Rive Gauche Pour Homme

Rive Gauche Pour Homme, inspired by Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche pour Homme (2003)

Star anise gives the first spray a sweet, liquorice-like twist, set against bitter rosemary and bergamot. The heart is pure fougère: lavender and geranium, with clove adding spice and coumarin, the hay-and-almond smell of tonka, binding them together. As it dries, oakmoss and vetiver take over, earthy and green, and guaiac wood adds a smoky dryness.

About the original

Rive Gauche pour Homme launched in 2003 (fragrance references usually credit Jacques Cavallier), and the first bottles were aluminium cans echoing the women's Rive Gauche. Around 2011 to 2012 it was reissued in a heavy square glass bottle as part of YSL's Heritage collection for men, marking the brand's 50th year of fragrance. That later version is generally described as lighter than the canned original. Intense and Light variants also existed. The men's version no longer appears in YSL's UK or French ranges, while the women's Rive Gauche from 1971 is still sold.

Our version

Ours is an independent eau de parfum made to evoke the same character. It is not Yves Saint Laurent stock, not an official relaunch and not the original formula.

Who it suits

Traditional is the right word: this is a lavender-and-moss fougère in the barbershop mould. It feels groomed rather than sweet, with anise as its only sugary touch. The mossy, herbal base can seem old-fashioned to a buyer raised on sweeter modern scents.

Related scents

• Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche
• Yves Saint Laurent M7 Oud Absolu
• Caron Pour Un Homme

Notes of the original fragrance, as listed in fragrance references.

Top notes: Star Anise, Rosemary, Bergamot

Heart notes: Lavender, Geranium, Cloves, Coumarin

Base notes: Patchouli, Oakmoss, Vetiver, Guaiac Wood

Anise and rosemary open with bergamot, giving a sweet-herbal contrast.

Lavender, geranium, clove and coumarin build the classic fougère heart, aromatic and lightly spiced.

Oakmoss, vetiver, patchouli and guaiac wood close it on an earthy, mossy note.

Is this the men's or the women's Rive Gauche?

The men's Rive Gauche pour Homme from 2003. The women's Rive Gauche (1971) is a different fragrance, still sold by YSL, and we also make it.

Is Rive Gauche pour Homme discontinued?

The men's version no longer appears in YSL's UK or French ranges, and fragrance databases list it as discontinued. YSL has not commented publicly.

Is Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche Pour Homme coming back?

So far, we have found no announcement from Yves Saint Laurent that it will return. Our version is an eau de parfum in 50 ml or 100 ml.

Inside the EU, delivery is free on orders of €49 or more. Below that it is a flat €4.99. Outside the EU, delivery is a flat €4.99 on every order. We send every order in 1 to 2 working days. It arrives in 3 to 7 days across the EU and in 7 to 14 days outside the EU. You have 14 days to return an unopened bottle.

Yves Saint Laurent and Rive Gauche Pour Homme are trademarks of their respective owners, and all rights remain with them. Parfumour is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or connected to Yves Saint Laurent in any way, and no business relationship of any kind is implied. Our product is an original interpretation created to evoke a similar scent profile, and the trademark names are used purely for honest, descriptive comparison, so that you can quickly identify the style and fragrance family you are looking for. We make no claim to sell the original product, and we do not use the same ingredients or formula. Any similarity lies in the overall impression of the scent as interpreted by our own perfumers, not in the source materials.