Sauvage Very Cool Spray
Christian Dior (2017)

Sauvage Very Cool Spray by Christian DIor (2017) was according to the brand, and I quote: "neither a derivative nor a légère variation" of the original Sauvage by Christian Dior (2015), yet that is exactly what it was. Of course, there will be people who argue me until they're blue in the face, perhaps more blue than the original glass bottle of the eau de toilette, but I frankly don't give a damn. Lighter, arguably more citrus in the top, but much less "substance" for your money in spite of the lower price point thanks to the aerosol, Sauvage Very Cool Spray was an entry-level gimmick to squeeze blood from the turnips of people who wouldn't or couldn't pay full retail for the super-successful EdT, but would scrimp for this. Of course, the other angle this took was to be a less-harsh Sauvage, something that would be answered more-properly with Sauvage Eau de Parfum by Christian Dior (2018) just a year removed from this, rendering the Very Cool Spray extra pointless. Sauvage without the bite you say? Yeah this is, but not worth it anymore since discontinuation, if it ever was. I understand why folks initially dug it though, especially when it hit discounters.

Now to be clear, I am mostly indifferent to the original, as I balance its bold and risk-taking near-parody of "blue" fragrances and balance it with the fragrance's near-ubiquitous popularity, which cancels out any attempt at being edgy outlier Dior had up until that point traditionally positioned itself as against the likes of Chanel. The opening is "very cool" in that there is now grapefruit and some extra mintiness added to the bergamot, and a bit of elemi for smoothness in the heart, although it is still the same Sauvage much beyond that. The pink pepper and all the spiky dry woody compounds are still there, crisscrossing the lavandin and geranium, patchouli terpenes and fake vetiver, boosted by ambroxan. Maybe this Very Cool Spray isn't exactly office-safe, but it certainly is -safer- than the eau de toilette, offering performance closer to a normal EdT from virtually any other brand. Problem here is of course that you'll exhaust the can in no time, which makes it a bummer even though it was about $30 less than standard Sauvage, and it's no less annoying when over-sprayed (something made easier with aerosols). Had this been an honest 100ml of juice, I'd have said go for it, and it could have been a "sport" or "cologne" flanker at that.

The final nail in the coffin here is the discontinuation of the Very Cool Spray in 2021 after lackluster sales. Of course, this didn't stop Chanel from trying their own aerosol take on Bleu de Chanel (2010), which oddly is still around despite also not doing well. In the case of the Chanel, it was marketed appropriately for what it really is: a bare-bones cheaper aerosol body-spray to get the foot-in-the-door customers that otherwise buy their fragrances from a drug store, a Bath & Body Works, or an Avon catalog. The fact that the usual numbskull YouTube and Fragrantica-dwellers are hoarding cans, inflating prices, and debating batch codes on a godforsaken cheapo aerosol gimmick product shows you how easy it is to fleece the target market for this stuff anyway, and I'd certainly not pay more per can of this than you already have to pay for a bottle of normal Sauvage. I also understand that dialing back the harshness or strength of Sauvage may be all some folks wanted, and thus they like this scent for that reason. That about wraps this up, and if Diet Sauvage in an aerosol can sounds like something that scratches your collectors itch enough to overpay for, we can still be friends, but I'll rib you for it. Thumbs down

Finally...a version of Sauvage that I kind of like. What I enjoy about the Very Cool Spray is that it leaves Sauvage's lighter elements in place while removing the heavier stuff, mainly that abrasive, peppery-woody base that overwhelms the original and which I personally find unpleasant and highly chemical. I mean the basic smell remains to some extent, but it's been thinned out and "cooled off" considerably. And to some extent, Very Cool is...very cool. It has a refreshing, clean, cooling quality which makes it great as something to wear right out of the shower or when you know you're going to be in an environment that's hot, humid, or stuffy. I use about 3 or 4 sprays and most of them go under my undershirt, creating a nice, clean, musky and cool aura that lasts the entire work day. Performance is good, even if it's lighter than the other versions (it's supposed to be). I'm kind of thinking of losing this one and holding on to Creed Viking instead, as I find they both accomplish the same thing more or less (while smelling different) and owning both might not be necessary. I prefer Viking a bit more as it's smoother and less synthetic feeling overall. Either way, this one's not bad at all. Final rating 8/10

Side Note: I think this one's a bit of a sleeper. Considering Sauvage now exists in 3 other formulations, this gets frequently overlooked. I overlooked it myself, thinking the tin can and "very cool spray' moniker meant it was some kind of short-lived body spray or room spray that would be frivolous to own. But it's an actual fragrance, just like any other Eau de Toilette or cologne. If you're exploring the Sauvage line, make sure to try this, especially if you find the others a bit abrasive, this may suit you better.

I'm a fan of the EDT and EDP, but this misses the mark for me. It does sparkle a bit more than the original, but almost feels just a tad thinner. Maybe sorta like a Sauvage leau. Summer version.

Smells very close to Sauvage, just lighter and a little more fresh. Seems like a daytime version of the scent. I agree this is great for work because it projects the right amount with only a few sprays and lasts all workday.

Same dry down scent as Sauvage but the top notes have a tart citrus that some describe as grapefruit. Dior says they developed a new variety of bergamot that is unique and distinctive - smells like a grapefruit version of bergamot at the opening. The Very Cool Spray bottle is powered by compressed oxygen in a newly developed spray mechanism - works great. This scent does smell fresher and more spring and summer appropriate and I think it is much easier version for me to pull off. Sauvage Very Cool loses that chemically heavy dihydromyrcenol and basil heaviness and goes more with a grapefruit basil and ambroxan structure that smells a little thinner but more expansive. Much better for me. I like to spray this on back of neck and shoulders so the aroma doesn't billow up into my face but surrounds and follows with a cloud of silage. Thumbs way up!

It is very good office fragrance. Some sprays at the morning will set you for a whole day. Refreshing it not a problem - lightweight metal tube make it very convenient to carry at the bag.
Dior has found technical solution for the ubiquitous recommendation for spraying fragrance as a cloud - the aerated spray creates a cloud of scent on you. May be all frags will be made this way one day?
Disadvantage of the system is that intensive spray spend the frag quite fast - a 100 ml. bottle emptied in 3 weeks.
Despite having citruses at the upper notes - it is not a citrus fragrance. While starting different from Sauvage, it comes quite fast to Sauvage dry down.
The fragrance justifies Cool in its name, it indeed feels cool when sprayed.
It draws compliments more than any other frag in the past.