Sauvage

Dior Sauvage redefined modern masculine fragrance when it launched in 2015, built around a bright Calabrian bergamot opening, a spicy Sichuan pepper heart and that now-iconic ambroxan base that gives it enormous mineral, skin-like radiance. Clean Shaven's version captures the opening well - the bergamot and pepper burst is recognisable within seconds of spraying - and the ambroxan is present in the base, since it is a cheap, widely available synthetic that budget houses lean on heavily. Where it falls short of the original is in the middle: the lavender and geranium nuance that gives Sauvage its aromatic complexity is thinner here, and the whole composition reads flatter and more one-dimensional than Dior's layered version. Longevity is the other gap - expect three to four hours of close-range wear rather than the eight-plus hours the genuine EDT delivers. As a cheap everyday alternative for the gym, the office or casual wear it does a fair job; as a substitute for date-night sillage it will not carry the room the way the original does.