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YSL Rive Gauche bottle

post #1 of 26
4/28/06 at 11:10pm
Thread Starter 
Is it rare to have a bottle made of aluminum instead of glass? The Rive Gauche container feels so light and, well, cheap. It reminds me of the Axe/Lynx bottles > Also, it is probably a lot less expensive to manufacturer then a glass bottle. But, I'm sure it's what is inside the bottle that matters, but that will come later, I'm just admiring/pondering about this bottle at the moment.


A second thought: Has anyone ever read The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown? What was that cylinder that the clue was in called again? Theres like a few locks and you have to get it to the right code to unlock it, but as a failsafe has a vial of vinegar that would destroy the contents if one were to try to open the container by force. The Rive Gauche container reminds me of that puzzle box. Oh, this is a good thing, I love the book and I love the container now too. Maybe it'll be a prop in the upcoming movie
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post #2 of 26
4/28/06 at 11:15pm
Thread Starter 
Ok, it's called a "cryptex."



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post #3 of 26
4/28/06 at 11:17pm
the container feels a little light to me too, but the atomizer is really good...its very satisfying to push
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post #4 of 26
4/28/06 at 11:19pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by wajt

the container feels a little light to me too, but the atomizer is really good...its very satisfying to push


Awesome! More fun to look forward to. Opening the toy is only half the fun, playing with it is the other half!
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post #5 of 26
4/28/06 at 11:37pm
Thread Starter 
Update: Theres some sort of manufacturer number on the bottom of the bottle. Is it possible to call a YSL boutique and find out when the bottle was produced or distributed for sale?
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post #6 of 26
4/28/06 at 11:46pm
I really like the bottle. I guess it could be cheap-seeming, but I agree the atomizer is very satisfying. I thinks its styish, and super-cheap to ship (great for swappers!). The drawback, of course, is you can't really be sure of hw full it is.
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post #7 of 26
4/28/06 at 11:55pm
Thread Starter 
Yup, not only can you not feel how full it is, you can't see how much juice is left either. The silver bands on black is indeed very stylish-- Very Gentleman like.
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post #8 of 26
4/29/06 at 12:23am
Luca Turin wrote that aluminum is the best way to store fragrance.
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post #9 of 26
4/29/06 at 12:36am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by pluran

Love The Da Vinci Code. Hopefully the movie won't play it safe.

Luca Turin said aluminum is the best way to store fragrances. Very stylish can on RG, as is the feminine version. Both of them leaning heavily towards the cool.

I'm kind of up in the air about the movie. At first, I was appalled by the casting of Tom Hanks and Sir Ian McClellen for their characters, as I did not picture the actors portraying those characters. However, both of those actors are excelleng in their craft, and I expect them to be able to pull off their roles. Who knows, I guess we'll have to wait to see the movie before we judge.

Yeah, that does make sense about the aluminum. Probably because their won't be any exposure to light, but maybe other reasons as well?
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post #10 of 26
4/29/06 at 12:54am
...
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post #11 of 26
4/29/06 at 3:20am
I initially disliked the cheap tinny feel of the bottle (can), but after a while, I grew to think it's pretty cool.

I dropped it once on pavement when it fell out of a bag. If it had been glass, it'd been toast. All I got was a small dent.

Sometimes I put the bottle up to my nose, close my eyes and inhale and think...WOW, this smells classy- I imagine what I'm smelling to be coming from a heavy black sober glass bottle and think if the bottle had been like the Gucci Pour homme bottle, people might have a different perception of it. Because aside from the bottle and packaging, people who smell it in my daily encounters think it's amazing.

So I like the bottle, yet I think if it had come in a different bottle I'd like it just as much. The scent is the important part. (The spray mechanism is nice though).

Then again, sometimes that "tin" can just calls out to me. It's such an oddball. And the color scheme is nice as well. Really, I love everything about Rive Gauche Pour Homme.
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post #12 of 26
4/29/06 at 3:12pm
Thread Starter 
Well, the spray mechanism wasn't that cooperative, but then again, I was priming it for the first spray, so that can be expected. The smell itself smells very familiar though! It says that Rive Gauche came out on 2003, but the smell reminded me of something I smelled as a child. I guess I must have smelled Brut a lot as a child. I can see how some can see this fragrance as being "old," but I like it a lot. I guess old is just a perception of mentality.
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post #13 of 26
4/29/06 at 4:39pm
yeah it def. has a retro vibe to it, but i find its smooth, glossy, almost soapy feel to make it very modern.
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post #14 of 26
4/29/06 at 4:49pm
Thread Starter 
It seems pretty linear right now. It has dried down, and the initial notes don't seem as loud. But it smells similar, a little sweeter maybe? It's not bad, pretty comforting. Definetly different from the other fragrances I have.
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post #15 of 26
4/29/06 at 6:01pm
Thread Starter 
Update: It smells really good right now! ~4 hours since initial spray
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post #16 of 26
4/29/06 at 6:28pm
Similar experiences for me. I picked up the bottle at the duty free store and was surprised at how light it was. For some reason I thought it would be glass-lined, or something like that. Does anyone know - will the fragrance react with the aluminum?

Anyway, to the smell. I really liked it on paper right from the start, then as it dried on paper, I liked it less and less. Still it was worth a skin test. So, when I saw it in a store, I sprayed some on my skin and was very disappointed...at first. But, as it dried, the very opposite of the paper test proved true - I liked it more and more. I can't remember that happening with any other scent.

I can see the "retro" thing, but in no way does it smell dated or "old" to me. It borders on being fresh or refreshing ("clean" smelling to me), while also being masculine and spicy.
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post #17 of 26
4/29/06 at 6:55pm
Thread Starter 
Hey, that's a good description. The thing I don't understand is if it always takes 4 hours to dry down. I hope not, I don't mind the first 4 hours, but I like everything after that a lot more.
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post #18 of 26
4/29/06 at 7:02pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by robyogi

Does anyone know - will the fragrance react with the aluminum?


[blue]As far as I know, aluminum itself is reactive to fragrances, but all aluminum containers used for fragrance storage have a special non-reactive coating on the inside of the bottle that solves the problem of reactivity. The main reason aluminum is chosen for or use as a material, however, is because it is a very cheap and easy material to work with compared to other metals and it also has the benefit of being light and durable and isn't subject to rust.

scentemental[/blue]
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post #19 of 26
4/29/06 at 7:21pm
You have made an excellent choice. Enjoy! This was the only fragrance I decided I had to have after just sniffing the magazine scent strip!
As for the bottle (or flask, rather), they had to make it a companion to the feminine version which was one of the very few aluminum flasks marketed way back when. RG PH was launched at the re-launch of the feminine version a few years ago.
I personally would think that glass is always better because of no chemical reaction between the container and the contents (very volitile chemicals at that). Also, a dark colored glass usually will offer enough protection from light so that shouldn't be the main reason. But apparently, it hasn't been a problem here since both male and female versions have been instant and enduring hits. Perhaps the inside of the container has a coating for that purpose.
Also, keep in mind that this gives the image of these fragrances a distinct edge unlike any other YSL. "Rive Gauche" is a specific Parisian "attitude" with a rebellious, Bohemian side (similar to the "Trastevere" attitude in Rome). YSL has even had a separate line of clothing and boutiques under that name for years.
RM
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post #20 of 26
4/29/06 at 7:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by scentemental

[quote author=robyogi link=1146291038/15#15 date=1146360529]Does anyone know - will the fragrance react with the aluminum?


[blue]As far as I know, aluminum itself is reactive to fragrances, but all aluminum containers used for fragrance storage have a special non-reactive coating on the inside of the bottle that solves the problem of reactivity. The main reason aluminum is chosen for or use as a material, however, is because it is a very cheap and easy material to work with compared to other metals and it also has the benefit of being light and durable and isn't subject to rust.

scentemental[/blue]
[/quote]

Once again, thanks!
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post #21 of 26
4/29/06 at 7:39pm
[blue]You're welcome robyogi.

Renaissance Man, I think *Rive Gauche* for women might have actually been the first designer fragrance marketed in an aluminum container. Pretty daring stuff back in 1971.

scentemental[/blue]
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post #22 of 26
4/29/06 at 11:24pm
Thread Starter 
Update: This fragrance seems to last a long time! Maybe my nose just isn't use to this new scent, but I still detect it right now at 2 30am. I sprayed it at 5 pm. 9hours is pretty good!
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post #23 of 26
4/30/06 at 3:07pm
The whole Rive Gauche concept to Mr. Yves was hip ready to wear disposible fashion. Â* That was also the concept for the bottle an aluminum can which is modern portable hip DISPOSIBLE!
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post #24 of 26
4/30/06 at 8:28pm
Thread Starter 
Disposable!? If I ever finish this bottle, I doubt I'll be tossing it.
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post #25 of 26
5/1/06 at 3:45am
You could do what I did and buy the 60ml Intense spray - it has a glass bottle that you can remove from the metal case and replace when it's done. So you get the best of both worlds.

You may also like the smell, as it seems to skip straight to the mid/base notes a lot quicker than the regular EDT.
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post #26 of 26
5/1/06 at 5:28am
Thread Starter 
hm, that's true, but I believe the color scheme is different. I think there are less silver bands on black. I like how the standard Rive Gauche bottle looks.
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