The 7 Best Dior Colognes for Men

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Almost every designer house these days has at least one fragrance—it’s just par for the course of being a modern luxury brand. But the house of Dior has been killing the fragrance game for longer than almost any of the others. If you thought Dior cologne began with Johnny Depp for Sauvage, think again. The house has been rolling out hit after hit for decades.

What makes Dior fragrances stand out, however, is that even the classics still smell modern. These are not dusty old scents that remind you of your grandfather. Even the original Eau Sauvage, released in 1966, is something you’d want to wear today—fresh, gentlemanly, and somehow still modern. Truly, for nearly every decade of the last half century, Dior has created a fragrance that both perfectly captures that time, but also transcends it, which is why Dior colognes are routinely found on lists of the most popular colognes.

The other benefit of having such a deep history of cologne is that Dior has something for every man. Whether you’re a spicy, woody, rock-and-roll type or a fresh, sporty go-getter (or a little bit of both), Dior has a cologne that you want to wear. The trick is finding it, which is why we advise starting with this list of the absolute best.

Sauvage Eau de Toilette

The original Sauvage remains one of Dior’s best sellers for one simple reason: It’s just that good. Since its debut in 2015, there have been a thousand imitations, but the unique scent of Sauvage will always stand out. The fresh top and middle notes of Calabrian bergamot, lavender, and geranium are uplifting and energizing while the base of warm ambroxan and woody cedar anchor it to your skin as the three different types of pepper offer a spicy kick. It’s a cologne that’s as versatile as it is singular.

Sauvage Elixir

The newest addition to the Sauvage family - Elixir - is a darker, sexier take on the classic cologne. It dials up the spice in a big way, but also adds a bit of warmth that turns it into a more mature, seductively masculine cologne than the more versatile original. It’s bolder and more concentrated, so it will last longer on your skin and creates a sillage that’s noticeable but not overpowering. Think of this as the mature older brother to Sauvage. Wear it at night for optimal effect.

Homme Eau de Toilette

This version of Dior Homme, reimagined in 2020, is a modern take on the classic woody men’s cologne. Crisp cedar and smooth cashmere wood take center stage through the entire fragrance but the freshness of bergamot and pink pepper at the opening perks up your senses at the first spray. The dry down, while still very wood-forward, slowly reveals a skin-like white musk note. It’s not as aggressive as some of your more traditional woody colognes, but that’s the point; it’s a modernized take that’s incredibly easy to wear for nearly every man.

Homme Sport

The word sport in men’s cologne speak is always code for “fresh,” which this scent is—very much so. The lemon and bergamot at the top are sharp and zingy and give it a bit of a kick to the nose, but what keeps it from being too literal are the aldehydes, which give it a clean soapiness that also lends an elegance to the citrus. The dry down—which reveals warm amber, smokey olibanum, and masculine woody notes—lasts for hours (and we mean hours). It’s one of those colognes that you keep coming back to because it’s not just easy to wear, but you actually want to keep smelling it.

Fahrenheit

This cologne can be polarizing because it is old school (we’re talking "released in 1988" old school). But for those that like a deep, dark, traditionally masculine cologne, this is one of the best. It’s very much a leather fragrance, and some say it has a sharp gasoline quality (also very polarizing). It’s sharp at first but dries down quickly to a leathery, musky, warm, skin-type scent that’s bold but not overpowering. It’s the type of cologne you can imagine an '80s Wall Street power broker wearing on a night out and honestly, who doesn’t want to harness some of that energy every once in a while?

Eau Sauvage

Widely considered one of the masterpieces of perfumery, the original Eau Sauvage is all about vintage vibes (it debuted in 1966 after all). Think of it as what Dickiy Greenleaf would wear while tooling around on his Vespa—crisp, fresh, herbaceous, and refreshing with a slight undertone of a fresh barbershop shave. Not only is it the quintessential summer fragrance, but it’s also extremely gentlemanly. It’s subtle and never aggressive and is appropriate for every occasion. It’s professional but somehow also alluring at the same time. And even though it’s not the most modern cologne on the market, it’s the perfect example of, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

New Look

This new unisex fragrance is anything but mainstream. It’s deceptive in its simplicity, with a top note of clean, crisp aldehydes, which are usually used more as background players than the lead singer. As it dries, the smokey smooth frankincense and warm amber reveal themselves and help it stick closer to your skin, but it never loses a slightly sterile aspect that’s unexpected and utterly unique. Inspired by the couture designs that put the House of Dior on the map, this scent is definitely niche, but so attention grabbing people can’t look away.

What to Look For In a Dior Cologne

Of course, picking a fragrance is a deeply personal decision no matter what the brand, but there are some things to keep in mind when you’re choosing a Dior cologne. First, pay attention to concentration. Eau de Toilettes (EDT) are lighter and have less of a concentration of fragrance versus Eau de Parfums (EDP), which are more concentrated. EDP’s tend to also be more expensive because of the higher concentration. The good news here is that Eau de Parfums tend to have a greater longevity (they last longer on your skin) so you may find that they’re a good investment since you could end up using less in each application. The other thing to keep in mind is that the Eau de Toilettes tend to favor more fresh, citrus and floral notes, which are often more subtle and dissipate faster, while the Eau de Parfums tend to be bolder and deeper, and thus last a bit longer as well.

Why Trust Us

We’re not going to say something is great unless it's actually great. Every product in Esquire’s round-ups is carefully curated by our grooming and e-commerce teams.

When it comes to fragrance, one of the most important grooming items a man can have, you can rest assured that we’re hand-selecting scents that we’ve personally tested, tried, and loved. Our grooming editor Garrett Munce, along with the rest of the style team, has spent years spritzing, spraying, wearing, and test driving hundreds (thousands!) of colognes and we are confident that these are the best.

Every pick on this list (and our other lists) comes from these years of testing. We know that no two tastes are the same, no two men are the same, and how you want to smell may vary from someone else. But if you’re looking for the right place to start, with advice from folks who and care (possibly too much!) about this sort of stuff, this is the place to be.

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