Dior- Eau Sauvage Extreme (Pre-Reformulation)

As far as I know, Dior Eau Sauvage Extreme never got a Rene Gruau-illustrated ad. It certainly deserve it, though. The 1984 offspring of the original Eau Sauvage is a beautiful masculine with a unisex appeal that takes the classic citrus theme and makes it slightly darker and deeper. The connection between the two is apparent upon first sniff, but the longer you wear Eau Sauvage Extreme on your skin, the differences stand out.

The original Dior Eau Sauvage was a citrus and oakmoss cologne-type fragrance, kind of like Dior's more elegant version of O de Lancome. Everyone needs this stuff in their wardrobe for summer days when the a/c stops working. Extreme, at least in its older pre-2010 incarnation (my bottle dates from the 1990s), shows more depth almost immediately, with hints of smoky wood and a sweeter ambery dry-down.

There's something very satisfying about Eau Sauvage Extreme. It feels like a proper perfume and it lasts beautifully on the skin, even in the disgusting weather we've had here over the last month. The "not so clean" part of this fragrance includes a honeyed heart and a  jasmine with a hint of corruption-- not quite rot, but just this side of interesting (I guess it's related to the Diorella effect we can smell in the original Eau Sauvage). Extreme is still gentlemanly and well- paced, it just offers a few more twists and turns, and some warmth and sweetness for good measure.

As I mentioned above, Dior Eau Sauvage Extreme was released in 1984. It's highly likely that there were subtle variations and changes over the years, but nothing significant until 2010 when the fragrance was officially repackaged and reformulated (IFRA regulations, of course). I haven't bothered with the new version, but words has it that it smells thinner and quite chemical. The repackaging makes it easier to spot the good stuff. New boxes are black and silver (like the bottle) while the old ones are marbled brown. The old bottles say " Eau de toilette Concentrée " while the new ones are "Eau de Toilette Intense". at this time it's quite easy to find the older formula without paying an arm and a leg.

Notes: lemon, bergamot, basil, fruit note, petitgrain, jasmine, bay, coriander, orris, aldehydes, sandalwood, patchouli, moss, amber, musk.