History of Eau Sauvage by Christian Dior

So many fragrances get forgotten, ruined or changed, but one that has survived for men is Eau Sauvage by Christian Dior. Sadly, most department stores don’t stock it, and you have to find it at those cheesy generic perfume shops located in sub-leased spots in the mall. It’s a stinky world indeed when stinky green Polo survives 40 years in department stores, but Eau Sauvage does not.

Eau Sauvage was released in 1966; it is still a total classic and sold around the world. Apparently, its key ingredient is hedione (also known as methyl dihydrojasmonate), which is a chemical copy of a jasmine smell. It inspired a whole line of other related fragrances. (The current website 2021 talks about bergamot; a comment says the fragrance is not the same as it was originally.)

Eau Sauvage was created by the late Edmond Roudnitska, a self-schooled Frenchman perfumer who created other scents that included Diorissimo and Elizabeth Arden’s On Dit and It’s You, as well as some scents for Rochas. Roudnitska, who grew up in Nice, eventually moved to Paris to create perfumes. His firm Art & Parfum is apparently still around, run by family.

It got attention as it appeared in the Preppy Handbook; recently The Trad blog has it among his favorites. (Ones in his medicine cabinet include Canoe, Old Spice, Aramis, Devin, Royal Copenhagen, Eau Savage, Greenbriar, Eau D’Hermes, Vetivier, D.R. Harris Sandlewood, Knize 10, Trueffit & Hill Spanish Leather and Molton Brown.)

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