Rive Gauche -?

**jhclare** · 01-28-2009, 03:59 AM

Hi all,

I recently bought some Rive Gauche after numerous recommendations on here.

After first spray, I thought, this is vile, but let me give it a few minutes to settle down.

All I get it a horrible, powdery, cheap perfume-y old woman's handbag smell.

Am I missing something here? Did I get a knock-off bottle? Mine was from TK-Maxx.

Give me Aqua Di Parma Colonia anyday.

It's still for sale in the Trade forum if anyone wants it.

John

**Austin** · 01-28-2009, 04:08 AM

Unfortunately, it may not be for you. Your body chemistry is probably not reacting positively. I like this scent and works well for me.

**Kouros** · 01-28-2009, 04:32 AM

I get the smell of Barbasol shaving cream with Rive Gauche.

**lamaman3** · 01-28-2009, 08:01 AM

jhclare - give it a few more tries. To be honest, I also had a bit of a "WTF" moment upon the first spray. I was expecting something "clean and barbershop" so I was expecting a smell like old spice -Rive Gauche almost smelled dirty to me. After using it a few times - I really love it - The opening spray has a hit of fresh rosemary/lavender/brut and then it kind of settles into a warm, sticky, sweet, woody patchouli smell. When I spray this I can picture myself as one of those outlaw charachters in the wild wild west like on deadwood - getting a haircut and shave in an old wood panelled barbershop/saloon before stepping out into the dusty streets to a dual - smells like a freshly shaved outlaw to me.

Another poster on basenotes said that it smells like what your grandpa wouldve worn - if your grandpa was living in paris with 3 girlfriends and worked as a international spy while also painting masterpieces. I thought that was an apt description too.

A very special fragrance.

**Aaron01** · 01-28-2009, 11:57 AM

Did you get the women's version of Rive Gauche? The bottles look the same

Men's (Pour Homme):

Women's:

**OldSchoolYoungin** · 01-28-2009, 11:58 AM

Considering how readily available and inexpensive the real stuff is, I doubt you got a knock-off. It's definitely possible you got a "bad" bottle though, no telling how long it's been sitting around and how well TJ Maxx took care of it.

**Rusty Jackknife** · 01-28-2009, 07:43 PM

Originally Posted by jhclare

I recently bought some Rive Gauche after numerous recommendations on here.

After first spray, I thought, this is vile, but let me give it a few minutes to settle down.

All I get it a horrible, powdery, cheap perfume-y old woman's handbag smell.

After reading the positive feedbacks on Rive Gauche, I too went looking to find a bottle. To my amazement, our local Wal-Mart sells it for under $20 a bottle.

I tried the tester, but could not get past what I thought to be; a cheap/powdery/window cleaner note. I went back a second time and tried it again. Same result.

I guess we have similar reactions with Rive Gauche. Definitely not for me.

RJ

**Isaias** · 01-29-2009, 06:18 AM

Originally Posted by lamaman3

Another poster on basenotes said that it smells like what your grandpa wouldve worn - if your grandpa was living in paris with 3 girlfriends and worked as a international spy while also painting masterpieces. I thought that was an apt description too.

A very special fragrance.

It is one of my top three fragrances.
I do not get the powdery drydown at all. Not more powdery than any of the AdP Colonias. Rive gauche for Women is very powdery though.

**supracuhz** · 01-29-2009, 07:15 PM

Your description sounds kind of right. But wear it a couple times. I was tempted to give my bottle away, till I wore it again, and it was marrrveelllouuss

**Dennard** · 01-31-2009, 04:51 PM

I love this cologne and wear it often. To me, it just smells clean, masculine, and nice. But I don't expect everyone to like it.

**Rusty Jackknife** · 02-03-2009, 11:09 AM

That's it... I am going back to try it again.

RJ

**jhclare** · 02-13-2009, 04:04 AM

Ok... been wearing it again for the last two days. It's actually grown on me a little, and my g/f asked me what I was wearing last night after a full day's wear, so it certainly sticks around.

However... I just don't LOVE it. I'll use it up, but I doubt I'd buy it again.

Has anyone else changed their mind after giving it another go?

**Semi-Constant Gardener** · 02-13-2009, 04:24 AM

That's the way it went with me with Dior's Eau Savage. I first smelled it while in college (late 60s' early 70s) and it just didn't trip my trigger -- I was not into anything with a citrus/clean accord, and the guy who owned it was someone that I considered to be a, ahhh, moron. Based on reviews here and on basenotes, I recently decided to try it again -- and it is now on the varsity lineup of my daily rotations. But, if you don't like it, you don't like it and those things are going to happen. Hopefully you can pass it along to someone else, or just hang on to it and give it another try in 6 months or a year. Or 40