Scent Showdown: Dior Sauvage VS Bleu de Chanel

Bleu de Chanel has been criticized for pandering to the mainstream at release, only to win over its detractors with its universally likable character and versatility.

Sauvage is said to be Dior's equivalent/answer to Bleu de Chanel, with the same mainstream appeal and fragrance character. Loved and hated in equal amounts for the same reasons as Bleu, time will tell if it can turn the mob around like how Bleu has done.

Are they really that alike? Do they stand on equal footing, or will one clearly outdo the other?

It's time for a scent showdown!

This comparison was done with three sprays of each fragrance on opposite arms -- Bleu on the left, Sauvage on the right. Observations were made by closely smelling the skin at timed intervals at multiple stages in the fragrances' development.

	Bleu de Chanel (2010)	Dior Sauvage (2015)
Opening	Citrusy, grapefruit-ish scent, with a touch of aquatic and herbal notes. Lighter and cooler to the nose compared to Sauvage.	Extremely similar citrus and grapefruit scent as Bleu, but sweeter, fuller and more rounded in smell.
Development	The herbs and aquatic notes start to be more noticeable when the citrus starts to fade, hinting at a slight soapiness as the fragrance develops.	The fragrance becomes fruity-synthetic as the brighter top notes fade. Oddly enough, the synthetic quality reminds me of a squished ant in fruit. Not stinky, but slightly unnatural.
Drydown	A sweeter, lighter aquatic wood with a touch of leafy herbs.	A slightly darker, dryer wood. Hotter on the nose. Still a touch fruity.

My nose quickly grows anosmic to the fruit and incense wood notes when switching between the two, which tells me that they have a lot in common. On the flip side, blunting my nose to those commonalities while the fragrances develop lets me concentrate on their differences instead. They do maintain their fruity/woody nature in some form as they develop, but they mature on the skin in different ways. For a more in-depth discussion, please check out my individual reviews of each scent!

Bleu has an aquatic side to it that Sauvage doesn't have, giving it a cleaner, more multidimensional vibe. They both take on slightly synthetic notes when you get past the citrusy freshness at the beginning, but where Bleu chooses to take on a flowery, herbal, laid-back tone with the passing of time, Sauvage remains sweeter and is a touch more plasticy to my nose. On the drydown, Bleu is better blended and natural smelling, while Sauvage has a rougher, more aggressive tone that retains the basic fruity personality it had from the beginning.

I have both Bleu de Chanel and Sauvage and I enjoy both of them as people-pleasing scents for any weather and occasion. For those owning one or the other, I would say that they're close enough in personality and performance that having both in your collection would be redundant. For someone yet to commit to either one, they do have enough differences that I would still recommend giving both a good test drive on your skin to see how they fit with your own preferences. 

But!

If I absolutely had to choose one to keep, I would pick Bleu de Chanel. I do think Sauvage takes a tiny lead in terms of attention-grabbing in the opening, but Bleu is a more mature, multi-faceted scent that undergoes interesting stages in development while remaining natural smelling and well-blended. Dior Sauvage is more linear and rougher around the edges, and could use tiny bit more tweaking before performing with the same mastery as Bleu.