Dior Sauvage and Versace Eros are some of the most popular colognes for men. These are also best-selling men’s fragrances for a few years now. However, which one should you choose if you could only buy one?
The Dior vs Versace debate expands beyond perfumes with these designer brands. However, both Sauvage and Eros show just how close these brands are to products almost everybody loves.
Versace Eros was launched in 2021. Dior Sauvage was launched in 2015. Both have worthy successors as flankers such as Versace Eros Flame, Dior Sauvage EDP, and Dior Sauvage Elixir.
Both men’s fragrances hold their ground. These are the best everyday fragrances that are easy to wear and that aren’t the most expensive (at this moment).
What Does Dior Sauvage Smell Like?
Dior Sauvage smells fresh and spicy. It has multiple pepper notes in it which make it stand out. These are mixed with aromatic notes such as lavender (albeit it’s not a true lavender perfume). It has an aromatic formulation that lacks sweetness and a smell that’s highly admired by those who don’t like sweet perfumes.
Dior Sauvage smells like
- Pepper smell
- Bergamot smell
- Ambroxan smell
- Lavender smell
What Does Versace Eros Smell Like?
Versace Eros has a sweet aromatic smell. Its aromatic odor is based on intense vanilla, amber, and citruses. It also smells a bit metallic through its ambroxan note, a bit like mint, and a bit like a faded geranium smell.
Main Versace Eros notes
- Vanilla
- Ambroxan
- Mint
- Tonka bean
- Geranium
Dior Sauvage vs Versace Eros – Perfume Battle
Sweetness levels are the main difference between Dior Sauvage and Versace Eros. Dior has a spicy aromatic smell while Versace has a sweet aromatic smell based on intense vanilla.
Smell
Dior Sauvage smells fresh, peppery, and a bit metallic. Spicy pepper is characteristic of its signature scent. Versace Eros also smells fresh, but sweeter, and often resembling aftershave in a very masculine way.
Both these top men’s colognes are highly ranked for their scents. Sauvage is (still) considered a highly masculine scent with excellent spiciness that women love. Eros is considered a sweet-smelling aromatic fragrance that is ideal for clubbing. It’s also recommended in our best perfumes for clubbing rank.
The smell of Sauvage is different from the smell of Eros which means these aren’t mutually exclusive by smell alone. A man can own both Dior Sauvage and Versace Eros to use in different situations. The smell of Sauvage is congruent with daytime wear while Eros is better for the evening and nighttime wear.
Longevity
The performance of these two fragrances is remarkable since they are designer-made and not niche perfumes for men. This is why you can expect up to 8 hours of lasting power on Sauvage and up to 8 hours of lasting power on Eros.
These are certain perfumes prone to over spraying. You can easily smell too spicy when applying too much Sauvage (maybe 4+ sprays) and too sweet when applying too much Eros (3+ sprays). These are long-lasting perfumes for men that don’t require over spraying.
Projection
Projection is very good on both perfumes but it tends to be slightly better on Sauvage. Eros strongly projects for about 2 hours. Sauvage projects very well even beyond a couple of hours mark.
Both fragrances get you noticed as their projection impressed everyone around you. People can smell these perfumes even when further than one arm’s length away from you which means you can’t fault any of them in the performance department. It also means these perfume bottles would last longer than just about any other similarly-priced popular designer fragrance for men.
Compliment factor
Both perfumes get compliments from women. However, Sauvage still gets plenty of compliments even if women are now so used to the fragrance. Sauvage has a slight edge in the projection area and the compliments department.
Still, you should be aware that most of those who get compliments wearing these perfumes are wearing them in different social situations. Men wearing Sauvage are typically wearing the fragrance during the day, maybe to work. It’s clear such a potent fragrance gets noticed but many guys don’t wear any fragrance to work.
Men wearing Versace Eros like to wear it on dates or when going out. This best Versace cologne tends to stand out in busy social situations through its sweetness and intense projection. Side by side, these perfumes would struggle to be truly different when it comes to the compliment factor.
Ideal wearer
The ideal wearer of these perfumes is a young man. Guys in their 20’s and guys in their 30’s can wear Sauvage. Eros is truly limited to men under 30 as it has that youthful teenage vibe. These are some of the most potent perfumes when it comes to signature scents at almost any age since there aren’t better options out there as signature scents that are also easy to find, however.
Versatility
Both perfumes are versatile but in different ways. Sauvage does great in warm weather and not so great in cold weather. Eros does very well in cold weather and is not impressive in warm weather. Still, you can wear them in all seasons if you’re truly into their smells.
This being said, Sauvage is considerably better for versatility since it can be seen as a good daytime perfume. Eros has that clubbing appeal that almost always triggers comparisons between Le Male and Versace. If you only afford one fragrance, Sauvage is going to offer that versatility for a one fragrance collection.
Uniqueness
Neither Sauvage nor Eros is truly unique today. Yes, they were original when released, but they lack maximum wow factors given there are newer fragrances on the market. But since they smell so good they are often confused with the entire perfume industry, which speaks about their mass appeal which has little to do with uniqueness.
Think of it this way. Sauvage was the Tesla of the perfume world back in 2015. Today, there are better electric vehicles that feel unique even if they weren’t released before Tesla. The same applies to Sauvage. Eros is a different story. It’s hard to beat a very good or the best vanilla perfume for men regardless of trends and uniqueness. Vanilla is vanilla and all of the supporting notes are there in the background. Eros also has a cooling effect given it has an intense mint opening which might make it stand out a bit compared to most other perfumes that simply skimp mint notes.
Are Dior Sauvage and Versace Eros timeless?
Both Sauvage and Eros feel like they’ve been around for a very long time. None of them is truly timeless.
Great Dior Sauvage alternatives start with Bleu de Chanel. Great Versace Eros alternatives also start with timeless Bleu de Chanel.
Some of the best Chanel perfumes have that timeless appeal to them which Sauvage and Eros lack.
If you have Versace Dylan Blue you could easily skip buying Dior Sauvage. If you have Bleu de Chanel you can also easily skip buying Eros Flame.
However, men who love fragrances typically have Dior Sauvage, Versace Eros, and Bleu de Chanel in their collections.
Best for
College students – Dior Sauvage
Dior Sauvage is constantly seen as the best perfume for college students. Women love smelling it on men and it’s clear guys can’t get over this fact and start wearing it every day. Eros is great as well, but mainly as a nighttime perfume or as a fragrance for parties and going out.
Young professionals – Dior Sauvage
Dior Sauvage is one of the best perfumes for professionals and those in employment as well. It features better versatility and a distinct appeal which is mostly fresh but not sweet.
Single men – Dior Sauvage and Versace Eros
Single men might need to wear both. Sauvage is ideal during the day while Eros gets high marks for dates, shopping, clubbing, and all other dress-up events.
Married men – Dior Sauvage
Versace Eros is one of the best perfumes for married men. It smells like vanilla and this note is one of the most appreciated by women. However, Dior Sauvage isn’t as youthful-smelling as Eros.
Dads – Dior Sauvage
Dior Sauvage is also one of the best perfumes for dads since it smells so versatile. Men can easily discover the type of versatility Sauvage offers in almost all social situations that only involve themselves or involve the kids as well.
Travelers – Versace Eros
Things might be a bit different when traveling. Versace Eros is one of the best perfumes for travelers since it comes with sweetness and not as much spiciness as Sauvage. A spicy perfume can be off-putting on a bus, train, or airplane. You can pack perfume in your travel bag and it’s often worth getting Eros with you since sweet scents are not as intrusive as spicy scents.
Final words and climate conditions
The winner is Dior Sauvage. Its spicy scent is more versatile, it has appeal, and it smells masculine. Versace Eros is an affordable alternative and also a sweet alternative based on its intense vanilla smell. You can own both fragrances since both are starting to become more affordable. Versace Eros is also expected to be the first to be discontinued. Based on this premise, it might become harder to find in stores. However, men can buy both Sauvage and Eros today for the retail price of Sauvage when it first came out, which is why it can be wise to buy both for very different social situations as seen above.
As a final note, Dior Sauvage is a different type of fragrance compared to Versace Eros in different climates. The fresh Dior Sauvage smell is recommended in warm climates or humid climates where it performs well. Versace Eros is recommended for cooler Northern climates or the colder months of the year where its warm vanilla smell makes it stand out more. Sauvage struggles to perform as good in cold weather.
FAQ
Is Versace Eros unisex?
No, Versace Eros smells masculine. While it’s a sweet men’s cologne, Eros is worn by alpha-male type of guys who like to smell masculine. Its mint opening is reminiscent of aftershave which means it can’t be worn by women.
Is Versace Eros good for school?
Versace Eros is good for school if you don’t overspray it. The sweetness of the fragrance recommends it for high school and college. However, Eros is about to become very popular among school-goers since it has a higher price drop compared to Dior Sauvage.