7 Best Dior Colognes For Men [2021]
Updated January 2023
How We Found the Best Christian Dior Colognes
5 Experts Interviewed
10 Fragrances Tested
Top 7 Picks
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Liam Carson
Christian Dior is one of the most famous French fashion houses. Since its launch in 1946, it’s come to define our idea of fashion, starting with its synonymous ‘New Look’ for womenswear. The brand was one of the first luxury houses to venture into the world of perfumes in 1947, creating the ‘Miss Dior’ perfume, named after Christian Dior’s sister. In 1966, Dior released their first male fragrance with ‘Eau Sauvage’. This article takes an in-depth look at the most popular Christian Dior fragrances for men. We’ll be comparing seven different male fragrance, focusing on their accords and aesthetics to determine the best Dior cologne for men.
Summary List
Christian Dior Scents Ranked by Cologne Critic
Why we chose it
Dior Homme is a male fragrance which has experienced several revivals within the fashion house. It was originally released in 2005, with a newer version created in 2011 before the current fragrance debuted in 2020. You can still find the 2011 variant in stores and called ‘Dior Homme Original’. For the purpose of this Dior men’s perfume list, we’re focusing on the 2020 version.
Dior describes this cologne as having “a heart tender wood, in which the virility of Atlas Cedar embraces the enveloping warmth of Haitian Vetiver tinged with spice”. You can wear it like a suit and choose it as your signature scent. This fragrance conveys all the ideal of modern masculinity, with all its nuances and tenderness.
The fragrance is an attempt to redefine the idea of masculine sensuality, which is why it is grounded in woody and warm accords. This cologne is a return to simpler formulations and recreates a natural scent, less artificial than other male fragrance.
Dior Homme contains top notes of bergamot, elemi and pink pepper. The cologne’s middle-notes give the scent its warmth, including Atlas cedar, cashmere and patchouli Coeur. The base notes feature white musk and Haitian vetiver.
Main Accords
- Woody
- Musky
- Amber
Our Take
Sauvage is one of the first on our Dior men’s perfume list and is available as an eau de toilette and perfume. It is largely considered to be the best Dior cologne for men. This aromatic fragrance was launched in 2015 and was formulated by Francois Demachy. He took his inspiration from the wilderness underneath a blue-tinged sky to create this highly concentrated scent.
This scent takes its name from the original ‘Eau Sauvage’ male fragrance, although they are not linked. They released it in 2015 with Johnny Depp as the fragrance’s ambassador. Demachy describes Sauvage as being “shaped with subtle nuances to create unique flashes of light”. Sauvage is a male fragrance with ‘fierce charm’ and is Dior’s ode to nature.
It contains top notes of pepper and Calabrian bergamot. The middle tones have vetiver, lavender, and geranium, while the base notes contain ambroxan, cedar and labdanum. You can wear this cologne all year long and its an ideal summer perfume. It’s also suitable for both day and night.
With its sophisticated blue ombre bottle, Sauvage is an aromatic fragrance you have to try at least once in your life. It is both raw and noble, transporting you to a world of the desert sun and rocky landscapes.
Main Accords
- Spicy
- Amber
- Citrus
Our Take
Dior Homme Sport is another male fragrance that has seen several variants. The initial cologne came out in 2008, was reformulated in 2012 and replaced in 2017. This scent is a summer perfume. It presents the ideal of urban sophistication and the fast lifestyle of the modern man. The newest formation of this Dior perfume includes citrus notes with the addition of spices and woods. Dior Homme carries the tagline “life is a playground”. The brand’s chief perfumer, Francois Demachy created each formulation of this scent.
Dior describes the reformulation as allowing the scent to “fully embody a life lived with sports as philosophy…the notion of a life in motion, free and intense”. The sensual scent is fresh with a spice undertone and has impressive longevity.
This fragrance has base notes of sandalwood, with middle notes of nutmeg and pink pepper that give the scent its warmth. The citrus notes in this fragrance include blood orange, grapefruit and lemon. You will want to wear this perfume as a daytime scent for spring and summer. We consider Dior Homme to be one of the best Christian Dior fragrances for men, as it has universally positive reviews.
Main Accords
- Citrus
- Spicy
- Aromatic
Our Take
Fahrenheit is one of the oldest scents on this Dior men’s perfume list to maintain its original formulation, still smelling like a modern fragrance. Dior launched this scent in 1988, which was created by Michel Almairac and Jean-Louis Sieuzac. This scent is undoubtedly a male fragrance for autumn and is ideal for night-time.
Dior’s Fahrenheit creates a “unique and contrasting signature, with a powerful enchanting trail”. They craft it for the man who is subtle in every he does, but who values his freedom above all else. This long-lasting scent is revolutionary upon its release and continues to command critical acclaim.
This scent contains top notes of cedar, nutmeg flower, violet, and mandarin orange. In the middle-notes, you can find cedar, honeysuckle, and sandalwood. Fahrenheit’s base notes help it stand out with leather, amber, musk and tonka bean. They collect the mandarins for this fragrance in Sicily, picked when they are their ripest to create the strongest essence to the scent. The violet accord gives Fahrenheit its sensual tone. The leather in this fragrance is a recreation of the smell of the Russian leather that is used in hussar botos.
Main Accords
- Leather
- Woody
- Spicy
Our Take
Dune Pour Homme is another older male fragrance from Dior, having launched in 1997. Jean-Pierre Bethouart and Oliver Cresp formulated this woody fragrance. On an aesthetics level, the Dune Pour Homme bottle is one of the more dated designs and would look vintage compared to your other colognes.
This male fragrance is inspired by the seaside, reflecting the harmony of being one with nature. ‘Dune’ exists somewhere between serenity and escapism, with its oceanic notes that will transport you to a relaxing environment by the sea. This cologne is a woody scent with a green twist.
Dune’s top notes include basil, sage, and fig leaf, which gives the fragrance its exotic scent. The middle-notes have rose and fig wood bark, while the base-notes carry cedar, sandalwood and vanilla. The sandalwood base-note is a signature of the brand, appearing in other scents such as ‘Eau Sauvage Extreme’.
This cologne is one of the best Christian Dior fragrances for men if you want a daytime scent to wear during spring and summer. ‘Dune’ has high longevity, and you can expect to still smell hours after applying.
Main Accords
- Woody
- Aromatic
- Fruity
Our Take
‘Eau Savage’ is the original male fragrance by Christian Dior and was released in 1966. It takes its name from Percy Savage, who arrived late to his apartment and was announced by Dior’s butler as “Monsieur Sauvage”. They altered the name to ‘Eau Sauvage’.
This male fragrance is another on the Dior men’s perfume list, which had a revamp by Francois Demachy. They updated it in 2017 to be a more versatile scent that could be worn all year round. ‘Eau Sauvage’ was given a higher aromatic consistency with an emphasis on warmer notes. The top notes contain bergamot, citron and lavender, which give way to a middle note of Haitian vetiver and a base note of elemi.
The scent maintains its original sensuality and inspiration from the freshness of the Grasse sun. Dior describes it as a “rounder version, even closer to the original scent”. You can tell this is the brand’s oldest fragrance as its bottle is the most dated, looking like it is straight from the 1960s. If you want a classic Christian Dior fragrance for men, consider ‘Eau Sauvage’.
Main Accords
- Citrus
- Aromatic
- Spicy
Our Take
Dior Homme Intense is the best Dior cologne for men during winter and for night-time wear. It is the third in the ‘Homme’ trilogy of scents. ‘Homme Intense’ is another perfume Francois Demachy reformulated in 2011 with a lavender top-note. Robert Patterson is the global ambassador for ‘Homme Intense’.
Homme Intense’s middle notes contain iris, pear and musk mallow. In the base notes, you will find cedar and vetiver. The scent is unapologetically sensual, with its intense iris and wood base.
Francois Demachy describes the scent as avoiding “every masculine cliché” by creating a complex but intimate cologne. You will want to wear this cologne at night-time and as your go-to date sensual scent.
The scent has strong longevity, meaning you should not need to reapply it throughout the day.
Main Accords
- Iris
- Woody
- Powdey
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Researched by a team of fragrance experts.