I’m sure you’ve seen people often comparing two legendary colognes and finding which one smells better, Blue de Chanel or Dior Sauvage.
Both of these amazing fragrances have enough reasons to compete and claim one better than the other.
But, If you haven’t tried any one of them yet, then which cologne should you get?
Finding the answer to this can be very frustrating as both of these colognes have many versions and different features.
Don’t worry! After testing both of these colognes on myself, I have rounded out their similarities and differences to help you make an informed decision.
So, without wasting any more time, let’s see which cologne comes out with a victory in this battle.
Clash of Scents: Bleu de Chanel vs Sauvage
Bleu de Chanel
Main Notes: sandalwood, cedar, lemon, lavender, mint, bergamot, tonka bean, amber, geranium.
Released in 2010 by French fashion house Chanel, Bleu de Chanel is undoubtedly one of the world’s most recognizable and crowd-pleasing fragrances.
When people search for “blue” or clean aquatic scents in the market, Bleu de Chanel is a top choice. Every time I wear it, I love the smell and it puts me in a good mood. Also, I get a lot of compliments whenever I wear Bleu de Chanel.
Dior Sauvage
Main Notes of Sauvage: bergamot, ambroxan, lavender, pepper, wood notes.
Dior Sauvage was released in 2015 by the famous French fashion house Dior. Undoubtedly, Sauvage is one of the most incredible fresh spicy fragrances on the market.
Dior Sauvage is often compared to Bleu de Chanel as they both have a clean, masculine, and versatile scent.
Look, both of these colognes have similar traits that’ll make you want to purchase them. But, these are also two very different scents, with different notes and effects on people.
So, how to know which cologne has better performance? and which will give a better value for your money?
Read on to find the answers and find the overall best fragrance.
So, here is the cologne comparison between Bleu de Chanel and Dior Sauvage:
Opening
At first sniff, both of these colognes give a fresh citrus vibe.
Bleu de Chanel has Lemon, pink pepper, mint, and grapefruit as its opening notes. The citrus notes dominate here, with a touch of freshness from mint.
On the other hand, Dior Sauvage has one of the best fragrance openings in the world, courtesy of a fresh bergamot note and warm spicy pepper note. It has become intently recognizable everywhere for this signature opening.
In my opinion, Bleu de Chanel has a more sophisticated and refined scent in the opening. It’s fresh, citrusy, woody, and a bit herbal. After wearing it for a while, you’ll be delighted to smell the mix of citrus and amber notes that complement each other perfectly, while the cedar adds an elegant touch.
Here’s our ultimate comparison of Wanted by Night vs Dior Sauvage
Sauvage EDP has a stronger opening, as the spicy pepper and signature ambroxan note is piercing through the citrus in the opening, it can be a bit overwhelming at first sniff.
But once it settles down, and the smoky vanilla appears, this cologne becomes so sexy and crowd-pleasing that you’d start to get compliments on every corner.
Now, Which is better?
To be honest, I enjoy both of the openings, for different reasons. Bleu de Chanel has more depth in the opening notes and smells really manly and attractive. Whereas Sauvage is edgier, with a louder opening and equally sexy scent. In warm weather, I’d prefer this over Bleu de Chanel for the mix of fresh citrus and spicy notes.
Projection and Longevity
Both Bleu de Chanel and Dior Sauvage project really strongly after you wear them. As they are from designer houses, you can be sure about getting excellent projection and longevity from both of these colognes.
If you are looking for an elegant and classy fragrance that will last all day, Bleu de Chanel is perfect. It starts out with a strong projection at first but then tempers down after a few minutes before fading away completely in about eight hours.
Dior Sauvage EDP on the other hand is a beast mode cologne. It has more of an intense scent than its citrus predecessor with some woody undernotes. The scent and projection level makes me think back to old-school masculine colognes like Creed Aventus or Acqua Di Gio.
Look, both of these 2 colognes will give amazing performance and sillage. Investing in any one of them is worth the money because as soon as you wear it, people will notice the scent in a crowd. A few sprays in the pulse points and you’re good to go for the day.
Although, in terms of longevity, Dior Sauvage would be the winner here. It is crazy how long this fragrance stays on you, it’s simply unmatched. I even got the scent on my clothes the next day.
So, Bleu de Chanel is already more than enough to cover the whole day with an amazing masculine scent.
But if you’re looking for a cologne that’ll last longer than Bleu de Chanel, Sauvage is the one to grab.
Compliments
Bleu de Chanel is a massively popular scent in the fragrance community. There’s nothing to hate about it.
The clean citrus and aquatic vibe will bring you lots of compliments, that’s a guarantee. As an added advantage, Bleu de channel’s smell is smoother than Sauvage, meaning that all the notes are balanced and won’t offend anyone.
On the other hand, Dior Sauvage is a smell that every woman seems to know. I first purchased a decant and it got me compliments like never before. So after that, I didn’t wait anymore to grab the full bottle!
Also, check out our separate post on Joop Homme vs Montblanc Individuel
If you’re in the same room as someone wearing this fragrance, you will stand out from all other generic scents. Everyone who has smelled Dior Savage’s signature aroma gave compliments on how good the smell is.
So, for complements, any of these two scents will work. I’d say Sauvage is more popular and mass appealing. But If you prefer a safe choice, go with Bleu de Chanel.
Versatility
Bleu de Chanel is extremely versatile, whether you’re looking at a casual dinner or a black-tie gala. For dress-up and formal events, I’d rather choose Bleu de Chanel as it won’t offend anyone.
Sauvage is perfect for everyday use, but you might want to maintain caution while wearing it on special occasions. The scent isn’t classy enough in white shirts and events where it can make you feel overwhelmed.
So it’s simple, both of these colognes are fit for different occasions. Bleu de Chanel has more of a classic masculine tone and elegance whereas Sauvage is a modern powerhouse with loud notes. Most people love these types of scents so
I can’t say one is better than the other in every aspect.
Again, these two are in the same ballpark, in terms of when you can wear them. Both of these are best for Summer, Spring, and Fall. You can wear them at the office, casually, or for a night out.
In my opinion, Sauvage is slightly better for everyday use. But If you’re looking for something that’s more elegant, go with Bleu de Chanel.
Value for Money
Both of these colognes has the same range of premium price tag.
Bleu de Chanel wins here, Although Dior Sauvage isn’t that more expensive either. For/ Within $199, you can easily grab a 3.4 oz bottle of any one of the colognes.
Both of these fragrances will provide the maximum value for your money. If you have a budget of $150, get Bleu de channel. Add a few more bucks and you can get Dior Sauvage.
Clearly, Bleu de Chanel is the more affordable choice here.
But, If you’re someone who applies fragrance every day, you get better value for money with Sauvage. You should also know that these colognes last for a very long time and in my experience, it’s worth paying for either of them.
Also, you can check out Le Male vs Ultra Male
As there’s no significant price difference, both of these colognes will provide the same value for your money.
Overall Scent
Looking for an incredible fragrance to wear each and every day? Dior Sauvage is just the one you’re looking for. It has the potential to become your signature scent.
But there is a problem with Sauvage. See, the DNA of this citrus masculine ambroxan scent has been replicated in so many colognes in the market that it has become a very familiar smell. Even some big names in the fragrance industry have made colognes inspired by Dior Sauvage.
So, with Dior, it’s so popular that most people have smelt either Sauvage or a similar cologne.
On the other hand, Bleu de Chanel’s proper replication is hard because the scent has more depth and complexities.
If you’re looking to add a signature showstopper cologne to your collection, Bleu de Chanel could be the one.
Our Final Verdict
I have to say this is a tough call.
On one hand, the original Sauvage EDT cannot compete with Bleu – but in terms of EDP and the Parfum version, it’s not bad at all!
Dior took what was great about their signature scent and made them better by balancing the notes. Also, they added more complexity through different notes for each version of Sauvage instead of just reusing the same formula. You can’t ignore the crazy popularity of this scent either.
For an average customer, Dior is more than enough as a signature scent. It’s instantly recognizable and will get compliments.
If I had to choose between these two, I would pick Bleu de Chanel over Sauvage. It is more refined, smooth, and it’s just a superior and balanced cologne. The price is slightly less than Sauvage which gives it an edge.
The choice is in Your Hands
The question of which fragrance is best on paper might be a difficult one to answer.
But in the end, it’s about which scent you prefer; and which fragrance fits your personality.
Dior Sauvage seems like more than just “a nice smelling man.” It adds complexity while remaining light, fresh and sophisticated enough that even those who do not normally go after edgy scents would appreciate its quality.
Bleu de Chanel won’t disappoint you, either. This cologne has such a classy and luxurious vibe that will make you stand out in a crowd.
Since both of these colognes are massively popular, I’d suggest getting decant or sample bottles of them and try out on yourself to see which one you like the most. Then you can commit to the full bottle.
If you want to go on a different route and maybe consider something different from Chanel or Dior, Then check out Spicebomb Extreme vs Wanted by Night
Please comment on which cologne you think is better. And suggest which fragrance battle you wish to read next and I’ll get on it.
