Balade Sauvage

Just got a 100ml bottle of this fragrance in, And I have to admit, I've never been a fig person. If I had to describe myself, I'm a fig HATER. Somehow, Dior has turned my utter hatred for fig into a total attractive NIGHTMARE. I first sampled Balade Sauvage back when the first edition mini sets released. It was love at first sniff, back then I was still a "Noob" or "Beginner" however you'd like to describe it. I did not know there was fig in this bottle, but boy did I flip out on my friend when he told me this is a fig forward scent. Fast forward today, I've finally snagged a full bottle from the Dior website and I have absolutely no regrets. The opening is a beautiful mix of Fig and citrus to my nose, with soft undertones of white florals. In most cases, it leans more towards the feminine side depending on what kind of weather you are wearing this fragrance. My wife and I have noticed that in the hotter Arizona weather, it leans more towards the masculine side since it becomes more ozonic and watery due to your body sweat. But in the cooler weather, you get a floral forward feminine scent. So weather does affect this fragrance quite a bit. I wear this in the spring time here in Chandler,AZ , and it is by no means a "beast" performer, but I wear this scent for my own pleasure rather than other's =) Getting gentle whiffs of the citrusy fig while I walk in the nice cool breeze is just absolutely REFRESHING! The dry down is a light powdery vanilla mixed with slight woodiness. My rating for this elegant yet attractive scent: Projection: 5/10 (Very easy going not at all a projection beast, more of a self-satisfactory fragrance) Longevity: 8/10 ( I get anywhere from 5-8 hours. Also the opening notes dies out a bit too soon, around 3 - 4 hours in and it's gone). Uniqueness: 9/10 (I don't think there's a better "Fig" scent out there, I say this because I hate the smell of Fig, and so far no other house has changed my mind aside from Dior. Don't put me on a pike for this =) It's just personal preference). Price: 8/10 (Definitely worth it, the 220$+ that Dior is asking for per bottle. I think that this scent is worth every dime I spent on it, no regrets!) Overall: 8/10 (Although the rating isn't high, I wanted to be honest about how I feel towards fig. If I'm rating this scent as a Fig lover, this would easily be 10/10 in every spectrum). Thanks for reading my review! =)

This is a very, very nice fig scent. I have a sizable collection of fig-oriented frags and this one could be someone's fig holy grail. Essentially, this is like a hybrid of the beautiful Bal d'Afrique by Byredo and a traditional fig scent, maybe something like Philosykos or AdP Fico di Amalfi. And yes, there certainly is a profile similarity to Jo Malone's Wood Sage & Sea Salt, despite the note differences. But not similar to Dior Dune Pour Homme. Dune is more astringently fig tree bark and leaf green. It has an accord that smells like the moist green innards of a fig tree branch that is split in two. The fig accords in Balade Sauvage are not like that. The orange blossom note in Balade Sauvage equates well with Bal d'Afrique's African Orange Flower, and the peach fruitiness with the Black Currant fruitiness of Bal d'Afrique, the florals equate well, and the creaminess of the amberwood, labdanum and vanilla of Balade Sauvage equates to the creamy amber and Musk of Bal d'Afrique. The solar, ozonic, and sea notes of Balade Sauvage are quite subdued and don't cause a significant divergence of scent profile in this comparison. I can possibly imagine a pebble note and very slight mineralic accord in Balade Sauvage, but it's nothing prominent. Then of course the fig fruit and leaf notes give the fig profile orientation. But overall very nice, and somewhat unique in the fig scent genre.

My first try of the latest collection of Dior Privee fragrances (announced on-and-off over the last few years but allegedly only released in late 2017 or early 2018 in Paris), Balade Sauvage caught my eye above many of the others and I jumped at a chance to sample it via a split. As many of the initial reports are indicating, it's wonderful, a playful, fresh mix of fig, labdanum, and a health variety of citrus, floral, and aquatic notes, possibly with a woody or vetiver base underneath. I've been slow to warm up to fig as a sweet fruity note (it took me a couple of years to warm up to plum, for one) but I do like the way it's relatively subtly used in Balade Sauvage. The fig is there but not dominant; it's well-blended with the other competing clusters of notes. Performance is impressive for a freshie, not quite to the Profumum level but still strong projection for hours and longevity beyond. Certainly most comfortable as a daytime warm weather fragrance (based on character), it's nonetheless robust enough to wear on a warmer night or indoors, only perhaps unsuited for the colder days and nights of winter. I'd be remiss not to mention that I also see this is quite unisex in nature--this could smell good or men or women, old or young, in various walks of life. It's just an unusually pleasant, agreeable smell. 8 out of 10

Vibrant fruity citrus at the top, tapers down overtime to give the oceanic and woody notes some room, it starts to smell like freshly printed money (like brokesta911 said). I glee like an idiot whenever I smell the atomizer. At the halfway of its 6 hour longevity, Balade Sauvage becomes a skin scent, I can never catch slightest waft of it. The projection is ok at the top, but then it's all gone by hour 2. I'm very happy with my purchase, this fragrance helped me discover my taste in fragrance, but I can't excuse weak scents. EDIT: Here's what I personally think of some comparisons: Philosykos by Diptyque (both EDP&EDT) - No. The only overlap is the fig note, and it's not a juicy, edible fig, it's a very young fig, with strong green fig leaf scent. The scent is very deep green and earthy. Silver Mountain Water by Creed - No. Citrus and musk scent Musk Therapy by Initio - No. Musky Orange citrus and sandalwood scent, no aquatic qualities. Fico di Amalfi by Aqua di Parma - No. The fig isn't sour as Philosykos, but it's still young and overwhelms the acquatic notes Bal d'Afrique by Byredo - Sorta. The big similarity is in the top note, but it dries down to something similar to Musk Therapy. Any of the Un Jardin fragrances by Hermes - No. They're old school overwhelming citrus scents, nothing refreshing in my opinion.

Love, love, love. Balade sauvage is outstanding, my first fig centric fragrance so was rather unsure if it would be lovely or not. First sniff from the cap, cold pebbles, labdanum, solar and petitgrain. When applying it's a different story, the opening is bright and fresh, quite green and citric. Petitgrain and bergamot shine most here, ozonic notes are harder to detect but I assume they lend more to projection than anything else. The mid is where things start to get fruity, I can smell the milky fig coming through, some sap and floral fruity sweetness, retains the bitterness from the petitgrain but balances it well here, it's smooth, creamy green fig, not sweet, the green notes are working hard on that. I get the base notes throughout but most noticeable when it becomes more personal around the 4-5 hour mark, pebbles, vanilla, labdanum and woody resinous undertone that almost can be confused for the fig tree staying from the mid. This is outstanding perfumery and extremely creative, this has been my daily driver this spring, layering with jasmine des Anges when I want a sweeter touch, or lucky when I want full green-floral-ozonic goodness. This will stay in my collection, I'm going to hunt for more bottles for sure, someone take my card.

Finally, I was able to get my hands on another 250 ml bottle for myself, This will be my second review for Balade Sauvage, overall one of the best from Private line. I cannot imagine a better presentation of mediterranean, BS is the embodied version of figs. Milky, creamy, airy and totally Aegean (this part is subjective ofc... not really) It smells home, my heritage, my longing. It brings me back to my grandmother's house, where there were dozens of fig trees, laughter and love. A memory from where life was simple. Many will pass by this fragrance, let them. This comes from when fragrances smelled like fragrances, not odors. Those times when blend and craftmanship mattered the most not the performance. François Demachy, I owe you a lot because of this fragrance. All the feelings BS awakens is precious, if I can I will buy another bottle. My only wish for Dior to hold on and embrace Mr. Demachy's heritage more and more, what he created for Dior Private Line captured brand's personality frankly and harmoniously. Dior will eventually bring this back, one way or another.

It's weird, but on the initial spray it has a faint "nutty" quality. Strange because nuts or almonds are not listed as notes... Anyhow this was love at the first sniff. It's not a bright fig note like for example in AdP Fico di Amalfi, which is also not bad btw, but this is a lot smoother and "milkier" , not as much "out there", and overall better imo. Very high quality ingredients overall. Quite unique too. It changes a bit over time. Imagine taking a hike on the mediterranean coast line, and then you stop to take a rest under a fig tree. There is a warm and slight breeze. That's what this reminds me of. Longevity on skin is okayyish, but lasts a lot longer on clothes. Projection is something in between soft and moderate, although it leans more to moderate. Perfectly unisex scent. Spring and Summer is the best time for this, although I'd wear this also on colder days, because it has a certain "warmness" Overall easily 9/10 I'll get it soon.

I have always been a lover of fig, My great grandfather was fig and grape farmer in İzmir. Whenever we had a family gathering figs were there, in the middle of the table. When it comes to fig, it’s not easy to impress me. Heady, overly sweet figs are “no no” with me. Balade Sauvage has very delicate, fresh fig. This is not a green fig whatsoever. It’s ready to be ripped off, juicy, soft. You can smell morning sun and sea with Balade Sauvage. While other fig interpretations lean towards milky, creamy powdery, Francois Demachy kept fig on it’s true roots with Balade Sauvage. This may sound easy to achieve while certainly it’s not. Huge respect to Mr. Demachy. Here is the sad part, Dior boutiques and Dior counters doesn’t display Balade Sauvage for awhile. At least 6-7 months. Something is going on... Before it’s too late I’ll buy 250ml in addition to my 125ml. This is mediterranean, vivid, sweet yet fresh fig. Brilliant!

I stepped in the Dior boutique expecting to take home Rouge Trafalgar because it just seemed like the safe choice for me. I love fruity floral scents! Yet Balade Sauvage caught my nose so much more. It smells powdery to me, and I usually hate powdery scents, but this one isn't headache-inducing nor does it make my nose hurt when I get whiffs of it. It smells soft, green, smooth and creamy. Kind of reminds me of what a baby smells like, to be honest. And I like that! It isn't sharp at all and it's perfect for outdoor activities too. As with my other Dior scents, it sadly doesn't last long on my skin but at least it stays on for like 12 hours on my clothes, which I don't mind. Definitely an unexpected turn, but glad I got this because it doesn't smell like any of my other perfumes in my collection.

What an incredible and stunning scent. I blind bought this based on the notes, the fact that I love fig-based fragrances, and favorable comparisons to great fragrances. Balade Sauvage is all I hoped for and more. It is a bright green fig fragrance that has a slight milkiness, but without the coconut note (that I dislike) that other fig fragrances have. But fig doesn't dominate here. There are floral (jasmine perhaps among the petitgrain amd others) and some minor marine and citric notes. Balade Sauvage is exceptionally well blended and smooth. And performance is impressive for a "figgy freshie". I am getting 8-10 hours with 4 hours of decent sillage. This is the one "sauvage" release from Dior that I can get behind. It is bright, luxurious, and smile inducing. Make sure you don't miss this one.

This has an almost gourmand type of smell, the fig here is delicious, sugary, edible, very realistic. I can smell all the notes listed, including those solar, ozonic and pebble notes: whatever they mean, wearing this perfume brings me immediately to a Mediterranean landscape, standing at the seaside caressed by a cool breeze. Its sweetness is not cloying, as it's balanced by citrus and woody notes. The opening is strong and a head-turner for sure (I've received compliments). Average longevity (6-7 hours, after all it is a fruity and summery scent!), moderate sillage (skin scent after 2-3 hours). Very high quality juice, as with all the Maison Christian Dior line. One of my favorites for this summer.

This is the more complex, older sibling of Dioriviera. It’s a fresh, woody, clean take on fig, offering just the right amount of sweetness. Not sure if this is being discontinued like some reviews suggest as I was recommended this perfume by a SA in Paris a week ago, but I sincerely hope it won’t be because it has got to be my new favourite out of La Collection Privée. I wouldn’t have ever known this perfume existed had the Dior Paris SA not taken it out of the cabinets for me to test it. This is a fresh, woody, clean take on fig with just the right amount of sweetness for me. Not straight-up fig trees like Philosykos but not too linear like Dioriviera. Obsessed!

One of my new favs, not like any fig fragrance that I’ve personally smelled. Dune, no. Fico di Amalfa, no. Wood Sage and Sea Salt, no. Doesn’t even remind me of them. The fig, woody, ozonic, slightly sweet (but from what is not obvious) are all notes I agree with. Ichnusa is my other fav fig scent, but completely different profile, and is very earthy and awesome. I wear it, and spray for aromatherapy. This one is much more wearable though. Decent performance and projection. Fairly office safe. I wouldn’t recommend a blind buy because of how unique it is (and it’s discontinued and will be more expensive eventually) but would recommend it as a try all day long.

Love it. Vibrant, green figs with sweet, fuzzy peaches and a fresh, marine-note backing. Really reminds me of my Nonno. I used to love climbing and jumping off his fig trees in the backyard as he watered the plants. Usually he'd make us pasta for lunch and cut up cold peaches later. Unfortunately this stays pretty close to the skin so I've resorted to over-spraying to make it a bit more prominent. I'm yet to try it in summer though and I've heard it excels a bit more in the humidity. Either way, this stuffs pretty versatile; so with that on top of everything else, I could see myself going through a bottle pretty quickly.

A super pretty unisex scent. Reminds me of cool fruity gummy jelly in a fresh summer day. Peach is prominent and the the fig smells kind of milky rather than green (as of Philosykos) and I prefer it so. Nicely blended with some light saltiness. Smooth and refreshing. There’s also some vintage vibe in the scent. This one deserves a favourite spot on my shelf. Very casual and elegant. Proper for all ages. The downside is the performance. It lasts only 2-3 hrs on me. The sillage is also sadly poor.

The Pebbles note is surprisingly good. Pretty real fig dominant scent, but with additional pebble/aldehyde touch. Brilliant! Performance is on the higher side, I spray some on skin and some on shirt, after 12 hours you can still get some sniffs from the shirt from time to time. I'll need some more wears to write a full review to appreciate this, but it's just wonderful. Well blended and decent longevity. An interesting synthetic scent. 10/10

Elegant ,airy and fruity with a little saltiness - stays for long but it’s projecting mostly close to the skin. Diptique’s Philosycos was my number one Fig (it’s different than Balade Sauvage), ... but Dior is Dior, it’s much better made so the crown was taken . Right now I’m comparing it on both hands with fig infusion and rather than “the fig element” I don’t see much similarities.

Bright, fresh, green and what have you. Nice fragrance, will be my summer go-to. I am a male and I find this fragrance male leaning but I can imagine a female wearing it. Honestly, it really doesn't matter, everyone has an opinion on who should wear the fragrance but if it smells nice just wear it. I'm reminded of a beach when smelling this - it just smells like summer to me!

I was wearing balade sauvage today, I love this one actually, starts off a bit citrus and marine but dry down is very very gorgeous.. this develops into some fruity floral with a hint of Amber performance and silage is unbelievable.. I got around 15 hours of longetivity and 11 hours of projection.. my 3rd from the new line and all are really amazing

Ok, so this is going to be a very short review: this little thing is just BRILLIANT! Not every fragrance coming out of Monsieur Demachy’s hands is a masterpiece, but this beauty is! It’s one of those that come on the market once in 20 or more years. There are no words adequate enough to describe its finesse. I’m stunned! Absolutely adore it!