Rive Gauche by Yves Saint Laurent

guest_A. Rose

Opening on a burst of crisp, chiffon-like, metallic citrus and blooms, before smoothing-out into burled woods and dried grasses. Sporty and hazy, evoking streamlined suits, stark lines, Mondrian minimalism, polyester and tweeds. Captures that style period of sweeping slacks, brick-red lips, oversized glasses and undersized vests, quite well. It always makes me think of the moody intellectuals in 70's and early 80's films, like the characters of "Interiors", "Mon oncle d'Amerique" or "Kramer vs. Kramer".

preciouspetal

Ultra sophiticated. Modern and assertive, for the woman who knows what she wants!

mymlan

I used to wear RG when I was in my upper teens, and I remembered the little hesitation before spraying it on my neck because of the sharp cold metallic note that made it so unique. Now, as a grown up perfume addict I bought RG again not knowing it was reformulated. For me this is a complete different frag than I remember. This one is still exclusive and beautiful but way too heavy for me. Its like a thick smoke of roses and musk. The sad thing is that I really miss the original formula and would like to get it somewhere. Thank you Glitteralex for recommending Calandre (which in itself is a lovley, exclusive sensual fragrance). Calandre is actually more similar to the RG I remember, and it will do for me until I find a vintage bottle somewhere. Because the new one is unwearable for me - eventhough I'm happy to smell it on others.

tra

My scent in the 80s.I did not go anywhere without it. I think it is one of the best florals of all time.I just could eat it! Had a sniff the other day of the reformulated version. And Rive Gauche I'll come back to you! Still wonderful.

guest_laura

my favvvvvvvvourite perfume. very strong i am only 21 but have been wearing it for years! u instantly recognise this on people. my mum bought me it she was a child of the 70's and i adore it now.

milena

Today i bought this lovely perfume.I don't know what the vintage one smells like, but the one I have on me is very very classy.I love floral aldehyde perfumes.

guest_jumbee

People are saying that age has nothing to do with this perfume. However I think it can be argued that not many young girls would find this appealing. It has a sophisticate opulence about it Im 20 and I dont see myself wearing this till im 35.

amelie

Levana you're right, it has nothing to do with age, but how you feel.There are women who have always been women, and those girls in their twenties, thirties and fifties, I think I understand what Northofsweden wanted to say (for example-for me Youth Dew is a perfume for a woman). It is somehow deeper meaning of the word-woman.To me it's state of mind and is not old-fashioned feel like a woman.

Levana

i disagree when people say "this perfume is to old for you". i dont think it has anything to do with age. this perfume emphasizes, fulfills the personality. It glows confidence and power,when i smell this perfume i get a don't mess with me woman in my tought. i adore this perfume

allureveil

When I first came to NYC (when I was age 22), I walked into a (now long gone) drugstore near Lincoln Center. Maybe I was waiting for a prescription? Anyway, while there, as usual I felt the magnetic pull of the perfume testers on the counter, and tried Rive Gauche. I must have had some stunned look on my face when I first experienced the fragrance, because I looked up, and the counter man standing far from me (gee, he was older -- maybe 45? Ha!), said, "It's a sexy smell." Well, YEAH! It still is, and has always been a huge turn-on for me. One day maybe I'll meet that guy again and he'll know me by my Rive Gauche.

capless

I first found this scent on a cruise ship back in the late '70's and bought the largest bottle they had! I loved it and wore it often. I think I burned out on it because I didn't buy another until last year. I didn't know it was reformulated. Perhaps that's why it doesn't send me down memory lane the way other scents do after not wearing them for a time. It's ok but after a year it's still 3/4 full and getting an "old" quality. I put some on a bit of paper and after an hour it seems more appealing...sort of a light powdery floral.

amelie

Brilliant unique scent that will never go out of fashion. There is no similar fragrance in perfume world, it is "love or hate", but no doubt with its wide aura for me still the most original fragrance. Urban, irresistible and classy! And a bottle design is so unique. I use it more often as a daily fragrance- gives me confidence... although the composition was changed, aldehydes in general are not old-fashioned.
Rive Gauche is ahead of its time!

nathalieZ

IT takes a certain woman to wear Rive Gauche..I find it offensive, but aldehydes arent my cup of tea...it is a scent of the eighties in my opinion..it has pizzazz, panache, but not soft or warm enough for me...too dry!!!!!

kewart

This is a real head-turner of a scent. Bold,uncompromising and very recognisable. I feel totally French when I wear this - flirty,well-dressed and full of "je ne sais quoi!"

missk

I wasn't aware that YSL had reformulated this fragrance and I'm rather disappointed that I'll never get to compare the original to this scent.

I'm usually back and forth with aldehydes. In some fragrances I love the powdery and soapy quality that it gives, while in other scents, (for example, Chanel No.5), I hate how it smells sharp and unpleasant.

When I first sprayed Rive Gauche I immediately classed it as a sharp and unpleasant aldehydic fragrance. It was so strong and nose-burning, that it was almost like a bomb had hit me right in the nostrils.

I quickly stuffed this sample into my pocket in case I became nauseated from the scent and soon forgot about it. When I finally got home I emptied my pockets and wondered what smelt so elegant, rich and flowery. It was Rive Gauche.

When the aldehydic opening softens, the scent becomes feminine and romantic. The rose note is delicate with the gardenia, magnolia and jasmine creating such a beautiful floral blend.

It has that delightful, classic type scent which I love. It's difficult to re-create these types of scents which hold so much class, sophistication and elegance in a bottle.

Although I feel as if I'm a little too young to start wearing Rive Gauche, I can always look forward to growing older in hopes of one day owning this wonderful scent.

Dirty.secretss

classsic..confidence and beauty
this is a diva
i dont think many would understand th beauty of this frag.
not extravagant..its clean
a lady with posture and elegance

karenlsinging

My all time favourite ever fragrance which I have been wearing since the 80s. I have nearly finished the last bottle I bought and am sad to hear it has been re-formulated. Don't want to try it and be disappointed. Will keep my memories!

guest_kloklo

I wear it since elementary (dont ask....) and my mother before me since it was launched in France as she was studying there at the time. It never wears off (literary), that's one if it's strong points but what enchants me more is the comfort it gives after a long day. It's a boost up for starting your day and a lullaby when you commute back home.

My mother and I buy this perfume at least 2 times per year and we never regret it!

(BTW: Try the body lotion too!)

kezbekistan

One of the first perfumes I bought as an adult.
A lovely scent for daytime use; light, fresh and long lived.
A classic.
I still love it.

guest_

I had this one but not all the time use this scent is a lot of soapy but neverthless I love this scent .

krmarich

I picked up a bottle of this classic for my mother's 80th birthday. She loved it, just like in the 1970, when she used to wear it. My take on it is comforting, urban and fashionable. The bottle alone looks great. As far as the reformulation is concerned, it is barely noticed. It is not "old lady". My mother is very young at heart, and she loves to share it with her granddaughter, who loves it.

The_Entity

My all time favourite, suitable for any occasion, not too strong, not too subtle. perfect :)

Mirandapanda

I had Rive Gauche for my first term at university in 1977, and to me it epitomised the feeling of being a newly-independent young woman: cool, strong, confident. It's connected in my mind with 'Cosmopolitan' magazine, in the days when it assumed its readership had a certain level of intelligence. I haven't tried the new Rive Gauche, and I daresay it's perfectly pleasant, but I think it's sad when an old perfume is meddled with. It means that nostalgics like me have one less opportunity to take a sniff at a perfume counter and be transported back to a particular place and time.

benzippo

No matter how good a masetro may be where in this case, I believed was during Tom Ford's realm, something is better left un-touched no matter what Midas touches tbat person has.

Another sad case of tweaking that gone worng as with most classic which is very sad indeed.

I would rather they just simply create another flanker and leave the original formulations intact as it is.

No matter how goos a person is, sometimes it is simply just not good enough.

benzippo

No matter how good a masetro may be where in this case, I believed was during Tom Ford's realm, something is better left un-touched no matter what Midas touches tbat person has.

Another sad case of tweaking that gone worng as with most classic which is very sad indeed.

I would rather they just simply create another flanker and leave the original formulations intact as it is.

No matter how goos a person is, sometimes it is simply just not good enough.

Cassiano

Even being a man, I had a bottle of this perfume and I have to say something about it: Rive Gauche is the perfume for a determined, free and independent person (especially women). Its blue, silverplated and black bottle, became an indispensable accessory of fashion.
The fragrance combines coolness and smoothness. It is a floral perfume for people who don't feal fear of living life completely. It brings to the memory souvenirs of the left edge of the Sena, in Paris, in full autumn, with Brancusi, Lèger, Picasso…
Powerful perfume of highest lasting. Peace of art in the Perfume's world!

cocomademoisellerie

Maybe it seems a bit weird, but I read in a magazine that this is Kate Moss's favourite parfum. I have no clue, if that's right, but it gave me the impulse to smell the scent behind that funny bottle. Yes, I think, it's a funny bottle: totally inappropriate for such a scent. But that, in combination with the distinguished and gentle smell, made it even more attractive to me. I think it's quite a peril to invent a parfum concept like this, but it seems to work.

Cris_Venesza

i had this one from my aunt , i don't know why? because is for a mature , maybe old woman .....it's classy,old and strong ...i don't like it

Puck_12

I have been wearing Rive Gauche for years! From time to time I think I "need or want" a change, but I always come back to it! My day doesn't start fully until I have put it on. Just feel incomplete or let's say....naked(?) without it! When I go out my choice is Dior's Hypnotic Poison. Bought Opium for that reason a few years ago, but it just made me feel a bit sick.

stripeymog

This was my first 'grown-up' perfume which I bought on a school trip to Paris, aged 15. The smell reminds me of sailing down the Seine on a Bateaux Mouche on a freezing February evening!

SedNonSatiata

It's true: the reformulation does not do justice to the original. I wore Rive Gauche for a while a long time ago, and finally got sick of it., yet I still appreciate its unique character. I have about 1/4 left in an old bottle and was able to compare the new and old side-by-side (left arm, right arm). What is unique about the original is that it manages to be fresh and heavy at the same time. The rose dominates, yet I discern other notes especially green notes, each clear and distinct. In the new Rive Gauche, all the notes blend in a nondescript floral mush. There is nothing unpleasant about it, but nothing special, either. While I no longer want to wear it, i miss the gutsy, classic Rive Gauche!

Epilogue; I washed off both arms, but the old formula RG refuses to go away! Now that's the tenacious beauty I remember!

The bottle design was and is still a favorite of mine!

Carla

It's a sentimental walk down memory lane with this BoHo chic scent of the 70's, however, Fords's recreation of this classic is disappointing. The previous incarnation was an organic, free spirit scent emitting the silvery dusty feeling from the aldehydes mixed with two of my favorite blossoms, gardenia and magnolia which created an aura of peace. The harmony and strength I feel has been lost in the 2003 version.

glitteralex

I loved the fact that the initial aldehydic, metallic blast was almost intolerable. I find the reformulation BLAH.

For the record, I am not reform-phobic; I love both the original and new Senso by Ungaro, and all the versions of Joy and Chanel #5. Without the shattering aldehydes, Rive Gauche is not itself...

BTW, if you enjot RG (by Jaques Polge & Michael Hy), try Calandre by Paco Rabanne. It was created a year prior in '69, by the same perfumer (Hy), and was a very similar and groundbreaking 70s scent.

Leesee

I have never owned a bottle of the original Rive Gauche, but I just today received a bottle of the newer version and have been wearing the scent all evening. It had a disconcerting opening note, sort of moldy-floral, but now the scent reminds me of Chanel No. 19 and Calandre, both of which I adore. It is also very much its own scent: a little old-fashioned, a little modern, neither sweet nor tart, and elegant in a way that so few non-niche scents seem to be these days. Very nice.

nodi88

well...well...where can i begin....i am speechless when it comes to rive gauche...it's simply perfect...at least for me...it makes me happy optimistic and delighted...i know it's weird i never thought a perfume would affect my feelings and emotions that much...but it's true...rive gauche can comletely change my mood...it's perfect for everyday use in winter and fall especially on rainy cloudy days and for special occasions in summer and spring since it's kinda strong and heavy for hot and warm weather....

Scent lover

Nice one! It is quiet, stays close to skin but lasts a long time. I'd say its like a perfume containing masculine notes which are well softened and added a feminine beauty by a woman who carries it.

PR

I tried this 'Rive Gauche' immediatelly after YSL 'Y' and it rendered the first one in a better light.. not as bad as 'Y', but the same smell group for me - unwearable

Althea

I hope I will never have to smell this again... I went to wash my wrist, but no, it stayed there the whole day, so tumbs up for staying power. My collegue bought it through internet without knowing what it would like, trusted the review. We were both shocked...blee. I could smell nothing but cinnamon the whole time and it was so strong that I couldnt get rid of headache.

a bit vintage

When I was a kid, my mom belonged to a 'beauty club' via mail, and this came in one of her kits. I wore this in my teen years and felt very sophisticated! I would love to be reacquainted w/ this to see if I have the same feelings for it!

Nuppu

Gentle, powdery and soft, but stands out from other perfumes. Classy and one of my all time favourite alltouhgt the huge number of old and new fascinating scents. This one is always good to come back.

Halvah

A very classic floral aldehyde, the top note is so fresh and the finish is so "French", really. It's elegant, and very well-done, altough it seems to be simple and right for everyday use. However, I have a problem with this: in a few hours it becomes rather similar on my skin to Moschino's Cheap & Chic which I don't like at all:(

guest_marijana

Suitable for wearing it during the day and for evening. This gentle, feminine powdery scent is one of my favourite. It is old fashioned in a way, but I like it

takemyhusbandplz

I'd rate this 3.5 lippies. I'm not sure which version I sampled but I really enjoyed Rive Gauche. This is a very classic type of fragrance. It seems to have an oaky powdery finish. It makes me think of a cool day & warm quilts but, also reminds me of cashmere & pearls too. It really is a fragrance that you could wear anytime. It's soft and casual enough for office wear, but sophisicated enough for formal times. Rive Gauche lasts quite awhile on the skin too; about 6 hours. I don't think I will purchase a bottle, as I have similar scents. Nevertheless this is a very well done scent.

elgab89

My mom used to wear it in the 80s. They have reformulated the scent. It is still a lovely aldehyde.