Sauvage
(Eau de Toilette)

Quoting one user from Fragrantica: “A fragrance with an army of fans. A fragrance with an army of haters. A fragrance that blows the minds of both groups, while pleasing women’s noses. A fragrance that scratches the throat as if caught in a sandstorm. Clean and dry. All this says only one thing — a successful release that has already become a classic, no matter how many stones are thrown at it.”

Indeed, Sauvage hardly needs an introduction. It is a masterpiece of luxury perfumery. But what exactly lies inside?

The composition is woven from more than 50 ingredients. The basic structure, the so-called canvas, is built on 20% Bergamot, 12% Iso E Super, 11.5% Ambroxan, 8% Habanolide and 5% Patchouli. It’s hard not to miss the similarity with Aventus, where Helvetolide was simply replaced by the drier, smoother Habanolide.

The key colors on this canvas are spices — not many, but they clearly set the tone in the opening:

• 1% Elemi
• 1% Pink Pepper
• 0.2% Sichuan Pepper

1.5% Peonile adds a floral metallic touch to Egyptian geranium. 0.15% Ambrocenide with 1% Cashmeran emphasize the sharp woody character of Ambroxan, intensifying the prickling effect of the dry desert. Another crucial component is the ozonic–aldehydic set of molecules, without which Sauvage would be far less fresh and clean:

• 0.6% Helional — adds fruity aquatics
• 0.55% Precyclemone B — smooths the composition with aldehydic freshness, in some ways replacing the discontinued Lilial and Lyral
• 0.13% Hivernal Neo — effect of crisp, dry cleanliness
• 0.12% Adoxal — aquatic nuance
• 0.12% Floralozone — impression of ozonic blue radiance


2.7% Dihydro Myrcenol, 2% Verdox, 0.6% Coumarin, and 0.3% Javanol form a combo that has become a marker of the fougère blue style, where essential requirements are shaving-foam cleanness, fruity sweetness, and a soft woody character.

Over the years, Sauvage has gained a mixed reputation, having become the signature scent of just about anyone. But no matter how many stones are thrown at it, Sauvage has had no less influence on the industry than Aventus, setting a long-running trend for blue fragrances and fundamentally reshaping the landscape of men’s perfumery.

Olfactory profile: citrus, spicy, herbal, woody, ambery.
Concentration: eau de toilette.