Eau Sauvage Fraîcheur Cuir (2007)
by Christian Dior

Christian Dior Eau Sauvage Fraicheur Cuir

I wonder what Alexandra Ripley felt like as she sat in front of the keyboard composing her sequel, "Scarlett" to Margaret Mitchell's "Gone With The Wind"? You have to be creative while taking into account the many who will bemoan the desecration of a legend, the others who want to laugh that you are even attempting a new take on a masterpiece, and the few who will actually give your creativity a chance to impress them. The perfume version of Alexandra Ripley is Francois Demachy who has taken on the task of making the sequel to three well-liked scents, all for Christian Dior, Dior Homme Cologne, Fahrenheit 32 and now, in 2007 Edmond Roudnitska's 1966 ground-breaking masterpiece with, Eau Sauvage Fraicheur Cuir. While the first two sequels M. Demachy undertook were well-done; to try and alter a scent from one of the, arguably, greatest perfumers of the 20th century that is something entirely different. The original Eau Sauvage could be considered the forerunner to all of the fresh and clean scents currently (over)crowding the perfume shelves. M. Demachy in his design of Eau Sauvage Fraicheur Cuir pays homage to the original but actually makes a couple of different choices than M. Roudnitska and ends up creating something all his own. The top of Eau Sauvage Fraicheur Cuir is where the two scents are most similar. The beginning of Fraicheur Cuir is all light, tart lemon which lasts only a short while. It is in the heart that the first divergence from the original scent takes place as the similarity to the original is maintained with an herbal accord paired with cedar. The biggest difference comes in M. Demachy's use of hedione. M. Roudnitska was said to have pioneered the use of hedione in Eau Sauvage but while I'm sure it is there it never seems to be that prominent when I wear Eau Sauvage. That is not so with Eau Sauvage Fraicheur Cuir as the hedione does its job here in all of its glory as the jasmine comes to life against the woody, herbal backdrop making this similar but entirely different. The base is where things take a dramatic turn as the promised leather appears paired with amber and the hint of oakmoss. The base is really mostly leather with the amber there to provide some depth to it all. Eau Sauvage is one of those very short lasting scents on me. Eau Sauvage Fraicheur Cuir happily has much more longevity and lasts a good 6-8 hours on me. There is also much less projection than in the original. I know I wouldn't have the courage to try and pick up a previous work and make it my own. Bravo to Francois Demachy for not only trying but succeeding, spectacularly so.

refined, yes. lemon and leather, yes. beautiful, yes. works for me? sadly, no. dries down a little too hot and dry. i'm sure on someone with a bit more class and a few more years than i, this would be fantastic. on me, it just feels uptight.

There seems to be a growing trend in re-releasing classic citrus scents with a leather note thrown in for good measure (think Acqua di Parma Colonia Intensa).

It’s actually a decent release (unlike Acqua di Parma’s effort) and far better than Eau Sauvage Extrême. However, like its predecessors, it lacks the tenacity that I usually expect in bottle-worthy fragrances (but that's to be expected with this type of scent).

A thumbs-up, nevertheless, for successfully modernising it.

[Original submission date: 05 July 2008]

What an amazing scent this was. I bought this at the Munich airport when it first came out. I ran through my bottle so quickly and couldn't find it in the US. So wondefully fresh. Everyone is right. It was a lot of Eau Savauge with a hint of leather. I wish they would have made a super concentrated version that lasted on my skin longer.

Off the top of my head, I can't think of another fragrance, classic reissue or recent release, that plays within the confines of the contemporary fresh 'n clean sensibility without sacrificing classic structure, smart composition, or quality ingredients as effortlessly as Eau Sauvage Fraîcheur Cuir. Starting with an original that has stood the test of time gave a leg up to the nose that created this version to be sure, but ESFC's composition is extremely clever--leaving the top notes pretty much alone, at least enough to make the the fragrance immediately recognizable as an Eau Sauvage, toning down some of the perfumey (read: dated) smell of the heart, and adding a leather accord that at once suggests a classic structure without actually replicating the actually leather that usually defines old-fashioned cyphers. The "fresh leather" in ESFC is the fine suede of a pair of a brand new pair of bench-made bucks---nothing dry or overbearing at all. My current fave.

Instead of an irrationally-named and irrelevant flanker, this edition is a true variation on the Eau Sauvage theme. You’d be hard pressed to tell them apart from the renowned opening citrus. But soon after dry down begins Fraicheur Cuir goes its own way, without renouncing its pedigree, revealing a soul of elegant soft leather and amberish tobacco instead of its daddy’s spiky basil and peaty vetiver. I like them both, for different reasons, but find Fraicheur Cuir the more amiable companion.