Men
Rive Gauche
Acordes principales
Descripción
Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche is an aldehydic floral fragrance for women. Launched in 1971, this composition features aldehydes, green notes, honeysuckle, bergamot, peach, and lemon as top notes; in the heart, rose, iris, ylang-ylang, valley lily, geranium, jasmine, magnolia, and gardenia unfold; while the base is composed of oakmoss, Tahitian vetiver, musk, sandalwood, amber, and tonka bean. The fragrance was created by Jean-Louis Sieuzac.
Resumen rápido
Pirámide olfativa
Estructura completa de la fragancia: de la salida al fondo.
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Enorme
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Unisex femenino
Unisex
Unisex masculino
Masculino
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For my mom, who is super demanding and very particular about perfumes; this is one of the few she actually likes. There must be something really great about it for her to enjoy it.
Another one of my cult favorites… Exquisite. I fully agree with pablOSO: the cold, metallic scent with white flowers and a spark of lemon might have made for a legendary unisex fragrance. I repeat: CULT CLASSIC… Very well named by the genius at YSL, evoking the bohemian Parisian neighborhood of artists and intellectuals, a way of living and dressing, a way to shine, aesthetics everywhere, compositions of colors, shapes, sounds, and letters… What more can I add? Just hoping to find a bottle that hasn’t been reformulated and strayed from the 80s original.
Super strong. I grew up smelling it on my mother and never really liked it; it’s so heavy and invasive. It reminds me a bit of Boucheron’s Jaipur, but this is a power bomb—almost could pass as a men’s fragrance.
My mother’s perfume… feminine, chic, elegant. It smelled so wonderful on her skin. I bought the last bottle two years ago and didn’t even get to use it for a year. Today, it’s part of my growing collection. Every day, I pass by it and smell it a little, just to feel her close by.
Good, good, Rive Gauche—so reformulated that it’s no longer what it was, which is a real relief for me. I bought a small bottle recently, and that’s exactly why. The aldehydes are practically gone, the explosive opening is gone, and the dry-down with magnolia, iris, gardenia, tonka bean, and sandalwood has completely changed my perception. Today, it feels much more timeless, nothing aged, nothing outdated. Now I can say yes to this perfume and enjoy it a lot. Edit: I don’t know what happened the day I wrote this review, but I’ve never been able to wear it again. I keep it stored and sometimes open it to try again, but it’s impossible. I just can’t handle it.
Aldehydes and flowers—it’s a classic, but today it smells like the 70s. It reminds me of Madame Rochas. I smelled it about 15 years ago on an aunt who made my house smell like metal for days… I tried it on myself today, mostly out of nostalgia for that era, and its spirit has definitely aged. Unfortunately, it’s not what it used to be… Or maybe my nose has smelled so much that I’m no longer easily surprised. A fragrance for women, say, in their 40s, formal and classic.
Very good perfume, but I wouldn’t use it again. I had it for a while but couldn’t finish the bottle, like every other one I’ve owned. As other reviews say, it’s just gone out of style.
My sister used to wear this perfume; I hope she hated it. The smell reminds me of hairspray, and I absolutely don’t like it.
After years without using it—and I loved it back in the 70s—I finally bought it, and what a disappointment! It doesn’t smell the same anymore. The scent was so unpleasant, even vulgar. What a shame to have spent over $80.
I’m giving this classic a second chance because I feel I didn’t do it justice originally. What drives us to choose a perfume? Taste, memories, or trends? Why is a great scent considered outdated? Preferences change, and so do reviews. Is an old Chanel suit just old? Maybe, but with a fresh twist, it becomes timeless again. Rive Gauche isn’t old; it’s a classic with elements worthy of any collection. Since I want to rescue these iconic scents from ‘murderous’ reformulations, I picked up Tom Ford’s reinterpretation. It’s not vintage, but I’ll keep the bottle just in case. The opening is powerful, floral, and creamy—nothing metallic like before; then it turns powdery and talcum-like, very Chanel No. 5. It leaves a sweet, warm trail with a slightly smoky amber and earthy notes. I wore it on a regular day and got tons of compliments. It smelled amazing on me. Lasts over four hours, very potent for the first two. From my perspective, it’s unisex, though men would only need a few sprays.
Today I tried this jewel of modern perfumery and I say experience because that is what this perfume is. In the 70s, it was aimed at independent, bold, and decisive women, perhaps as a response to Chanel No. 19, which projected audacity and dynamism, now seen as cold and empowered. This fragrance launched with an extroverted image, yet not close or tender; its opening is very sharp, with citrus notes and a strong aldehyde, very ‘in your face’ and not friendly for beginner noses. Then it develops into an intense floral, very 70s, prior to the mass use of tuberose and warm flowers in the 80s. It’s a powerful floral with green tones, where oakmoss blends with classic roses and aldehydes turned into powder thanks to dirty iris. At the end, in the trail, there’s a powerful, tender musk, creamy and painted green by vetiver, with the iris and oakmoss attenuated in a powdery, very complex, and long-lasting mix. I think it’s very well constructed, passing through different phases and revealing new spectrums, as if peeling layers: first citrus and astringent, then floral and green, and finally powdery and dry. It’s not for beginners; it requires an ‘avant-garde’ taste today. I like the complexity and singularity of old perfumes much more than today’s uniformity. Sophisticated to the bone, very chic, bohemian, and prejudice-free. Excellent for winter or rainy days and reminds me of a fragrance my mother used when I was little, with shoulder pads, papers, and a desk. Definitely a ‘must-have’ and a masterpiece by Yves Saint Laurent.
Three chic. Elegant, refined, independent. An absolute vintage classic. I’m sticking with a big bottle of this classic, which beats ten of the boring herbals from the last few years. Vive La France, vive YSL.
I tried it once and liked it; it would be one of the ones I’d keep in my closet for certain days.
It doesn’t smell quite like it used to… but I still love the bottle.
Enough with reformulating the one and only true thing! Murdering perfumes should be a crime. This is for L’Oréal, the mother who shouldn’t have created this. Please, don’t touch anything, don’t reformulate anything. You can’t improve perfection, at least not by destroying it. Let’s do something about it; the rest is just opinion, but don’t reformulate anymore. At least change the name of the reformulation, because that’s what the majority wants, and everyone has been saying the same thing so far. Don’t reformulate anything else.
One of YSL’s best moments comes from Tom Ford, especially in the men’s line, and the absolute decline is L’Oréal’s fault; they could stop buying brands just to destroy them. An absolute truth. Leave the old scents in peace and celestial harmony suitable for mortals. Make them look like retouched perfumes that always were, are, and will be exclusive.
Who killed this perfume? I don’t get why it still carries the same name if it’s not the same anymore. Rive Gauche isn’t a reformulation; it’s a completely different fragrance, and they should have changed the name if they were going to create such a disaster. Before, it was intense, aggressive, and distinctive, with aged aldehydes, citrus, candied fruits, and exotic flowers. In the dry down, you got moss, sandalwood, and a touch of vetiver. It was strong, feminine with masculine notes, the scent of an empowered woman. Its trail was enormous and lasted all day. For that vintage, an 8/10.
In the 70s, women’s perfume campaigns changed: it was no longer just about attracting others, but about pleasing oneself and defining one’s style. Rive Gauche portrayed confident, independent women, even in androgynous outfits with feminine touches, projecting authority and freedom. Revlon also marked this trend with Charlie. Created by Jacques Polge and Michel Hy, Rive Gauche shares almost all the DNA of Calandre. The difference is that this one has more florals, making it sweeter and warmer, whereas Calandre is spicier. They’re like twins, nearly identical from the dry down, but with that slight distinction. I adore both of them.
Smells like scented baby powder—super clean and aldehydic, just like my parents wore in the 80s and 90s. It has great sillage and lasts a long time on skin and clothes.
They used to gift me this in the 70s, and I absolutely loved it at 15—it smelled divine. I tried to find it again, but it doesn’t smell the same as before.
I wore it in the 80s, and for a while it was one of my favorite perfumes alongside Paris. In fact, I still have a 100ml bottle my sister gave me about 6 years ago, and it’s no longer the fragrance it used to be. In my youth, I wore Rive Gauche when I wore a blazer and had to visit clients to show them my designs. With my height of almost 1.80m, my long curly hair, my attire, and my perfume, I felt powerful, a woman who could take on anyone in a situation I dominated. It was a perfume my friends didn’t like, but it distinguished me and went very well with my physique and personality.
I like this fragrance; I see it as fresh, ideal for spring and summer nights. I have a bottle from 1992; I don’t know if it would have been reformulated by now. The note I perceive the most is lemon; I feel it as citrus and seem harmless, of course, saying this is dangerous, ‘the book of smell is blank’.
This wonderful glory of perfumery was used by my mother; I gifted it to her several times and she went crazy for it. Its aluminum bottle, which looked like hairspray lacquer, gave it a simple and very elegant appearance, like a pocket deodorant, of course, very expensive and fine. It smelled like incense and nothing else; that’s all that comes to my mind, incense and very exquisite. It’s a pity it’s another one that got messed up with the reformulation; they totally ruined it and made it wretched. A school-of-the-old perfume with lots of character, its own life, beauty, and very elegant manufacturing. It can still be found in certain department stores, but I wouldn’t spend money on something that lost its shine, its aura, and its overwhelming power. It has a dry-down similar to Madame Rochas and a slight touch of Chanel No. 5.
I had it for decades and just finished it. It lasted in perfect condition for a long time, at least its vintage version; I don’t know if it maintains the same quality today. Very floral, powdery, sweet… Feminine and elegant at the same time. A true classic of perfumery, for adult women, not young girls.
The iconic Rive Gauche isn’t for everyone. Its history is part of the surge of aldehyde fragrances. Yves Saint Laurent was inspired by the Left Bank of the Seine River, where actors, intellectuals, bohemians, and artists converge to recreate a sui generis and purposeful Parisian atmosphere. YSL captured the strength of the movements in that area, so it’s an empowering perfume that lightens you up, making you feel strong and ethereal at the same time; few possess that virtue. The minimalist embossed metal bottle, based on its striped and checked clothing collection, gives it a vanguard image. In these times, where the trend is different, someone seeing the bottle without knowing it would think it smells different. Using Rive Gauche can be transgressive, which is why it continues to honor that social sector of Paris. I smelled it on my mother-in-law, and on her it smelled of Ylang Ylang; on me, powdery bergamot and a powdery, aldehydic, and very subtle Ylang Ylang dominate. Floral, aldehydic, and powdery, I don’t care if they tell me it smells like grandma; I feel sublimated by this work of art that also reminds me of the scent of a perfume in my great-grandmother’s room during my early childhood. Rive Gauche isn’t for everyone; if you like aldehydes, I’m sure you’ll love it, especially in its pre-reformulation version.
Finally tried this iconic perfume. Rive Gauche isn’t for everyone. Until it dries down, its scent reminds me a bit of Nelly hairspray, though with a powdery lemon touch. Its aldehydes are quite noticeable. Once dry, it smells woody. I don’t detect the peach or tonka bean notes. Very different from perfumes of today. If you like aldehydes with a certain vintage touch, you’ll love it.
They say this is a grandma perfume… a grandma perfume? Haha, this is a perfume for a woman who steps hard wherever she goes, a modern woman who ignores trends, who radiates personality and elegance. Rive Gauche was transgressive in 1971, and the incredible thing is that in 2021 it still is. I wore it in the 90s and I don’t think it has changed or lost its essence with the reformulation. Absolutely different from today’s sweet, floral, and fruity perfumes. A perfume with character, unique, wonderful… Its trail and longevity are cinematic. Rive Gauche will never go out of style because great classics never die.
The nostalgia this fragrance brings me is SO POWERFUL; I miss it. The year 1980 feels like being back at my godmother’s house, opening the modular cabinet to find RIVE GAUCHE (alongside Calandre and Quartz, also beautiful and at the peak of popularity then). Its metal bottle, the fragrance itself—I never sprayed it on my skin, simply smelling the cap was an almost daily ritual. I was 10 years old and knew I didn’t have the height or maturity to wear it. It looked wonderful on my godmother, but what magic! It had been 40 years since I smelled this perfume, and since it was horribly reformulated, I refuse to buy the current version. They took away the metallic trace that made it unique. I opted to buy an empty bottle of the original version and OOOOOHHHHHH HUUUUELEEE EXACTLY AS I REMEMBERED IT, DECADES LATER. Alongside PARIS, 2 of my all-time favorites. How dare L’ORÉAL rethink these wonders? YSL, wake up and take revenge.
Rive Gauche by Yves Saint Laurent, welcome to the 80s. By the late 80s, I was a little girl and that scent was everywhere around me; probably an aunt wore it. They say it’s been reformulated, but that doesn’t stop my mind from remembering it. What a bomb! For the first two hours, my nose can’t handle it—it gets saturated and I can’t identify anything. But after that time… childhood memories flood back. On my skin, it becomes a very mature powdery veil, tending towards a makeup scent. It’s not for me; I’d never buy it, but the memories it evokes are priceless.
My mom used to wear it; I remember that delicious and sophisticated scent from when I was a girl. It’s a bit powdery but has presence. I’ll never forget that empowered woman’s charm and the iconic bottle; they bring back memories.
Smells like cream, like clean laundry, like neatness. Its softness leans toward tenderness. (Perfume No. 175, try the Divain imitation; it’s very well done, just like the original).
Opened the closet and there it was, hidden among my bottles. I’d forgotten it, a perfume from another era. Sensual, exotic, penetrating, and divine. I miss those aldehydic fragrances full of flowers: iris, magnolias, and gardenias very present in a green, barely sunny atmosphere, between lily of the valley and jasmine with a woody base. A beautiful and unforgettable formula. The current one that comes closest is Si by Armani, but with decades of difference; I stick with Rive Gauche.
A trip back to the 80s, an old soul. It’s interesting but saturated, too much for me; it’s hard to identify the notes and overwhelms the senses, though it’s not bad. It’s like Opium, Halston, or Fracas; my mom liked it, but I don’t. It has good longevity for 3 to 6 hours and a decent sillage. Not for me, but I admit it has something special and attractive about its vibe, which I see as unisex.
I love this perfume. My mom, who is very particular, was gifted it and wore it occasionally. I started using it secretly, and eventually, it became part of me. It’s very different: powerful, feminine, elegant, and intoxicating. I saved it for special occasions because wearing it too often makes it lose its wonderful essence.
Totally agree: my longed-for Rive Gauche from 1971 is still rebellious in 2021. Scents don’t die on their own; humans kill them. It’s super well-structured, unisex, and round. While it’s defined as floral-aldehydic, smelling it again makes me detect aromatic notes; I’m sure the aldehydes are at perfect doses and make me forget the pattern I have with Chanel No. 5. That effect is just the first impression; then a magnificent aldehydic accord emerges.
Reviewing vintage perfumes isn’t easy, but those who lived through the golden age of perfumery will understand my interest—and especially the magic they hold in a bottle. What magic? Because perfume is also emotion and feeling. Rive Gauche smells like the 80s, even though it was born a decade earlier, and speaks of a woman who seems a bit distant, beautiful, and cold at the same time, capable of wearing blazer suits, long V-neck dresses, and high heels. When she arrives at the restaurant, she captures every gaze, orders a wine, and lights a cigarette. So completely different. Yes, completely different from many women today. She doesn’t think about breast augmentation or eyebrow tattoos. She knows who she is, and that makes her irresistible. But she also feels comfortable in jeans, a leather jacket, maybe some eyeliner and a little lipstick, then off to the club. Dancing and flirting without worrying about showing up on YouTube or Instagram the next day. Rive Gauche is an extremely aldehydic fragrance where truly talented perfumers combine facets of notes in a way that brings out the best in ingredients, creating a pleasantly uncommon potion. The floral bouquet that follows the aldehydes is finely crafted and perfectly balanced with white flowers, green roses, lily of the valley, and a lovely iris (in my personal perception), followed by an impeccable vetiver that joins the creamy base of oakmoss and sandalwood with a tonka that exudes very comforting scents. The version I tested is from the year 2000. The difference with the current one (which holds its own) is that the aldehydes and metallic tone unfortunately fade more quickly and seem to hide something, as if a scene from a remastered film had been subtly censored, perhaps manipulated to blur it. Without a doubt, I recommend it to young women today, even though most will wrinkle their noses and faces, thinking it’s a ‘grandma’ perfume. But remember: the more we believe we are free, the more restrictive the barriers become, a strange fact.
No review should mention if it’s SWEET, FRESH, or rich, or something like that.
Not sweet at all; it’s a very fresh, green aldehydic floral with a slightly soapy touch. It opens with prominent aldehydes and green notes that give way to an exuberant floral bouquet.
I recently bought this eau de toilette again, and I can assure you the longevity is totally like a real perfume: 8 hours on skin and over 12 hours on clothes. It keeps its wonderful cream scent and doesn’t change: it smells the same from start to finish.
What a horror, extremely overrated perfume. I got close to smell it and took five steps back in the second. It smelled like I’d stepped into a badger’s den. Honestly, I couldn’t even get closer again because it was so strong it started giving me a headache; I was expecting a different kind of scent. I had high expectations, and it’s a total letdown…