I've worn Rive Gauche for a while, now, and it remains one of my go to fragrances year round. It starts sharp and strong with the ever powerful '70's ladened aldehyde opening, an icy cold metallic note that Gauche has always been known for, then merging into the oakmoss, vetiver and rose notes. It's slightly powdery in a different sense of powder. It's the kind of powder that reminds me of say, snow.Gauche's metallic opening goes on into the dry down, combining with the rose, predominatly, creating a mild rose chypre. It was ahead of its time when it made itself known back in '70, and today, 41 years later, still beats out so many others in terms of elegance.
This is my "Up On The Roof" perfume, where Carole King told many years ago, that, once I'm up there, "the world below can't bother me". It's comforting.

Abs goregous...this is the perfume that the 'Lilly Marlaine' black velvet rose should smell like...as its the most beautiful rose ever created..& when I smell Rive Gauche this is what I see... I've just got the 100ml reformulated edp ..& its softer more lucious than the one I used to wear back in the 80's this is a reformulation for the better..hurrrah!! the metalic note that used to first dominate this fume has now gone ..for me this is a blessing as....as much as I loved the smell of Rive Gauche on other people... on me I had to get past that annoying metal smell for about a good hour before it started to smell like I wanted it to smell....now it does from start to finish...Love it and on me its the abs dupe to my Amouge Dia for women at 1/4 of the price.... continued >>

I still love this fragrance, although I prefer the original formulation. Still, it evokes classic French chic, understated elegance. Seductive without being obvious, never boring!

I met a guy last night who smelled divine. Turned out he was wearing the women's Rive Gauche without even knowing it was a women's scent.
Just wanted to suggest that the guys out there looking for something different might consider this.

Smelled promising at first--I began to see what Luca Turin meant by "the goddess Diana's bath soap." It does evoke a bar of white, rose-scented soap. Accented by a citrusy bite on top, greens, soft white flowers, synth sandalwood and musk, to my nose. And LOTS of aldehydes--soapy, powdery, very clean. Aldehydes diffuse the other notes like frosted glass. But whereas in Chamade, the other "powdery-white" aldehydic Turin compares this to, the drydown eventually reveals the tender charm of real flowers, woods, orris, vanilla--lovely, true naturals, melting into the skin--this smells synthetic throughout. It smells cheap, like a body spray, and gives me a stuffy nose! Ecch. The composition is very fine, but the execution smells cheap--at least in the current formulation.

If Strange Invisible Perfumes didn't already have a scent called Aquarian Roses, I think this would fit YSL's iconic little number perfectly. Of course, Rive Gauche is a perfect name for this beauty, but when I think of it I think of watery roses. Now this is a case where I really believe reformulation was actually a GOOD thing -blasphemy in these parts, I realize. I happen to have lived surrounded by the *real* thing. This was my mom's signature frag in 1970's Paris. I remember the short black and white plaid coat which went along with the look. The fact that TF orchestrated a reformulation where the aldhehydes were lightened and more of the middle notes show up is actually for the better. The edginess/metallic aspect of this scent is still there. There is a faint, watery (NOT ozonic, but more of a transparent feel to this composition reminiscent of looking through an old windowpane where things are blurry and slightly distorted) overlay above a gorgeous bouquet of roses- but this is no wimpy shrinking violet scent.The vetyver and oakmoss of the base are still there. They provide a beautiful backbone to this fragrance which really is as sophisticated, hip, loose, and carefree as the corner of Paris for which it is named. Lovers of dry, sexy rose based scent should run to try this. EDT strength is all you can find is these days, but the lasting power is beautiful.

Damn reformulations! I used to love the original, this one just vaguely reminds me of it. Such a shame. I don't know if this is supposed to be a more up to date version or they have just substituted some of the original ingredients for financial reasons, but I just think that some classic perfumes should be left alone.

when I first tested this I was disappointed. It smelled very musty and heavy. I usually give the classic fragrances a chance so I bought a small bottle. Well, I guess the tester bottle was old because after trying some at home I really like Rive Gauche, Its classy, clean and subtle with great lasting power. I have never smelled the original but I do remember smelling this fragrance on many a classy older women through out my life, so it must be very close to the original, I just never knew what it was. It was Rive Gauche

Oh, how I long for vintage Rive Gauche!!! Wore it in the early 80's and loved it. Revisited it recently by purchasing a bottle from YSL. Yes, it's similar, but not the same. Yet, it's still amazing. I would even go so far as to say that *IF* I were to have a signature fragrance, this would be it.

This is a nice rose fragrance and I'm sure I detect violets as well. This is very, very flowery and quite sweet. It has great lasting power and projects fairly well also for an EdT. However, I found, after a time that it was simply too one dimensional and unrelentingly sweet. Had I never smelled Chanel No. 19 with its austere and musky rose bouquet, I probably would have sprung for a bottle. But having No. 19, this doesn't even come close and how Turin and Sanchez can rate Rive Gauche more highly than 19 is still twisting my brain. If you've tried neither, I strongly suggest sampling each (I prefer 19 in EdT form, less vegetal, tons of lasting power and great sillage). Rive Gauche is cheerful and pleasing and I'm sure it deserves a loyal following, but I'll continue to march behind my beloved 19. To each their own.

My comments are based on the post 2003 edt formulation. After trying Rive Gauche, I'm kind of disappointed after reading all of the great reviews. Rive Gauche is a straight up oriental fragrance with an aldehydic opening. I don't smell any rose at all. Dries down way too quickly to a dirty civet note. Definitely would not be opposed to smelling this on someone else but there are better orientals out there imho. Love the tin cyclindar container.

Very powdery and soft. Elegant and not something everyone wears. For some reason men love this so much.

I would give this just one lippie if it weren't for the lovely packaging. my father worked for YSL and Chanel fragrances when I was a teen, so I grew up bathing in their fragrances. To me, Rive Gauche always smelled SO harsh and bitter...it still smells that way to me; I just don't get the appeal (except for the pretty packaging!)?!

This is a wonderful classic scent . I love it .

i like this one, but i don't love it! firstly, the bottle - i dont dislike it as an object per se, but as a perfume bottle? im not that keen on it. i think its a bit gaudy and i prefer something a bit more classic. i also think the bright, arty packaging clashes with the scent, which is so romantic and feminine... but my biggest issue with the bottle was that its opaque and i cant see how much is left... i say 'was' because my bottle actually broke, apparently quite spontaneously, and i can now lift out the glass vial and see exactly whats left... The perfume itself, is intoxicatingly feminine... not sweet and girly, but elegant and.."womanly" ! Its the most wearable aldeydic scent ive ever sampled, it smells classic and timeless, tasteful and very expensive. Lasting power is good but not great on me.. (i can still smell it mid afternoon but it stays pretty close to the skin)... i can smell a lot of roses, a liquorice-like note, and a soft powdery edge, offset by a mossy, earthy tone. its very pretty.

OK, I'm old but my DH is older and he loves this one on me. I agree with a previous reviewer - it probably does remind him of the 70s when we were both a lot younger and friskier. That said, I prefer the newer version. It just smells more modern to me. FYI, I'm layering the EDT over the body cream. The packaging is excellent and I love that the cream comes in a tube. So handy for the gym bag. This one's a winner.

Rive Gauche-EdT:
I must say that the new version despite all the critique lacks the dreaded metallic note which i found in the vintage one. The vetiver drydown is distinct and dewy, still warm and mingles beautifully with the sandalwood. No idea why so many don't like it but i like it. A crimson rose, nearly faded already, on a bed of bark. The drydown is perfume-heaven. Instant compliment from b/f!

I hadn't thought about Rive Gauche in quite awhile but I remember the scent like it was yesterday. It was the only perfume that my best friend's college roomate wore and she wore it beautifully too! Well, I've been having a craving for it. Sadly, I wasn't aware that it was reformulated by Tom Ford in 2003 and that the "new" version isn't even for sale in the U.S. I hesitate to order from one of the online stores after seeing the reviews of this newer version. I can't understand why anyone would want to change a classic like Rive Gauche! I'm distraught and wondering where I can find the original. Usually, there are bottles for sale on the internet but this doesn't seem to be the case with Rive Gauche and it hasn't even been that long! I guess everyone has grabbed up all of the bottles. How upsetting! If anyone knows how I can get my hands on a bottle, please let me know! TIA

I still have the older version of Rive Gauche - not that there's much of it left now, but I'm using it sparingly :-) I think this fragrance is a classic - elegant, refined and formulated in the days when fragrances were made to be spritzed on lightly and would still last all day. I find it to be a bit powdery and woody. I haven't tested the new version, but I guess I will have to once I've used up my last little bit.....

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. continued >>