even though it's not the most modern cologne on the market, it's the perfect example of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
Dior Fahrenheit Eau De Toilette
This cologne can be polarizing because it is old-school (we're talking "released in 1988" old-school). But for those who like a deep, dark, traditionally masculine cologne, this is one of the best. It's very much a leather fragrance, and some say it has a sharp gasoline quality (also very polarizing). It's sharp at first but dries down quickly to a leathery, musky, warm, skin-type scent that's bold but not overpowering. It's the type of cologne you can imagine an '80s Wall Street power broker wearing on a night out, and honestly, who doesn't want to harness some of that energy every once in a while?
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