Index: /llms.txt # Which Sauvage? Eau de Toilette vs Eau de Parfum vs Parfum vs Elixir Six Sauvages side by side: Eau de Toilette, Eau de Parfum, Parfum, Elixir, Eau Forte and Extrait. Compare them by notes and season votes, then try two as decants. By [Michael Edwards](https://10ml.com/authors/michael-edwards) · Updated: 5 November 2026 · 11 min read Choose [Sauvage](https://10ml.com/perfumes/dior-sauvage) if you want peppery bergamot and lavender over ambroxan and cedar, a 2015 launch the community votes for spring and summer days. Choose [Sauvage Elixir](https://10ml.com/perfumes/dior-sauvage-elixir) if you want spice (cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg and grapefruit) over lavender, licorice, amber, sandalwood and vetiver, a 2021 launch voted for autumn and winter. Both are voted long lasting, and the Elixir's runner-up is eternal. Season and spice decide it, and a 3ml of each, €8.10 and €11.97, lets you test both. [Sauvage vs Sauvage Elixir](https://10ml.com/guides/sauvage-elixir-dupes) is a choice between bright and dark. [Sauvage](https://10ml.com/perfumes/dior-sauvage) opens on pepper and Calabrian bergamot and settles into a dry base of ambroxan and cedar, while [Sauvage Elixir](https://10ml.com/perfumes/dior-sauvage-elixir) opens on cardamom, cinnamon and nutmeg and settles into licorice, amber and sandalwood. They share lavender, patchouli and vetiver, and not much else. The catalogue holds six Sauvages in all, plus one older Dior with a similar name, so this guide lays them all out by their notes, with the Eau de Parfum and the Parfum alongside the pair above, and ends with a way to decide on your own skin before you buy a bottle. ## The six Sauvages, and one from outside the family Every perfume in this comparison, in the order the article covers them. | # | Perfume | Main notes | 3 ml | 10 ml | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | [Dior Sauvage](https://10ml.com/perfumes/dior-sauvage) | Bright and peppery: pepper and Calabrian bergamot over ambroxan, cedar and labdanum. | €8.10 (€2.70/ml) | €23.40 (€2.34/ml) | | 2 | [Dior Sauvage Elixir](https://10ml.com/perfumes/dior-sauvage-elixir) | Warm and spiced: cardamom, cinnamon and nutmeg, a lavender heart, then licorice, amber and sandalwood. | €11.97 (€3.99/ml) | €35.28 (€3.53/ml) | | 3 | [Dior Sauvage Eau de Parfum](https://10ml.com/perfumes/dior-sauvage-eau-de-parfum) | Spiced and rounded: bergamot, Sichuan pepper, lavender, anise and nutmeg over ambroxan and vanilla. | €8.91 (€2.97/ml) | €26.91 (€2.69/ml) | | 4 | [Dior Sauvage Parfum](https://10ml.com/perfumes/dior-sauvage-parfum) | Citrus and wood: bergamot, mandarin orange and elemi, a sandalwood heart, then olibanum, tonka bean and vanilla. | €8.91 (€2.97/ml) | €26.91 (€2.69/ml) | | 5 | [Dior Sauvage Eau Forte](https://10ml.com/perfumes/dior-sauvage-eau-forte) | Light and lavender-led: elemi and spices over musk and woody notes. | €8.64 (€2.88/ml) | €25.20 (€2.52/ml) | | 6 | [Dior Sauvage Extrait](https://10ml.com/perfumes/dior-sauvage-extrait) | Dark woods: cedarwood, patchouli, oud and vetiver. | €12.78 (€4.26/ml) | €38.70 (€3.87/ml) | | 7 | [Dior Eau Sauvage](https://10ml.com/perfumes/dior-eau-sauvage) | A separate, older Dior: bergamot, lemon and herbs, a floral heart, then oakmoss, vetiver and musk. | €7.83 (€2.61/ml) | €22.86 (€2.29/ml) | | 8 | [Creed Aventus](https://10ml.com/perfumes/creed-aventus) | Fruity and smoky: bergamot, black currant and pineapple over birch, oak moss and ambroxan. | €11.88 (€3.96/ml) | €35.91 (€3.59/ml) | ## The six Sauvages at a glance Here they are in order of launch year, with the Extrait, which has no listed year, last. In this guide the original Sauvage is the Eau de Toilette. **The six Sauvages by their notes and season votes** | Perfume | Launched | Opening | Heart | Base | Season vote | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Sauvage](https://10ml.com/perfumes/dior-sauvage) (Eau de Toilette) | 2015 | Pepper, Calabrian bergamot | Lavender, Sichuan pepper, pink pepper | Ambroxan, cedar, labdanum | Spring, summer | | [Sauvage Eau de Parfum](https://10ml.com/perfumes/dior-sauvage-eau-de-parfum) | 2018 | Bergamot | Lavender, anise, nutmeg | Ambroxan, vanilla | Autumn, spring, winter, summer | | [Sauvage Parfum](https://10ml.com/perfumes/dior-sauvage-parfum) | 2019 | Bergamot, mandarin orange, elemi | Sandalwood | Olibanum, tonka bean, vanilla | Autumn, winter, spring | | [Sauvage Elixir](https://10ml.com/perfumes/dior-sauvage-elixir) | 2021 | Cardamom, cinnamon, grapefruit, nutmeg | Lavender | Amber, licorice, sandalwood, patchouli, Haitian vetiver | Autumn, winter | | [Sauvage Eau Forte](https://10ml.com/perfumes/dior-sauvage-eau-forte) | 2024 | Elemi, spices | Lavender | Musk, woody notes | Summer | | [Sauvage Extrait](https://10ml.com/perfumes/dior-sauvage-extrait) | Not listed | Not split by stage | Not split by stage | Listed notes: cedarwood, patchouli, oud, vetiver | Winter, autumn | ## What Sauvage smells like The original is the reference point for the whole family, so it is worth knowing it well before you look at the others. ### Sauvage by Dior Dior launched Sauvage in 2015. The first minutes are sharp and airy: pepper and [Calabrian bergamot](https://10ml.com/notes/bergamot), bright rather than sweet. Under that sits a crowded, peppery heart, with Sichuan pepper and pink pepper next to [lavender](https://10ml.com/notes/lavender), geranium and elemi, and a darker layer of vetiver and patchouli holding it down. The dry-down is where Sauvage gets its character. [Ambroxan](https://10ml.com/notes/ambroxan) gives a clean, diffusive glow that reads as skin warmed by the sun, and cedar and labdanum add a dry, slightly resinous edge. It stays fresh from start to finish, with spice running all the way through. It is listed for men. For longevity, most community voters choose long lasting. The community vote on its sillage leans strong, with moderate as the runner-up. As for when to wear it, spring and summer days lead the season votes, and it tends to come up as a going-out scent. ## What Sauvage Elixir smells like The Elixir shares a name with the original, but on paper it is a different perfume rather than a louder version of the same one. ### Sauvage Elixir by Dior Sauvage Elixir arrived in 2021. It opens on a spice rack: cardamom, cinnamon and nutmeg, with grapefruit adding a bitter, juicy lift so the start never feels heavy. Lavender is the whole heart, and it is the clearest thread back to the original. The base is where it goes its own way. Licorice brings a dark, almost herbal sweetness, amber and sandalwood make it round and warm, and patchouli and Haitian vetiver keep it from turning sugary. The result is dense and cosy, a scent for a coat collar rather than a T-shirt. It is also listed for men. Its longevity, in the eyes of most community voters, is long lasting. Most community voters rate its sillage strong. The seasons flip compared with the original: autumn and winter lead, and voters reach for it at any hour, evening, day and night alike. ## Sauvage and Sauvage Elixir, side by side Put the two note lists together and the difference is plain. [Sauvage](https://10ml.com/perfumes/dior-sauvage) is built on pepper and ambroxan; [Sauvage Elixir](https://10ml.com/perfumes/dior-sauvage-elixir) is built on warm spice and licorice. Both lean on lavender, patchouli and vetiver, which is why they feel related even though they wear so differently. - **Opening.** Sauvage starts with pepper and Calabrian bergamot. The Elixir starts with cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg and grapefruit. - **Heart.** Sauvage mixes two peppers, Sichuan and pink, with lavender, geranium and elemi. The Elixir keeps only lavender. - **Base.** Sauvage ends on ambroxan, cedar and labdanum. The Elixir ends on amber, licorice, sandalwood, patchouli and vetiver. - **Season, by community vote.** Sauvage is picked most often for spring and summer. - **Season for the Elixir, by community vote.** The Elixir is picked most often for autumn and winter. Neither is a stronger or weaker edit of the other. If you like the clean, peppery lift of the original, the Elixir may feel like a change of subject. If you find the original too bright, the Elixir is the Sauvage that sits closer to amber and sandalwood. Armani's Stronger With You line offers a similar choice, toffee and cinnamon against rum and davana over a vanilla base in both, laid out in [Stronger With You Intensely or Absolutely](https://10ml.com/guides/stronger-with-you-intensely-vs-absolutely). ## Eau de Toilette vs Eau de Parfum vs Parfum The first three Sauvages carry concentration words in their names. What those words mean in general is explained in our [concentration guide](https://10ml.com/guides/eau-de-parfum-vs-eau-de-toilette); for these three, the note lists show the difference more clearly than the names do. ### Sauvage Eau de Parfum by Dior [Sauvage Eau de Parfum](https://10ml.com/perfumes/dior-sauvage-eau-de-parfum) arrived in 2018, and François Demachy is credited as its perfumer. Bergamot opens it. The heart holds Sichuan pepper, lavender, anise and nutmeg, and the base settles on ambroxan and vanilla. Anise and nutmeg give the heart a rounder, sweeter spice than the original's two peppers, and vanilla sits behind the ambroxan. It is listed for men, and its votes cover all four seasons, for night as well as day. ### Sauvage Parfum by Dior [Sauvage Parfum](https://10ml.com/perfumes/dior-sauvage-parfum) followed in 2019, also credited to François Demachy. It opens on bergamot, mandarin orange and elemi, a brighter and juicier start than the Eau de Parfum's single note. Sandalwood is the whole heart, and the base is olibanum, tonka bean and vanilla: a resinous, vanilla-sweet finish. It is listed for men too. Autumn, winter and spring take its season votes, at night and by day. ### How the three differ All three open with bergamot, and that is most of what they share. The original is built on pepper, ambroxan and cedar. The Eau de Parfum keeps ambroxan but adds anise, nutmeg and vanilla. The Parfum moves away from pepper altogether, towards mandarin, sandalwood, olibanum and tonka bean. By season votes, the original leans to spring and summer, the Eau de Parfum spreads across the year, and the Parfum leans to the cooler months. ## Sauvage Parfum vs Sauvage Elixir [Sauvage Parfum](https://10ml.com/perfumes/dior-sauvage-parfum) opens on bergamot, mandarin orange and elemi, keeps sandalwood alone in the heart and ends on olibanum, tonka bean and vanilla. [Sauvage Elixir](https://10ml.com/perfumes/dior-sauvage-elixir) opens on cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg and grapefruit, keeps lavender in the heart and ends on amber, licorice, sandalwood, patchouli and Haitian vetiver. Sandalwood is the only note the two share. Choose the Parfum if you want citrus, sandalwood and a vanilla and tonka finish. Choose the Elixir if you want spice, lavender and licorice. Most community voters rate the Elixir long lasting. Most community voters call its sillage strong too. The Parfum has no longevity or sillage vote, so there is no honest way to rank them on strength. ## The other two: Eau Forte and Extrait Two newer members of the family push the idea in opposite directions: one lighter, one deeper. ### Sauvage Eau Forte by Dior [Sauvage Eau Forte](https://10ml.com/perfumes/dior-sauvage-eau-forte) came out in 2024, and its note list is short. Elemi and spices open it, lavender forms the heart, and musk and woody notes make up the base. On paper it is the most pared-back Sauvage, lavender-led and soft at the edges. The votes sit lower here. On longevity, most community voters settle on moderate. Its sillage gets the same majority answer from the community, moderate. Summer daytime is where voters place it, which makes it the one to consider if you want the family's lavender without much weight. ### Sauvage Extrait by Dior [Sauvage Extrait](https://10ml.com/perfumes/dior-sauvage-extrait) is the woodiest of the six. [Its listed notes are cedarwood, patchouli, oud and vetiver](https://10ml.com/guides/dior-sauvage-extrait-sample), with oud, cedarwood and vetiver as its featured notes. On paper it is a dry, dark wood scent. For longevity, the community leans long lasting, with eternal close behind. Most community voters describe its sillage as strong. In the season votes it belongs to winter and autumn, after dark rather than by day. ## Eau Sauvage is a different perfume The name causes confusion, so it is worth a short detour. Eau Sauvage is not part of the Sauvage line above. It is an older, separate Dior fragrance with a very different style. ### Eau Sauvage by Dior [Eau Sauvage](https://10ml.com/perfumes/dior-eau-sauvage) dates from 1966. It opens on bergamot, lemon, basil, rosemary, caraway and fruity notes: citrus and herbs, crisp and green. The heart is soft and floral, with rose, jasmine, hedione, orris root, lavender, coriander and carnation over patchouli and sandalwood. Oakmoss, vetiver, musk and amber close it with a mossy, slightly earthy finish. In the community vote on longevity, most people answer moderate. A majority of community voters give its sillage the same word, moderate. Warm months and daylight hours are where voters put it, and it often comes up as a scent for work. If a friend recommended "Sauvage" and you liked it on a desk job rather than a night out, it may have been this one. ## Outside the family: a shared structure If you like the bergamot, pepper and ambroxan backbone but want a different house, one perfume in the catalogue shares those three notes. ### Aventus by Creed [Aventus](https://10ml.com/perfumes/creed-aventus) is a niche fragrance from Creed, launched in 2010. It opens on bergamot, black currant, apple, lemon and pink pepper, then turns fruity in the heart with pineapple, patchouli and Moroccan jasmine. The base brings birch, musk, oak moss, ambroxan and cedarwood, and the birch is a note the Sauvages do not have. The community longevity vote leans long lasting, eternal next. On sillage, community opinion leans strong, and moderate follows. Like the original Sauvage, it is placed in spring and summer by voters, by day, and often for going out. It is not a replacement for any Sauvage; it is a fruitier, smokier take on a similar frame, and worth trying if you enjoy the original. Our guide to [niche and designer perfume](https://10ml.com/guides/niche-vs-designer-perfume) explains what separates a house like Creed from one like Dior, and our [men's perfume guide](https://10ml.com/mens-perfume) has more in this style. ## How to choose without smelling them first Reading notes gets you most of the way. Match the list to what you already enjoy: - **You like fresh, peppery and clean.** Start with [Sauvage](https://10ml.com/perfumes/dior-sauvage): pepper, bergamot and ambroxan. - **You like warm spice and a little sweetness.** Start with [Sauvage Elixir](https://10ml.com/perfumes/dior-sauvage-elixir): cinnamon, cardamom, licorice and sandalwood. - **You want spice rounded with vanilla.** Start with [Sauvage Eau de Parfum](https://10ml.com/perfumes/dior-sauvage-eau-de-parfum): bergamot, anise, nutmeg, ambroxan and vanilla. - **You want sandalwood and tonka, without pepper.** Start with [Sauvage Parfum](https://10ml.com/perfumes/dior-sauvage-parfum): mandarin orange, sandalwood, olibanum and tonka bean. - **You want lavender, kept light.** Start with [Sauvage Eau Forte](https://10ml.com/perfumes/dior-sauvage-eau-forte): lavender, musk and woody notes. - **You want dark woods.** Start with [Sauvage Extrait](https://10ml.com/perfumes/dior-sauvage-extrait): cedarwood, oud and vetiver. If you are choosing between the first two, the season votes are a useful shortcut: the original leans to warm months and the Elixir to cold ones. Some people end up owning both for exactly that reason. ## Wear it before you buy the bottle: the two-decant test A note list tells you the direction. Only your skin tells you whether you will reach for it on a Tuesday. The simplest way to settle Sauvage against the Elixir is to wear both for a while before you commit. 1. **Order a 3ml of each.** A 3ml gives you around 60 sprays, enough for a week or so of wear. 2. **Split your first day.** Put the original on your left wrist and the Elixir on your right, straight after a shower, and smell each one at mid-morning, after lunch and before bed. 3. **Then wear them alone.** Give each one its own day, so neither one colours how you read the other. Try one on a warm day and one on a cool evening if the weather allows. 4. **Ask someone who spends the day near you.** Your nose tunes out a scent it wears all day, and another person often notices what you no longer can. 5. **Keep the one you miss.** The perfume you want back on the day you did not wear it is your answer. The same steps work for any pair in this guide, such as the Eau de Parfum against the Parfum. For a pair outside the Sauvage family, our guide setting [Sauvage against Versace Eros](https://10ml.com/guides/versace-eros-vs-dior-sauvage) uses the same idea, with a seven-day wear test on a 3ml decant of each. From there, a 10ml decant holds around 200 sprays, which is several weeks of everyday use from something small enough for a jacket pocket. Our guide to [decants and full bottles](https://10ml.com/guides/decant-vs-full-bottle) explains when each makes sense, and [how long a 10ml bottle lasts](https://10ml.com/guides/how-long-does-a-10ml-perfume-last) does the maths on daily wear. To widen the search, our guide to [long-lasting perfumes for men](https://10ml.com/guides/best-long-lasting-perfumes-for-men) groups more scents by style. ## Frequently asked questions ### What is the difference between Sauvage and Sauvage Elixir? Sauvage is bright and peppery, while Sauvage Elixir is warm and spiced. Sauvage opens on pepper and Calabrian bergamot and dries down to ambroxan, cedar and labdanum. The Elixir opens on cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg and grapefruit and dries down to licorice, amber and sandalwood. Both share lavender, patchouli and vetiver. ### What does Sauvage smell like? Sauvage smells fresh, peppery and clean. It opens on pepper and Calabrian bergamot, has a heart of Sichuan pepper, pink pepper, lavender, geranium and elemi, and settles on ambroxan, cedar and labdanum. ### What does Sauvage Elixir smell like? Sauvage Elixir smells warm, spicy and a little sweet. Cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg and grapefruit open it, lavender sits in the heart, and licorice, amber, sandalwood, patchouli and Haitian vetiver form the base. ### Is Sauvage Elixir the same as Sauvage Parfum? No, they are separate perfumes with different notes. Sauvage Parfum opens on bergamot, mandarin orange and elemi, has sandalwood in the heart and ends on olibanum, tonka bean and vanilla. Sauvage Elixir opens on cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg and grapefruit, has lavender in the heart and ends on amber, licorice, sandalwood, patchouli and Haitian vetiver. ### Which Sauvage suits summer and which suits winter? Community voters most often pick the original Sauvage and Eau Forte for summer, and the Elixir and the Extrait for winter and autumn. The original and Eau Forte are the brighter, lighter ones; the Elixir and the Extrait are the warmer, darker ones. ### How can I choose between Sauvage and Sauvage Elixir without buying both bottles? Wear a small decant of each before you buy. A 3ml gives around 60 sprays, enough to wear each one on separate days and on both wrists at once, then a 10ml decant gives around 200 sprays once you know which one you reach for. ### Does Sauvage Elixir last longer than Sauvage? In the community vote on longevity, both are called long lasting. The Elixir's runner-up answer is eternal, while the original Sauvage's is moderate, so voters lean towards the Elixir lasting longer. ### What is the difference between Sauvage Eau de Toilette and Eau de Parfum? The original Sauvage (the Eau de Toilette) is peppery, built on pepper and Calabrian bergamot over ambroxan, cedar and labdanum. Sauvage Eau de Parfum opens on bergamot, has Sichuan pepper, lavender, anise and nutmeg in the heart, and ends on ambroxan and vanilla. Community voters pick the original for spring and summer, and the Eau de Parfum across all four seasons. ### Sauvage Parfum or Sauvage Elixir: which should I choose? Choose Sauvage Parfum for citrus, sandalwood, olibanum, tonka bean and vanilla, and Sauvage Elixir for cardamom, cinnamon, lavender and licorice. Community voters pick the Parfum for autumn, winter and spring, and the Elixir for autumn and winter. A 3ml decant of each, €8.91 and €11.97, lets you wear both. ### Which Sauvage is the strongest? Community votes do not single out one Sauvage as the strongest. Most voters rate the Elixir's longevity long lasting. Most also rate its sillage strong. Votes on the original's sillage lean strong as well. For the Extrait, most voters rate its sillage strong, with enormous the next answer. Most voters rate Eau Forte's sillage moderate. The Eau de Parfum and the Parfum have no longevity or sillage votes, so we do not rank them on strength.