Reviews of Rive Gauche pour Homme (2003)
by Yves Saint Laurent

I'm not often in the mood for a barbershop fix, but some situations call for it more than others. This is one of the better of this category of fragrances available. Rive Gauch PH ties with Azzaro in my book for "barber shop" fougere scents, the dry down is excellent!

Reminds me of Old Spice or Barbasol with a resonant patchouli and uaiacwood background mixed in. Rive Gauche pour Homme is a successful recreation of that favored smell of the returning war veterans from 1950's post WW II era - only improving it somewhat. It is COMFORT FOOD for the soul by a direct link to the tribal scent memory for the baby boom generation. My dad smelled like this and probably everyone has a scent memory tucked away that includes this rosemary/lavender, clove, geranium, vetiver mix - its barber shop in a bottle. RGpH is well blended herbal spice brought up to date with the pathcouli and gaiacwood base. I think the allure of Rive Gauche is all about the woody incense base of vetiver, gaicwood and pathcouli. The combination is resinous and magical and when added to the spice opening has haunting nostalgic quality. Rive Gauche is such a strong scent that it holds up well to layering with other earthy vetiver fragrances or incense wood fragrances to enhance the drydown notes.

This is adifferent smell indeed. Normally I go for the woody masculine scents, but this one is very nice. I get the
sweet, spicy top notes and the star anise note is indeed prominent.) Then it moves quickly to flora; accord that’s dominated by a patchouli note. At last i got a a deep vetiver note drydown.

Barbersmell ? No way, this goes further than that. Recommended ! 8,5/10 oh,no............. defenitly a 9/10

Rive Gauche launches with intense, sweet, spicy top notes that distinguish it immediately from the run of contemporary men’s designer fragrances. (The listed star anise note is particularly prominent.) It then moves quickly to a woods and floral accord that’s dominated by a yeasty or winey patchouli note. The spices continue to hover around the patchouli, and the scent gradually sweetens as it develops. The floral accord eventually takes on the garb of carnation, while a deep vetiver note contributes much-needed balance by taking some of the sweet edge off of the spices and patchouli. So far, so good.

Sadly, by its third or fourth hour Rive Gauche pour Homme has collapsed into a base of thin, scratchy woods that are no fun at all to wear. It’s an unfortunate end for what began as a pleasant scent, and I’m left wondering whether YSL cut corners on the base ingredients.

Ohhhhh Ohhhhhh Ohhhhhh.......A big perfume is here.....Ladys and gentelmans: Rive Gauche.
This fragance is one of the best, and believe me....I had a lot of fragances, but this one is amazing.
Classical (kind of Azzaro in my view), with great longevity and sillage, nice bottle, excellent product.
YSL did it for us....I recommend it 100% for a man who loves elegance and exclusives stuffs.
Rive Gauche rules!

I can recommend this as a "budget" alternative to Miller Harris' Fleurs de Sel. It starts our harsher, colder and more metallic, but the metallic note quickly turns into a saltiness very similar to Fleurs de Sel. The herbs are a but harsher and more traditionally masculine in Rive Gauche, and it does have a cooler, more watery tone that makes it feel more generically masculine and less high end. I personally prefer Fleurs de Sel enough to pay the higher price and I don't need another scent this similar, but that said, I can really recommend Rive Gauche pour homme. Just have patience through the offputting topnote - I didn't want to try this at all after just smelling it on paper, but then I read something about it being a salty fragrance and decided to try it on skin, which I don't regret as it gets better and better.

Beautiful albeit cloying woody fougere with a hint of a babershop that I used to frequent in my youth. Lively and potent, you can't go wrong with this (unless you put on too much and choke yourself). Rich patchouli and cleansing lavender, this one is for the ages.

Wow...just got this today and got like 10 compliments from random women . This stuff is just so fresh and so clean . I really don't get that barbershop effect that people say . Never really smelled anything similar...it's very unique . Defintely recommend this juice . It's strong so go easy on the sprays...lasts forever . 2 sprays on my chest and neck at 7:00 pm and still going strong at almost 4:00am . Very nice

This is essentially a patchouli fragrance, with a dominant and slighty creamy barbersol accord. Personally, this really didn’t do much for me – it just reminded me of something that either my father or grandfather would have possibly been interested in.

But then again, I’ve never had much of an interest in the whole barbershop thing anyway…

This cologne oozes sophistication. Crisp white shirt, blue jeans ,brown shoes and a hint of Rive gauche and I'm all set.

I get the distinct Rosemary in the first minutes...followed by lavander and cloves. and the final trace of vetiver creates a truly unique cologne which has the rare distinction (after M7 though) of vulnerable yet uber masculine.

double thumbs up for this one

UPDATE: This is very similar to Escada for men, though Escada includes some greener sweets much like that of Versace's Green Jeans.

This is outstanding. Period. It is obviously not a traditional YSL, and it is also obvious that it was created by Jacques Cavallier, a genius to say the least. As most have mentioned, clean cut shaving smell. If you want to smell clean without loosing your masculinity this is it. I am glad I found it, because far too many clean scents for men are unisex, and they usually lack the manliness I so desire in a fragrance. The only other fragrance that can kinda come clos eto delivering the same effect (in a roundabout way) is Comme des Garcons 2 Man, which gives you a dirty smoky man before cleaning him up. Rive Gauche gives you clean and manly all at once. Highly Recommneded.

This review is under revision.

Absolutely gorgeous scent. I love it. It is in my top three for sure. Very classy.

Very manly scent. I do get the barbersol effect here as well. It's a little salty and sharp smelling at first but then dries down to something more subdued but still perfectly masculine. Pluses: Your girlfriend or SO will NOT be borrowing this scent, but she will love it on you. Minuses: You smell like you just came out of a barbershop (not really a minus in my book, but that's the closest thing to a minus I could think of)

I've had this for 3 days and now I better understand the fragrance. The initial impression is of a masculine fragrance, not harsh but not like the generic aqua-ozone-syntheto-fruitjelly stuff the marketers think we should be buying either. The topnote I get most is the lavender / shave cream blend. It dries down to a sweet-creamy-spicy smell, you could almost forget it's there. This fragrance projects to others more than yourself, so be moderate in the application. A winner with it's cerebral nature guaranteed to create a lasting impression.

One of the best mens fragrances of the new millenium! Possibly of all time. Why? The timelessness of the composition: bergamot, lavender, vetiver and patcholi give it notes of classical masculinity, Yes, it does have a clean shaven quality to it that is hard to beat. Then comes a most dramatic drydown that last for hours. There is a voice to it that whispers "come here and talk to me". Almost in a dirty way. Most modern men should have no problem relating with the retro-modern notes presented within. Put it this way, your girlfriend could not get away wearing this.
Next is the ultra modern bottle/flask that pays a worthy tribute to its female counterpart. It reminds me of how power can be conveyed in perfume. YSL may be retired but his legacy lives on through this trademark scent. I wonder it he approved of the final formula before distribution? I am sure he loves it! I do. Now if it was only marketed in the USA more profusely...

Rive Gauche pour Homme is a BIG scent. One squirt is enough for me. It is rich, potent, and lasts a long time. It starts with a spicy-mint lavender note, develops a woody-patchouli chord, then drys down into a classy and sensual blend. Women like it on a man. It has that old-school, barbershop assertiveness from its clove and patchouli. I appreciate it and enjoy it occasionally. It makes a statement!

my grandfather owned is own barbershop and RG reminds me of how is barbershop use to smell..... everytime i wear RG it feels like i just got a nice haircut from my grandfather.... none of the basenotes members mentioned this but i also get a baby powder type of smell from RG....... as with all colognes timing is everything and rive gauche is a perfect day time scent, and should be used when the weather is cool to cold............

Thumbs way up! Over the years I have condensed my collection down to about eight colognes, at any given time. I must say that Rive Gauche is one of my favorites, and always on hand. It is class in a CAN! Very light and subtle, not a look at me and my IROC. It smells clean and fresh and can be worn anytime. I wear to casual outdoor dinner parties or black tie events and it works every time.

This smells like your granfather after he gets a shave and a haircut...
That is, if your grandfather was French and a sixty something silver fox with mistresses of both sexes and he gets his haircut at the most exclusive Paris salon on the Champs Elysee before he goes to work as a foreign dignitary or male model or Art dealer or perhaps all three. Menage a trois anyone?
This is the kind of scent that makes you want to get busy with a sexy Senior; but say it in French, oui? And if you're younger and you wear it, it makes you seem all grown up. Maybe a wee bit stodgy at times...but just because it's so good, eight and half stars out of ten. You really just can't go wrong with the Saint Larent fragrances. Do they use better ingredients than everyone else? What's their secret? Nevermind...it should be mysterious!

Rive Gauche pour homme (RG) is one of those fragrances which elevates my mood when I have it on. I really don't get all the retro greasy Travolta references ... the only Travolta I know is the one who did the twist with Uma Thurman. It could also be because I am a product of the 80s (I cried when E.T. had to go home and I was in love with a girl named Rio). Eitherways, RG kicks ass and takes names.

The initial impressions are certainly barbasol + man smell. I find the opening burst of a shaving cream accord amusing, interesting and at the same time it makes me exclaim "Wow, thats hell of a recreation of barbasol!". Its a familiar smell which draws you in. I get a unified shaving cream accord but spraying it 2-3 times in quick successions breaks up the composition and I am able to detect the well integrated tart spiciness of star anise, a dim lavender note, and the spicy coolness of cloves. Within a few minutes of this elasive barbershop opening RG begins its descent into a woody melange of patchouli, vetiver and gauaic wood out of which patchouli is at the forefront with hints of dry sweet spicy guaicwood. The clove in the heart notes has enough potency to keep the base from becoming overly woody or "old manish". The intermingling of this barbasol smell and patchouli is the best facet of RG, the combined accord creating a clean, classy and chic aura. RG doesn't create a lot of sillage but sports good longevity (the drydown is noticeable upto 9 hours after application). A criticism is that I would have like the opening accord to hold on for more than a few minutes before melding with the woody base.

RG is cool, crisp, and stylish. Its familiar yet unique, light yet substantial. Its not a terribly cerebral fragrance, but its a perfect example of a fragrance which can make you feel damn fine when you wear it. Wear it.

Rating: 8.2/10

This is very appealing old world barbershop scent. Very nice and nostalgic, it hits the bull's eye with traditional-smelling shaving cream. Where Antico Caruso suggests obilquely the barbershop affect, and distills and abstracts it; this IS the smell of shaving period. Very comforting, soothing and clean, it is probably best for the man who likes to be thought of as "clean cut". Is that still a viable phrase? Well, this would work with a nice suit; pocket square and a discreet little boutonniere. The well dressed man about town has showered and shaved as is ready to go out for the evening.

Yes, pretty close to the Barbasol effect. Pluses- Smelling like you just stepped out of a clean shave. Minuses- I prefer the anise that is in Azzaro Pour Homme. Also, I wish the Patchouli came out a bit more. After 3 full wearings, I wish I could praise it as much as most on here, but I can't just give it 4 or 5 stars.

Want to smell like a man? Not just any man, but one that evokes class, sophistication, intrigue, and sensuality. So difficult to answer. Fortunately, YSL via Tom Ford, asked this question and came up with the answer. The opening wafts in like a cool breeze across a hot asphalt. It's sweet (Bergamot) with some spice tones (Rosemary & Star Anise) thrown in to balance the sweetness. Grows heavier and deeper as the Clove and Lavender add that French barbershop vibe to the mix. Tries to escape out the back door in a delicious blaze of Patchouli & Wood (Gaiac) with a hint of Vetiver. Warm, inviting, and sensual. Turns men like Gomer Pyle into Alan Delon types. This is how I imagine what Serge Gainsbourg would smell like in his prime. Jane Birkin would've came back had Rive Gauche been around. It doesn't get any better than this, guys.

Not at all a barber-shop perfume...I don't get that - at all!

It has this smooth, dark and cool stringent woodiness, peppered with a note that, for a long time, I found hard to determine, let alone describe...

As for now, I can describe this note as dense, sweet and bitter at the same time...a blend of clove, pepper and anise, with the anise dominating.

I have to say, most fragrances that feature a dominant licorice or anise note, give me a rotten headache...but not this. Its there, and its in your face, but it doesn't give you a migraine. I also usually find that that type of note gives my nose an unpleasant tingling feeling - yet again - it doesn't do that in this perfume - but it is there, and if I use too much, it perturbsme in a way that I can't say I like.

All in all, the patchouli, cedar, guaiac and oakmoss keep the balance there, and are all notably present throughout. The rosemary gives it a nice herbal coolness, coupled with the bergamot. However, as with all anise/licorice scents, this could do with a little less of that note, and more of the woody/herbaceous notes it otherwise features very nicely!

Perhaps it speaks to the marketing muscle behind the Tom Ford/YSL fragrances, or the lack thereof behind Truefitt & Hill's, but I am shocked that not one person on Basenotes has mentioned that Rive Gauche is a nearly-exact copy of T&H's Grafton, which was marketed for sale twenty years prior to Rive Gauche. Try a spray on each wrist and see for yourself.

The topnotes and immediate drydown have been well-documented here. After about an hour's worth of drydown, however, the only significant difference between the two is the patchouli/tonka base taking center stage in RG, whereas same shares more of an equal footing with the incense/musk of Grafton.

Not to derogate either--either one would be a stellar addition to one's collection--just to point out that to own both may be redundant in one's wardrobe, as is the case with mine. Whichever one lasts longer will be eliminated, because it means I've favored the other.

Overall I like Rive Gauche pour Homme a great deal and I'm glad to have it part of my fragrance wardrobe. I would rate it primarily a spring fragrance and best in the evening but really the only time I would avoid wearing it is in when it is really hot. The only things which bug me about it is the longevity, while not bad, is less then I would like and it has a metal container. It just feels odd with almost everything else coming in glass; plus I worry about the metal being far less inert then glass.

I was very scared to get this one since i am not too much of a fan of clove and star anise in fragrances , as they tend to become very "piquante" and intensely sharp after a while on my skin, but this scent blew me away.
Loved it at first sniff and it's one of those "i couldn't take my nose away from my wrist" kind of scent. -even though i don't do that very often-
I found it soft and i thought that since it's not too strong, it would disappear after a short while, but i found out that it remained constant and strangely, unchanged for the rest of the drydown and i like that. A lot.
I'd go as far as saying that it might be a HolyGrail for me.
Ken Russel and many others have posted much more about the smell in a much better way than i'm doing it,so thank you for those reviews! , meanwhile, i will just stand back and enjoy what a great scent this is.
Rive Gauche? Thank God it doesn't smell like the real Rive gauche in Paris!
Favorite note in here? the rosemary. Amazing.
When wearing this, I picture myself sitting in a couch of the Hôtel de Crillon in Paris, with a view of the Place de la Concorde, getting some top-quality tea and being very comfortable in a top-notch black suit. Even though there are more romantic places in Paris, the left bank just doesn't smell too well. Whenever i think of the rive gauche i think of the bohemian part. This scent does not smell bohemian to me, even if the base has patchouli. Let's leave that to the intense version.

It´s just wonderful, masculine and sexy. That barbershop smell is not really true. You have to wear this scent on your skin. It develops to something other. Must have in your wardrobe.

I first tried this on a hot muggy day in Hong Kong and could not stand this cologne. I re-tried this back in the states in a much cooler climate and completely changed my opinion.
It gets me more compliments than any other cologne I own and I can wear it in almost any situation. Masculine, clean ( yes it has that barbershop vibe), moderate sillage and great staying power.

I swear this smells like Sundown.

Wearing it feels like the smell left by Sundown after a day at the beach.

There's also a very annoying bitter note.

No, thanks.

Just tried this in a sample vile form on my left wrist. Call me crazy but I dont get the big "craze" on this one?

This is an identical Barber Shop smell! I smell this on the back of my neck and sides AFTER the barber is done cutting my hair. Rive Gauche IS that smell! It's very "Old Man cologne meets Barber Shop scent". You guys nailed it on the head on this one and what it smells like!

Don't like it at all IMHO, if women like this pleeease let them put their reviews here cause I just dont buy it! lol Thumbs down on this old man meets Barbasol meets "dads cologne" scent.

Tried it on as a tester, my initial impression was good... so I impulsively bought it. As I walked around I increasingly became bothered by it. Two women I was with really disliked it.

Perhaps at 40 I am not old enough to wear it or it is too much clove.

It does smell like shaving cream and while that may initially be nice there is a reason the razor takes the cream away.

Anyone want to buy an unopened bottle...

Rive Gauche is a very perplexing fragrance. Immediately it reminds one of Barbasol shaving cream. Yet, I believe that that was the effect the makers of Rive Gauche were attempting to create. Something masculine, yet clean and fresh. What other scent could capture this idea, that of a freshly shaven man straight out of the barber shop? And while it is true that there are other notes in Rive Gauche, a man fresh out of the barber's is the overall idea I get from wearing it.

Overall, a very nice and unique fragrance that should at the very least be tested.

Almost too good to be a designer scent and not a niche, boutique, artisanal and limited edition fragrance - all in one.Alongside very few masterpieces, one of the fragrances that, even if all the other fragrances were wiped out, it would the truthful and credible image of how an odeal masculine fragrace should be and smell. The opening is clean- cut, enjoyable and lightful, it still does nnot compare itsself to the depths and richly fulfilling sensations yet to come. It's a slight lemon sherbet known i know from Versace Blue Jeans, however less casual and sweet, oddly one of the few cases where the almost edible hints of citrus, more prcisely citrus tea,, sweeets, or even syrup is not plain, blunt, unimaginnatibve or repulsive, but bears a certain solar playfullness even with a hint of ( tough not listed among the ingredients) invigorating neroli essence. To sum it up- that rare, almost unlekely turning point when citrus scented sweets are not artificial or ill-smelling, but lush and making the most of the balanced and pungent acidity of this note. The mixture between citrus and a chypre, spicy and woody drydown is nothing new and if placed close to Chanel pour monsieur, Givenchy Gentleman, Armani PH, Hugh Parsons yellow edition,
Roberto Capucci, Eau Sauvage and even a few Creeds, the resemblance would be quite obvious- a fine, carefully used citrus notes, creating the perfect introduction for a conservatively elegant, stylishly crafted combination of florals, wood, piney and leathery notes. Also, the resemblance to Acqua di Parma and Colonia Assoluta struck me- it has a variety of interpretation of the citrus ingredient- mellow, sharp, crisp; however, longar lasting than Acqua di Parma and less heavy and more subtle than Colonia Assoluta.
The middle notes are powdery- aromatic discreet floral found also in Pour Monsieur, as well as
Ungaro II and III.
After this extended introduction, i still think that the drydown is the focal point. It is one of the few spiritualized Orientals or tobacco smells around, stimulating and appealing not only to the senses but even the mind. Just before it would end as Oriental and sensual, as warm and smoky as Antaeus, Opium or Drakkar Noir, it adds an extra, more fragile and also complex, more versatile and elusive note of exotic spice, even forest fruits- especially berries-
and balsamic mossy notes. And if Drakkar already counterbalces and lightens up that tobacco note with that enthralling intellectally stimulating effusiveness, Rive Gauche goes a step further- the very citrus note mentioned above adds to the tobacco drydown, the classic robust manlyness, a both costly yet also familiar soapy touch. It's that barbershop feeling also noticed in other rewievs, that nostalgically remembered feeling of how yesterday's barbershops used to smell, of corse soapy, drenched in eau de cologne, high quality and very natural( therefore quite costly) shaving and haircare products, of resiouos, conipherous and camphorous essences.
So, a long-lasting classic with a sparkling, solar, uplifting soapy citrus quality, a scent worthy of
luxurious, exclusive yet comfortable and inviting barbershop, dignified and tastefully opulent longes. A scent made for both daywear as it suggest maturity and unquestionable speriority and seriousness yet without being stereotypical, prudish, snobbish, generic, annoyimg or pushy, yet mysterious, creative, even artistically accomplished to be suitale for the evening, having both the sophistication fit for the most formal occasions yet enough charme and originality in order to be the highlight of the most bohemian uncommonly undeground artictic and intellectual sorroundings ( usually reserved for insiders only).
A true insider of the fragrance world, witty, mannered and one of the happy few accomplished scents.

The first thing I need to get off my chest, no pun intended, is that I find it interesting that the fragrances created under the directive of ultra-gay Tom Ford are considered "chick magnets". That said, I think his work is brilliant and Rive Gauche is my favorite of all the frags associated with him. His allegiance to 1970's "man scents" filtered through his modern and androgynous take on the modern male makes Rive Gauche shine. A fougeres that has managed to link sex with shaving. Bravo!

This is the first scent I bought after reading what fellow BNers had to say. I wear this to work and is really nice. A clean smell that is anything but bright, the barbershop comments are dead on. I would not call this a sexy frag but a masculine frag. Wear this with confidence and you'll have an attractive prescence. Be warned, you'll loose the scent on you before others will so don't over spray. When you skin gets warm, this juice smells amazing.

In reading the others' comments I wonder if we're smelling the same stuff. Rive Gauche, to me, is a powdery, sharper (more intense) Canoe, Pinaud Clubman or even Avon Wild Country - since all are in the same ballpark. The woodsy accord sets this one off, and might be considered a tad more formal. Great for a date; inoffensive and luxurious. I just don't get barbershop at all. Jockey Club yes, this stuff no. I do like it.

My initial reaction to that was that, like others have mentioned, it smells like shaving foam! Why would someone wear cologne that smells like that? Not only that but I found it overpoweringly strong to start with as in my ignorace I'd sprayed far too much. Seeing as I got this on the cheap though, I decided to give it another try at work today. Noting how strong it was before, I applied only 1 spray. Moderation seems to be the key, a few hours in as this began to mellow, I finally "got" this. It turns into what I personally find a very creamy, almost edible scent that is unbelievably addictive. Sprayed a single spray at 7 this morning, its 6pm now & I'm still getting subtle wafts of this gorgeous stuff. try this before you buy because this IS different to most fragrances out there, but for me this is definately a thumbs up.

The jury is out for me on this one!

read all the reviews here, so decided to try it in a tester, and it didn't really work for me, seemed a bit too classic or old manish for my tastes, and I am only 40ish, maybe will try it again to see if it comes across any better.

I get the Barbasol shave cream, but not the patchouli, no matter how hard I sniff. It does last a long while and it comes off as clean and masculine. In a word, unpretentious.

This is the well-groomed male plus ultra. Some will say barbershop, but I say this is truly unique (and confident in its uniqueness).

I could see Jay Leno and Stephen King wearing this, just because they are both old-school regular unpretentious guys that have made it big, and their celebrity has not detracted from their character.

(Is it me or is Jay Leno the ONLY guy that can pull off jeans and a denim shirt of similar hue?)

This is sneaky and potent stuff, to be sure. It will disappear within an hour, only to "blossom" profusely with minimal physical activity.

Double plus thumbs up for capturing an era when men actually waited in line for a decent wet shave... It is timeless and superbly masculine.

Oh, and the ladies like it too :)

It smells like the world's classiest, most urbane barber shop.

Well, I just got my Rive Gauche.
The initial scent after the first spray really turned me off. I really didn't like it.
But after 5 minutes I loved it!
The alcohol smell evaporated and it smells completely different.
I have finally figured out the smell...shaving cream !!
Has anyone ever hated the smell of shaving cream? No woman I know :)
It's clean and soapy smelling on me. Reminds my friends of a shave and a haircut at a barbershop. I don't care if that's what YSL was going for but that's what they have with me and it's very pleasurable.
Unfortunately, I will have to shelve this until the spring, I have better Winter-scents.

Not really impressive in the least. Starts off as a really, really dry woodsy aroma. Then as it dries down I start to get some very green notes. One thing that it made me think of, which for me fits perfectly, is the smell of green pea pods. In the summer whne you can get the peas in the pod, that's what Rive Gauche smells like as it dries down.
It isn't piss mixed with urinal cakes like Kouros which triggers my gag reflex, but to my nose it isn't the least bit pleasent.
Anything YSL puts out seems to get labeled as simply amazing on here - I have no idea why.

After the disappointment of L'Homme I reached back for the Rive Gauche to reassure myself how good a YSL fragrance can be. Warm yet fresh, the topnotes are brilliant and it lasts beautifully. A top five and no mistake!

I found really wearable and elegant, and I´m really surprised that how exactly smelllike ZenzoAir, that if you spray both in every wrist, they would smell basicly the sam, with the difference that Rive gauche dries down in a more woody scent ;)

Oh, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU, Mr. Tom Ford! This one comes across as a love child created by merging Gucci Pour Homme with Azzaro Pour Homme, and then throwing in some Guerlain Vetiver for good measure. A perfectly blended scent, and one with great lasting power, to boot. Can't wait to try the Intense version.

THUMBS WAY UP!!!

A very misunderstood fragrance upon its release – commonly referred to as smelling ”old”. Rive Gauche was supposed to be a fragrance with an intellect; Tom Ford wanted the top notes of Rive Gauche pour homme to assimilate the air of a 70s Parisian boho bookshop. It is probably also safe to say that he was inspired by overly manly 70s scents, like the kind of Brut and Azzaro PH, making a strong statement by fraying away from the commercially safe contemporary ”fresh & clean”-trend in the men’s scent market. Thus, to some Rive Gauche might smell dated – but then again; it was supposed to. After all, nothing in fashion is particularly new. As with the female Rive Gauche there is an abundance of synthetic aldehydes in the men’s Rive Gauche rather than natural oils. A very conscious choice if you want to recreate the feeling of many 70s colognes. The initial blast is all lavender, clove, patchouli and woods that end in a quite dry, non-sweet surprisingly fresh fougére. Patchouli is a paramount component in this fragrance, amplified in the “intense” version, an ingredient that I always perceived as somewhat dirty. Rive Gauche is very potent and a couple of sprays under one’s shirt last an entire workday. Perhaps more suitable for autumn/colder weathers but IMHO I think it works very well, applied in moderation, in warmer weathers too. Indeed, Rive Gauche pour homme interacts well with warm skin, that makes the fragrance bounce back beautifully with its dry-woodsy freshness, making it the tope choice in my wardrobe for clubbing that no sweet fragrance could rival. Although I am reluctant to believe all the stories on basenotes about this being some kind of a “chic magnet” (as with most fragrances), in my experience many women loves patchouli on men and likewise with Rive Gauche pour homme. After all, what can be manlier smelling than something that reminds you about Barbasol shaving cream? Perhaps that is where the “intellect” of Rive Gauche pour homme rely lies.

Aveda Hair Products... Gillette Shaving Foam... Brut...Old Spice: these oft-cited referents all place Rive Gauche in its niche as a classical kind of grooming smell, as being built upon a "retro chassis" often shorthanded as "barbershop" I think this is the brilliance of it. It's devil-may-care (it reminds me of the vogue for bedhead hairstyles and just-the-right-amount of stubble), which sets it apart from the rest of the YSLs, which are by and large audacious, idiosyncratic extranvanganzas (paradoxically, YSL's website calls RG "unconventional" Pah!). This is just no-nonsense manly, not in a bland or generic way, just kind of classic. much of the reason many men are embarassed by cologne is because were not supposed to seem "put-together" or "primped" or "preening" or any of those other things that women do for hours in front of full-length mirrors. Rive Gauche is the aesthete's answer to all that, encompassing that which is most sexy about that whole effortless, unmarked "conventional masculinity" and giving it an impeccable spit-shine sheen without seeming dandified or foppish. A masterpiece, the Levi's 501 of men's fragrance.

Powdery and sweet, but not cloying. This takes all the elements that I like from M7 and leaves out the ones that I dislike. To me it smells like the drydown of M7 but without the bitter agarwood.

Extreme: This is very strong fragrance in the Luca-turinian style of "there is no such thing as a bad smell". You either hate it or love it & I think this is a fragrance looking for the right skin. Not meaning to commit plagarisim but "Do you fit the legend?".

Its a very 'earthy' fragrance, not particulary strong, but longlasting and classy... It also reminds me of "Brut" but in a more powdery version... I have no idea where the shampoo-soap comments came from, its certainly not "cheap" but very classy indeed!

smells like Azzaro to me....and thats a compliment. I've allways loved Azzaro but it didn't seem to last that long on me it was that fragrance's only downside to me. With Rive it smells almost exactly the same(to my nose) and last a good long time, and I really like the fact that someone has finally brought out a new strong man sent. I mean I like sweet smelling stuff and soft smelling fragrances, but every now and then a man just needs to smell like a man, no berries or or flowers just spices and musk love it!!!

I don't know if I have allready rewieved this one, but If that is the case I can say it again. This is really an example of fresh elegance. I am so looking forward to trying the Intense version.
benb

Very musky and smooth, smells like classic shaving creams and aslo reminds me of womens face powder.

A slightly musty, crisp yet spicy fragrance reminiscent of men's shaving cream. In my opinion, this fragrance as a distance to it..a detached quality that reeks of confidence and masculity. With not even a remote hint of sweetness, this frag is a welcomed change to the predominance of Oriental/Gourmands in my collection.. I don't wear it frequently, but I hold it in high esteem..and see why it's a favorite. Unfortunately, I've received mostly negative 'geezer' comments regarding it.. with good sillage and longevity, in terms of quality..a top notch choice.

The tin bottle(can) makes this cologne seem light and somewhat cheap, when I first got a hold of it, I was actually skeptical about how much it's in the can. But I digress, This scent is wonderful, I adore it completely. Unfortunately, while it doesn't last very long on my skin, 4hours max.

I'm sorry, but this smells like a brew of generic deodorant, hairspray, and Barbasol shave foam. I usually like old-school/powdery clean things, but this makes me feel like a dirty old man. I will admit that there are very few colognes that smell like this, but there is a reason for that: colognes aren't supposed to smell like discontinued grooming products.

I am very reluctant to actually apply this scent to my skin for the plain and simple fact that it smells exactly like spray on deoderant. A female friend of mine smelled it in the bottle and said it smelled the same way as I have described it. Maybe it will open up into something different when I wear it like the other Yves Saint Laurent scents that are also in my collection currently.

This is what a man should smell like. reminds me of motorcycles, leather boots and blue jeans. I see a guy with tousled hair in his boxers, with a newspaper he's not reading spread out messily on the kitchen table. I watch his jaw as he eats toast, looking up at me. He yawns and stretches as a gust of wind comes through the sunny balcony window, billowing my curtains, and I catch a waft of yesterday's Rive Gauche (longevity is amazing). That's when I remember what happened the night before.

But enough prose-poetry. The scent: It has a very vintage feel, like an aftershave. Not old-fashioned, but old-school. This gives it a kind of classic masculinity which comes off as unpretentious and effortless. Not really a 'metrosexual' scent- one of the few men's colognes which I adore, but feel I can't wear myself. Simply too masculine. But at the same time, its not sleazy in that 70s disco way. It has a smoothness between its notes that is unmistakably modern, a kind of muted glossy finish over the composition which keeps it exceptionally clean.

This is an instant classic! RG and Jazz are my two absolute favorites from this house and I cannot be forced to pick the better. Rive Gauche is the epitomy of mystery, class, and sexiness. The star anise gives it that deep, dark character reminescent of those 80's powerhouse fragrances. In aa world of whispy, arid fragrances, this new modern classic is refreshing and a winner indeed!

Would go well with Neutrogena T-Gel shampoo. Smells like the barber my nanny used to take me to see when I was 7. Maybe she liked him, but I doubt it was because he smelled good.

I decided I had to buy this scent just from smelling it in a magazine strip. It's a great all around fragrance worthy of the YSL name. I'm not sure if I'll continuously have it in my wardrobe but still one of my top choices. It's spicy and warm enough but nothing dramatically new to my nose. I feel like M7 is also a variation on the same theme.

this was 20$ at shoppers drug mart but I missed the sale and the lady wouldn't sell me the tester :( excellent stuff tho, very sexy. nothing groundbreaking, just a familiar concept redone very very well.

A Big thumbs down! Rive Gauche is not stronge enought to win some smells that make this scent feel like old cheap after shave.

I have sprayed Rive Gauche five minutes ago on me. Now I'm waiting for the drydown. It reminds me of a mixture of Azarro with Jacomo de Jacomo.

I think it is a great scent. Now I'm waiting for my wifes comment when sehe comes home in several hours.

The scent is not for everyone. It is manly and dark.

Very interesting scent... At first it smells fairly normal and boring, nothing special... But give it 30 minutes, let it dry down, then notice the girls start sniffing the air when you walk past. Worth it! :)

I agree with foetidus, this is not a fragrance you should sample on a card in the store, as I too was pretty unimpressed with it at first. Upon giving it a proper application, though, I was completely awestruck. This scent is extroardinary! It smells so clean, yet raw and dirty at the same time, as impossible as that sounds. I can see its warm, inviting, spicy aroma applying to pretty much any scenario, as it manages to smell refined without losing any of its "youthful" vigor or seeming outdated. This is and will be one of my top scents for some time!

Some of us have a saying here at Basenotes, "Rive Gauche Pour Homme is the 'King of Compliments'". It's freakish how girls attack me when I wear Rive Gauche. Last night I wore it to work and a co-worker BIT ME! She freaking went crazy on me. It's a mystery why this scent ,which is relatively straightforward, causes women of all ages to go completely nuts.

On me, very clean, light and slight - there is the salty quality on dry down that Luca Turin mentions and I just love this. But I have to sniff up close and personal to get it.

Rive Gauche is the most wearable scent I’ve encountered in ages. When I first tried it on a card and on my wrist, it didn’t ring any bells for me. Later I was given a sample and when I actually wore it for a whole day, it turned out to be incredible. Rive Gauche is classic, modern, balanced, spicy, and has good sillage, and great longevity. Every moment from application to the last whiff of the dry down is a pure olfactory pleasure. The dry down forces me to keep sniffing again and again. I can see where others could see it as very sensual—the sensuality is definitely there. With minimization of the application, Rive Gauche is restrained enough for the office. When applied more heavily, it becomes a great evening scent.
I should have known to have given it more of a chance the first time I tried it, after all, it IS Yves Saint Laurent! Rive Gauche is one of the best—another great fragrance from a fantastic house.