There are 269 fragrances in the Dior database.
It’s not impressive to only know about Dior Sauvage. Sure, it’s the most popular line, but what about the other masterpieces the house produces?
With that said, I respect your willingness to learn. This review will teach you how the top 8 best Dior colognes smell and perform. No matter your tastes, you’ll find a scent that you enjoy.
Without further ado, let’s jump into this review.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Yet, we only endorse fragrances we’ve personally used or are highly recommended by trusted peers. You can learn more about our Disclaimer & Disclosure here.
Table of Contents
#8 – Dior Fahrenheit EDT
Some things amaze me. Dior Fahrenheit EDT was created in 1988 and is still a popular cologne today. It is recognized by its famous gasoline accord. It’s not like spilling gas on your hand but rather a masculine man who works on cars all day.
The rumors are true; Fahrenheit opens with a dominant gasoline-type accord. It settles down after a while, but that doesn’t take away from its accuracy.
There aren’t actual gasoline notes. The violet leaf, various florals, soft leather, and dry woods are mainly what make the smell. The violet leaf is the main culprit.
The leather becomes more prominent in the mid. To my nose, it adds a degree of sweetness. The gasoline accord is still present but has settled down and lost its intensity. Yet, it’s still dominant.
The violet leaf breaks away from the other top notes in the dry down. It is paired with now strong leather and sprinkled with spices and white florals. Both of these balance out the strength of the masculine accords.
This is a good scent for special occasions. It has an excellent performance in the fall and winter but tends to be too strong for high heat.
On my skin with 4 sprays, the longevity is 7 hours, and projection is an arm’s length for a few of those.
#7 – Dior Homme Cologne 2022
Suppose you wanted the perfect summer scent. You can spray yourself heavily and then walk outside and smell like the epitome of freshness. In that case, Dior Homme Cologne is your scent.
The beginning to end is straightforward. Only consisting of 3 notes in the entire fragrance. The opening is led by a big blast of citruses. In the scent profile, only bergamot is listed.
Yet, it smells like cool and refreshing lemonade. Light florals linger in the background and amplify the freshness.
The dry down comes quickly and gets slightly tart/bitter. I attribute this mainly to the loss of the fleeting florals. When the florals leave, musk nuances fill the void. They are very clean, and the scent is mostly still about citruses.
An outstanding-smelling scent but lacks to perform. The projection is decent in the first 20 minutes because the citruses are strong. But after that, it sits closer to the skin.
In terms of seasons, exclusively summer. Even on a typical spring day, this may struggle.
#6 – Dior Homme 2020
Dior Homme 2020 took on some heat when it was first launched. This is because it diverges from the loved original Dior Homme DNA. Besides what some may say, Dior Homme 2020 is better and more attention-grabbing.
Dior Homme 2020 is easy to wear and an attention magnet. The opening is fresh with sweet and spicy undertones. Luckily, if you are not into ultra-sweet fragrances, Dior Homme 2020 has you covered.
The mild sweetness and spice linger in the background for the rest of the wear. As the scent develops, there is a warm, fresh, modern wood base.
To pay tribute to the original Dior Homme, Dior Homme 2020 has a hint of iris. This helps break up the prominently wood base with its powdery texture.
Dior Homme 2020 is easy to wear, regardless of season or occasion. You spray it on, and you’re ready for the day.
It lasts 8 – 10 hours on my skin and projects a scent bubble of multiple feet for a couple of those.
#5 – Dior Bois d’Argent
The first on the list from the Dior La Privee collection. Think of it like Dior’s niche brand. I hate to give out a spoiler, but they did an excellent job with Bois d’Argent and multiple others.
The first spray is mostly honey. It is airy yet never too sweet. I think of it as charming and sensual. Next is a dry iris background and a fresh tinge. The iris in here never gets lipsticky like the 2011 Dior Homme.
In the mid, the top notes melt with a blended mix of woody accords. Most of the time, I can pick out sandalwood, but it’s still never prominent. The woody accords will subtly sit in the background for the rest of the wear.
Dry vanilla and amber accompany the dry-down. They mix with the sweet honey that has carried over. At this point, the scent gets warmer and sweeter and adds creamy faucets. All while still retaining the subtle woody base.
You may have noticed that this is an exceptionally dry fragrance. This aspect emphasizes its classy and reserved nature, a scent for a mature man. The longevity is average, but the projection is subtle.
Yet, this is, by design, a reserved scent that will be discovered on a formal occasion. Bois d’Argent is best in the mild temperatures of spring and fall. Yet, it’ll still work decently in the summer and winter.
#4 – Dior Sauvage Elixir
There’s a black sheep in every family of fragrances. Sauvage is no different. Sauvage Elixir takes the line in a completely different direction. It throws the youthful formulation out the window and welcomes a throwback.
The opening is a wake-up call. Nothing can compete with the dominance of the cardamom and nutmeg duo. Cinnamon is in the background supporting but fleeting.
There is a subtle citric grapefruit, giving the opening an invigorating and fresh touch, but it doesn’t amount to much after the opening.
The overarching emphasis in the opening is warmth and power.
15 – 20 minutes into the wear, Sauvage Elixir turns into the old-school fragrance it’s known for. The warm spices remain prominent but are fused with a hefty dose of rich and classic lavender.
It pushes the grapefruit out, and an aromatic and spicy scent will lead the dry down.
As the scent develops, warm and woody base notes linger in. Over time, they become more prominent. I catch mainly sensual sandalwood notes and nuances of patchouli, amplifying the woody accord.
The rest of the wear is spices, lavender, and wood.
When it comes to performance, Elixir is ultra-strong. It will project more than any other Sauvage and last 12+ hours, no matter the season.
Beware that you can overspray this version. Any more than 2-3 sprays and you may make people nauseous.
Dior Sauvage Elixir gives off 80’s vibes. It is an excellent addition to the Sauvage line. Providing a classic throwback scent to a string of youthful formulations.
#3 – Dior Eau Sauvage Parfum 2017
Much of the fragrance revolves around its pure masculinity, elegant freshness, and warmth. All these new colognes only want to lean masculine but not the new Dior Eau Sauvage 2017.
It is a reformulation of the 2012 original, which had a harsher opening. The perfumer adjusted it and created a more rounded version.
Right away, the scent smells how it looks. A fresh burst of bergamot and zesty citron lead the opening. Citron tends to become too much sometimes, but in this case, it never becomes too sweet or bitter. Both the top notes smell very natural.
The citruses fade after a while. A decent dose of earthy resins and equal parts of vetiver fill the void. Don’t worry about the earthiness; lavender nuances temper it.
The main emphasis at this point is the fresh aromatic nature.
Many earthy resins are lost in the dry down, and vetiver becomes more prominent. Vetiver still has an aromatic tinge, but it’s mainly woody in the base. Lingering citruses carried over but only donated a degree of freshness.
Uniqueness is Dior Eau Sauvage Parfum’s gift. It is the type of cologne you’ll want to save for a special occasion. It is too powerful in the high heat, but it works well all other times of the year.
#2 – Dior Ambre Nuit
Pure goodness. It was a difficult choice to choose between #1 and #2. Many of you didn’t know that you needed it. But this is the perfect cuddling and intimate setting fragrance.
Ambre Nuit’s opening is all about fruity and woody accords. A bright and welcoming dose of grapefruit leads, blending with light rose and warm spices.
There is an amazing sensual balance that envelops. Yet, now or never, will this become obtrusive.
Slightly sweet and powdery amber is a pleasant addition to the mid. Spices continue to support in the background. While woody notes come out to play.
At first, I mainly get fresh and smooth cedar. But after a while, I pick up darker, earthy touches of guaiac wood. The non-dirty earthiness mixes with the reserved rose. Together the mix is exceptionally sensual.
The same type of blend is used in Tom Ford Black Orchid.
The scent remains woody and warm for the rest of the wear, with spices mixed throughout.
The longevity is outstanding, and the projection is just right. After a few hours, it settles closer to the skin. Take this into consideration when spraying.
Ambre Nuit is subtle by nature, so overspraying doesn’t help. You’re just wasting sprays and thus money. As for seasons, it can be worn all year round. Just take it lightly in the summer.
#1 – Dior Sauvage EDP
Wait, what?! I know, I know, we were all in shock about this. Dior Sauvage EDP is a flanker of the original and the best Dior cologne, but not by a landslide.
Its winning attributes were its supreme performance and excellent versatility. Not only for season/occasions but also for age. A 50-year-old man can pull this off as easily as a 20-year-old.
Right from the get-go, ambroxan is at full strength. It is undoubtedly dominant but not overwhelmingly intense. It actually tempers the harshness of citrus and pink pepper. Thus, the opening is smooth and only spicy enough to be awakening.
After a few minutes comes a more prominent vanilla and lavender. Both pair with the dominant ambroxan. This trio rules most of the opening, projecting exceptional warmth.
One interesting aspect of vanilla is its subtle, dark, and smoky accents. It won’t come off as mysterious but more mature.
In the mid are more spices and citruses. The spices are never assaulting but instead add an additional invigorating dynamic. The citruses are a contrast of both sharp and juicy.
In the opening, they were present, but much of them get overshadowed by the ambroxan.
All notes settle into place in the dry down. Again the citruses are washed over, and for the rest of the wear, it is ambroxan with subdued spices. The warmth of vanilla and lavender still remains but nothing notable.
When it comes to performance, Dior Sauvage EDP does it all well. It lasts 8 -10 hours off my skin and fills a room. The longevity and projection are beast mode, and it works for all seasons, occasions, and times of the day.
My Experience With the Best Dior Colognes for Men
All of the above information is my experience with the best Dior Colognes for men.
However, I keep it as objective as possible. This way, you can objectively decide if this is a fragrance you want to purchase or if you’re comparing a few fragrances. Thus, this section is my subjective opinion.
Dior is unique in that it has a prominent designer line but also has what many consider a niche line (La Collection Privee). This makes it more accessible to most people but also allows individuals to move into higher quality if they want to.
I have a few niche Dior samples, and they are of higher quality but not necessarily better – I’m referring to Oud Malaki.
Anyways, Dior colognes are very wearable and all masculine. I appreciate that the designer fragrances are all proudly masculine, with no unisex vibes insight.
There’s nothing wrong with a unisex scent, but I don’t understand why they exist. I’ll always have multiple Dior colognes in my collection, and I recommend you do, too.
How to Pick the Best Dior Cologne for You
I always recommend setting your price range first. Don’t ever buy a fragrance more expensive than you feel comfortable with. There are always other choices.
This list has a mix of niche and designer fragrance lines. If you’re new to fragrances, I’d recommend sticking to the designer side.
Then, determine when and where you want to wear this fragrance. Most importantly, the season. Do you want an all-season, warm-weather, or cold-weather scent? Then, think about occasions with the same idea.
This information can be found in either the last paragraph of the review or the infographic. Following these few short steps should make choosing a Dior cologne for you much easier.
FAQ’S
What is the Best Dior Cologne for Men?
Dior Sauvage EDP is the best Dior cologne for Men. Its aroma fills a room, and it has the longevity to last longer than an entire workday.
Which Dior Perfume for Men is the Most Popular?
The Sauvage line is the most popular.
Is Dior Cologne Good?
Sauvage EDT has been the best-selling fragrance in recent years. It would never have done so well if it wasn’t for its smell and performance. I use Sauvage as an example to showcase the quality of Dior colognes.
Final Words
As you can tell, Dior has become one of the best designer fragrance brands for a reason. They create high-quality fragrances for every taste.
The best Dior fragrances are all masculine and have excellent performance. Combining these factors is why I will always recommend Dior as a go-to fragrance brand.
What do you think are the best Dior Colognes for Men?
Dior makes some of the best fragrances for men. But don’t just limit yourself to the brand. Check out the best Chanel colognes for men here.