Danse Sauvage

Danse Sauvage is a fabulous fragrance! So great, I had to get a bottle! Cognac, rose, vanilla, plum, saffron, pepper, chili, cedarwood and oud are some of the notes I detect and are quite fascinating, I might add. At first sniff, you get the pepper and this sweetish chili saffron that is simply amazing! I love the subtle plum that opens the composition, with a warm cognac accord hovering softly as the fragrance lingers. I’ve heard this compared to the original Spicebomb, and while I can see a faint resemblance, the similarities are limited. Others have mentioned Straight to Heaven, but I don’t find that comparison. Its boozy, brandy-like note differs significantly from what's present in Danse Sauvage. A few fragrances that do come to mind within a similar genre are Iunu and Rogart, both from Molton Brown’s Navigation Scent Collection. Danse Sauvage shares with them a distinctive sweet, balsamic spiciness that is rich yet never overpowering. Overall, this is a gorgeous scent in my opinion, bold and weighty, yet beautifully balanced. It’s spicy, oudy, woody, and peppery, wrapped in a generous sweetness that feels indulgent without becoming cloying. I also find echoes of Parfums de Marly’s Nisean here, particularly in the dark, oudy, sweet-balsamic character. That said, Nisean is noticeably less sweet than Danse Sauvage. Both are excellent fragrances in their own right. Performance is above average, longevity is moderate, sillage is great! I like it just as I do African Rooibos! Both have made a nice complementary presence in my collection, especially African Rooibos! :)

I got sample of Danse Sauvage with another perfume purchase. As DS was in my wish list I was really pleased. Danse Sauvage is really a very lovely fragrance - some peppery notes blending really well with a sort of dark amber fruitiness. But I couldn't stop thinking I was wearing YSL's Tuxedo - one of my favourite fragrances and in my collection. So I thought I'd do a side by side comparison. I've got Danse Sauvage on one arm and Tuxedo on the other arm right now. For the opening salvo, although I can detect differences, to my nose I'd say they are something like 80-90% similar. DS has a darker slightly more intense feel and a definite deep amber in the base, Tuxedo is a bit lighter. As the dry down progresses the differences start showing up a bit more. DS develops and gets deeper and I'd say we're down to 70-80% similarity. (Update : on reflection I think the similarity is higher than that. There are some differences but I just can't get past thinking "Tuxedo" when I smell the arm with DS - and that's too close for me). DS is really beautiful, no question about it. But at around twice the price of Tuxedo I'd have to question whether I want to spend this much on a fragrance that is too similar to one I already have. Give them both a try - both DS and Tuxedo are fabulous fragrances. I'd say DS is deeper, slightly more substantial and intense. It definitely ought to be more expensive - I think it has the edge on Tuxedo in terms of 'quality' and depth - and Tuxedo is I think a high quality perfume.

So good. It opens heavy on the cedar, which made me a little nervous I was smelling like a hamster cage at first (although I do love the smell of cedar), but it mellows out rather quickly to a very slightly sweet, peppery, patchouli, amber concoction. I can just barely smell any oud; it's there but it's not dominating. This smells so similar to V&R Spicebomb, so if you like that, you might find this different enough to warrant a bottle of DS. I'm not sure I can justify it, but I do love this fragrance. Heavenly for a sexy fall/winter scent. I can see that some may find this too masculine for their tastes - I own a few colognes so don't mind a unisex bordering on masculine scent.

My first and only experience with chris Collins is a pleasurable one. Danse sauvage is a beautifully composed fragrance. First and foremost, this is a lesson in the art of cedar. I find that dusty cedar note screams from first spray - backed with a bit of booze and the ripeness of plum. I find it to be very pleasing - and not too sweet - maybe a 3.5/10 on sweetness. The scent plays well on skin - and seems to perform well. This is, without question a winter scent. Other scents in this category would be: Gucci pour homme 1, etat libre dorange rien and Bentley absolute. While I think this is probably a little overpriced, the quality is unquestionable and the outcome is beautiful.

A blast of cedar when first sprayed, then plum and booziness comes out. These three notes meld as it dries down. I don't get too much black pepper, which works for me. It really is a lovely fragrance for a fall or winter evening. It's solidly woody, which I like, but with a twist. Unlike a lot of other boozy fragrances, that note really lasts quite a while with this one. It has decent projection but the lasting power is where it really shines. I like it also because it is a boozy and woody fragrance that avoids being overwhelmed by vanilla/tonka or tobacco and isn't overly sweet. That alone makes it unique.

A very classic-smelling scent that radiates in the room around you, bringing the feelings of both joy and envy to those who surround you. I have read a lot of comments that bash the opening, and I objectively disagree. The opening in my sense of smell is in-fact the most enticing part about this cologne. This fragrance is perfect for casual wear if you lean towards more classy/masculine scents. No matter the season, no matter the weather, this fragrance will always be a glowing, compliment-inducing winner.

Love this! 10/10. A perfectly blended dry amber/cedar scent. Normally, I stay away from cedar, but everything in this is so well blended that it just all comes together. The amber is fairly loud, so if you like more subtle scents, I would stay away. The opening is the best. I couldn't stop smelling my arm. Unfortunately, it lasted about 15 minutes. The pepper and a few other notes faded fairly quickly. A unisex fragrance if ever there was one. I'd love for my man to smell like this! Winner!

When I first smelled it, I liked it so much that was even thinking of buying a full bottle. The plum was so beautiful, surrounded by pine and drowning in something soft and crumbly... It reminded me of mens aftershave a little bit, but was still so very likeable, well done, and screaming niche. But when I returned to it a couple weeks later, the love has gone, I don't know why. My search for a perfect plum continues, but I'd probably still buy Danse Sauvage if I were a guy.

This is one of those silent but deadly fragrances. I personally go nose blind to this over the course of the day and suprisingly my co workers and my wife all can smell it throughout the day. (3-4 sprays only on skin) Its a subtle fragrance which wont offend anyone, but it will garner many conversations leading to compliments. If you love fragrances Straight to Heaven from Kilian or Floriental from CDG, you will love this.

its a intense but settle boozy woody spicy fragrance .. before i got this i was smelling a whole lot of oud fragrances and i will say there's definitely oud in this . the price though is expensive however i wanted to spent it anyways cause i never owned a niche before this is my first one . its a really amazing sent and i didn't mind the price tag . will use for special occasions . or for my own enjoyment love it .

A non-animalic Straight to Heaven spiced up by the Plum. Loving it! For me, the best from the house among the current 3 releases. Harlem Nights was good but not for me as it has that bit of makeup vibe. Renaissance did not agree with my skin - weird opening and funky detergent-like drydown. Too bad since it seems to be strongest performer from the bunch.

To me this smells like a far more distinguished and elegant version of the OG Spicebomb. It's intense spice and leather, balanced with plum and cognac. I don't really detect much oud in this, but doesn't bother me. If you love Spicebomb, and want something similar but more refined, give this a try.

I think the bugsy fella a few reviews down said it all. Precise review. I love this fragrance. I love it. But sadly it does not stick around long enough for me to wear it over other options. But i like wearing it to bed and its just for me.

I'm really digging this scent. Kind of gives me the Straight to heaven vibe By Kilian. I'm guessing it's the Cedar.

Today I'm taking a look at another house that I have zero experience with: Chris Collins. I never really hear about this fragrance house when looking at YouTube videos or in reviews; it just doesn't seem to get discussed. Whether that means it's a hidden gem or simply not worth the attention is yet to be seen. I'm going to be reviewing Danse Sauvage, and from the note breakdown, it seems like something I'd enjoy. Let's get into it and find out. Opening: The opening is an assertive blend of sweetness, warm spice, and woods. The primary notes I discern are nutmeg, cedar, cognac, and plum, with the cedar and cognac being the most prominent. The cognac opens the fragrance with an intense blast of rich, warm, and sweet booziness. I've recently been trying some different cognacs to see if it's something I can learn to enjoy sipping, and the cognac note in this fragrance does a commendable job of emulating the aroma of a glass of very sweet cognac. Behind the cognac is the cedar note, lending a strong, dry woodiness that melds well with the cognac, considering it's a spirit that's aged in wooden barrels. It does have a subtle "lumber-y" quality as well, but not enough to clash with the other notes. Next are the plum and nutmeg. The plum imparts more sweetness to the opening, but in a dark and fruity way. Cognac notes typically carry some fruitiness with them as well, so the plum blends seamlessly with it here. Lastly, the nutmeg imbues an overarching powdery and warm spiciness to the opening, giving all of the other notes a bit more character. Dry Down: The dry down is defined by its woody, boozy, and sweet character. The primary notes I get are cedar, cognac, oud, and vanilla, with the strongest of the notes still being the cedar and oud. The cedar is the highlight of the dry down with an amplified dose of the dry "lumber-y" woodiness from the opening, while the cognac has stepped in line behind the cedar with the same rich, warm booziness. With the cedar having gained a bit more prominence, the "barrel-aged cognac" accord that started in the opening is even more prevalent in the dry down. This is followed by the vanilla and oud. The vanilla has emerged in the dry down to provide a supplemental creamy sweetness—not enough to take the fragrance in a gourmand direction, but enough to be noticeable. Lastly, the oud adds just a bit more woodiness on the backend, nuanced by the dark and earthy tones that oud is known for. There's also just a bit of nutmeg leftover from the opening, as well as some amber tones far in the background. Performance: The initial projection within the first hour is very robust and can easily fill a room. Sillage matches this intensity with a dense scent trail. After a few hours, the projection was still strong enough to fill a room, and the scent trail, while a bit lighter, was still easily noticeable. At the seven to eight-hour mark, the projection was about three feet, and the scent trail was lighter but still discernible. The fragrance became a skin scent around the nine-to ten-hour mark. When to Wear: Danse Sauvage is a fall/winter fragrance that is designed for evening wear. This is not necessarily something I'd reach for to wear casually, but it would work very well as a special or formal occasion fragrance. However, it is much too strong to be considered office-friendly. Blind Buy: I would not necessarily call Danse Sauvage a safe blind buy. It is very assertive and not made to be mass-appealing. However, if you enjoy woody, boozy, and sweet fragrances like Kilian's Straight to Heaven, Danse Sauvage is worth exploring. Final Verdict: Danse Sauvage turned out to be much more niche than I initially thought it would be. It's intensely woody with a big focus on cedar and cognac. From that perspective, I can understand the comparisons to Straight to Heaven. However, I would advise anyone from purchasing this thinking it will be a more affordable alternative to Straight to Heaven, because they are distinctly different from one another. The performance, interestingly enough, almost exactly matched what I got from Straight to Heaven; both are very strong and project heavily with good longevity. All things considered, I am more pleased with Danse Sauvage than I thought I would be. However, Straight to Heaven is already on my wishlist, and with Danse Sauvage sharing a similar scent profile, I don't need to own both. Since I feel Straight to Heaven does a better job with the DNA, I'll be passing on Dance Sauvage for now. Scent: 8/10 Longevity: 8/10 Sillage: 10/10 Versatility: Average Mass Appeal: Low Gender: Masculine Value: Fair

Incredibly beautiful woody, boozy fragrance. You can smell every note in here, but they keep blending into one another, so it's hard to put your finger on them. Perfectly unisex, one of the best woody fragrances I have ever enjoyed, such a rich cedar intensified in an oud-style. It's not that it's very oudy, although there is oud in here - but that intense oriental style. The plum and cognac really take it to the next level. They add a sweetness and richness, that is also so spicy with the black pepper and chili. I get a Mexican chocolate feeling from this fragrance, even though there is no chocolate listed. The mid is all warming spice, and the cognac really comes through on drydown - cognac/vanilla. Mmmm, it's hard to get your nose off your wrist when you wear this one! Can't get enough. Thanks Fragrantica for the chance to try this sample from the discovery set. Looking forward to smelling the rest :)

Really nice blend of boozy notes with spicy ones to keep it from becoming too heavy. The pepper was really prominent on me and mixes really well with the saffron and nutmeg. I could just about notice the oud but it wasn't too forward. Other people will definitely be able to smell this on you but it's not too heavy to be obnoxious. I definitely think this is a nighttime fragrance; it also makes more sense in cooler weather probably, but I wore it in hot, humid weather and it performed well and didn't feel too out of place. The wear time was excellent and lasted around 12 hours on me. (Also, something about it reminds me of Maison Crivelli's Citrus Batikanga? It might just be the way the pepper notes come out in both.)

I like this one a lot. Smells familiar...smells like a watered down goodies version of sultani. Spicy, fresh, not a barnyard or fecal oud. The chilli mixes so well with the rose so not a rose scent by any stretch...but if you like a softened version of middle eastern spiced scents....get this. Not original or unique but good. Adding to my previous review something in this smells akin to Layton mixed with sauvage elixir. 4.2 overall Lasts, decent sillage

That same warm spicy cinnamon scent you find in Bvlgari Man in Black, V&R Spicebomb, Custome National Homme, & the likes. Here, it has a spicier opening, that is heavy on the tobacco, & it is gorgeous. However, it dries down minutes later to the become about identical to the aforementioned fragrances. Warm, smooth, spicy. It's beautiful. However, you are better off getting one of the above for half the price. Masculine, cool weather wear. "Like".

The opening is a little funky but about 15 min later dried down to an ambery spicy wood. That’s where it shines. I was about to write the fragrance off based on the opening but I’m now on fragrance heaven. I only wish Chris Collin’s would stop pricing his fragrances at $175/50 ml with no breaks. This is why his brand will remain for collectors mostly.

I got a sample of this from Jovoy London hoping this could be a candidate as a 'date' night fragrance. Very pleasant boozy plumb fragrance with cedar, honestly didn't pick up on any of the other notes. Average performance. Just a like from me. Penhaligon Blazing Mr Sam smells almost identical, performs better and is cheaper per ml.

Very nice fragrance. Masculine... But it's very weak and it does not last too long. For that, i think it's WAY WAY WAY over priced.

Oh dear. I can see what Chris is trying to do. In my head evoking a spirit of Sheldrake with these, woody, spicy complex affairs but they just come off a bit second rate. I hate to say it as well because the intent was obviously to make something truly unique, and to be fair I can't attribute many direct comparisons to Danse Sauvage. If I'm honest as well, I really liked/borderline loved it when I first sprayed it, heavy incense, woody, spicy, fruity, boozy, kinda that plummy cedar note spiked with cinnamon and hot, peppery spices. But goes from boozy to a bit....well, woozy. Which is never good. The problem for me is a fundamental one, I don't really like wearing this for any longer than a few minutes, not only does the novelty wear off but it kinda starts to grate on me. It's well made and blended by a good perfumer and I mentioned is at least trying to innovate which should be praised for really. It doesn't commit the cardinal sin of drying down to just smelling of IES, Amboxan, woody ambers, it largely carries the whole vibe into the drydown, but perhaps getting sweeter if a little more rounded. I can't pretend I like it as much as on paper I might read this review and think it sounds up my street, but that's the magic and mystery of perfumery huh? For me a perfume has to be an enjoyable wear and has to connect, and this sadly isn't and doesn't with me.

I was excited for this one for the notes but all I get is SO MUCH PATCHOULI and a little oud. My son loves it. I... don’t.

Too Masculine leaning for me personally

I received a decant of this from Lucky Scent and it was the first scrubber out of ~50 samples of various brands. There is a lot of love here for this fragrance and my experience makes me feel so confused. I tried to let it sit on my skin and dry down, but I couldn't tolerate it more than an hour. To me this smelled like some sports rub you put on an injury or sprained ankle. Something to the effect of Tiger Balm or Bengay creams. It had a potent astringent medicinal scent that I hated. No clue if I got a bad batch or if this is what it's supposed to smell like!

I've tried quite a few from this house that I like/love, but this was a total scrubber. Lots of saffron and aromachemicals (iso e super and/or ambroxan). Instant headache and an instant "no" for me.

If you like this, try by Kilian Straight to Heaven. While this May last a little longer, it is quiet literally the cheaper, less refined, less impressive, less sophisticated version of the rum cedar genre. That being said, it smells good, and lasts slightly longer than STH. STH has Mediocre at best performance but it does, in fact, smell like heaven. Try both, decide if you want to smell heavenly, or just good. This is rum forward, with cedar and plum. The plum and rum make it sweet- almost cloyingly so- but the cedar is there and stabilized it a bit. It’s not too refined, and compared to others in the genre (STH and Ursa) smells cheaper and worse than both. But performs in the middle, with probably a lower price tag than all. Decide for yourself. STH > Ursa > Danse BUT the genre is so good, that all of those are good.

Smells a lot like Sexy Garrigue but the screamwood takes over. Nice resinous, warm ambery blend but that screechy wood is overpowering and strong. Ramps up as it dries, so the spiky wood trend continues here. For those who like that projection and longevity, it's good. Since that note burns my nose, it's not so good for me.

This one is my favorite of the line along with Renaissance Man. It is super oaky and plummy, together these notes give you a bright impression of a fine strong beverage.

It opens very spicy and boozy. It is also woody (cedar, vetiver). Similar to Costume National Homme and Bvlgari Man in Black. Very nice masculine fragrance.

Their description should be: "Drops even more panties than Sauvage!" They really missed a golden opportunity.

Cognac and plum on a bed of amroxan. Something Kilian would release. Quite good actually.

I dont usually like Fragrances that have that medicinal smell but it works here

This just too similar to Halfeti by Penhaligon’s. Wish it was more unique

Hugo boss elixir. Very nice attractive grown mysterious boss fragrance

Pretty close to Oud Malaki. I’d buy that instead.