Rive Gauche Yves Saint Laurent

Rive Gauche EdT

Rive Gauche, which means “Left Bank”, refers to the left bank of the river Seine in Paris, which is considered the trendy and hip boho part of town where Yves Saint Laurent first opened his boutique in the early 1970s. I came across this little gem through a fragrantica swap about a year ago. I never would have tried it otherwise, I’ll be honest here. *sigh* Though you should never judge a book by its cover or a perfume by its bottle for that matter, I am, nonetheless, drawn to perfumes not just by the notes but also from the aesthetics. I mean, come on, who doesn’t love a pretty perfume bottle on their boudoir, right? And I hate to say it but for a women’s fragrance, it isn’t contained in the most attractive bottle. It’s metal and looks more like a guys fragrance. It actually reminds me of those aerosol canister body sprays that were so big in the 80s and 90s. Malibu Musk anyone? Anyone? Bueller? haha But I supposed it was something different at the time it was released, way before Malibu Musk.

The one and only Malibu Musk in a can

Aside from the bland presentation, the juice itself is a really nice clean fragrance. This has got to be the epitome of an aldehyde if I’ve ever smelled one. It opens with a burst of soapy aldehydes and damp green oakmoss. The heart develops into a slightly metallic, herbal floral musk which is also very powdery from the iris. I can faintly detect vetiver but it’s very light. I can definitely smell the rose, though it is fairly tame. The overall feel of the perfume is a lightly green and powdery soap. This fragrance won’t offend anyone, though some people find aldehydes migraine inducing. But aldehydes are top notes, so unless you spray it on right then and there, you shouldn’t have a problem. Aldehydes themselves are a rather soft, airy type of perfume material, so even an overload doesn’t mean powerhouse, because Rive Gauche is anything but. If you aren’t sure what aldehydes smell like, think Chanel No 5 which is also an aldehyde bomb. It’s the waxy, clean soapy smell that permeates the top notes, before the florals really bloom.

About four years into my fragrance journey I swapped a few perfumes I wasn’t wearing for a perfumers kit, complete with 2 different aldehydes (there are many different types of aldehydes) so I’ve become familiar with how they basically smell as singular notes. And from what I can tell, Rive Gauche is composed mostly of aldehydes and oakmoss. Those are the two main notes I detect front and center stage. The rest of the notes play minimally supporting roles, though the nuances ARE there.

Though it was produced as edt, edp, and parfum, I believe only the edt remains in production. It was also reformulated since it was first released in 1970. The edt is very easy to get online at fair prices but the edp’s have become very rare since being discontinued and the prices for them have skyrocketed. I own both edt and edp, and they are so similar that I don’t think it’s even worth the trouble or money to hunt down an edp. I acquired both of my bottles through swaps, otherwise I would surely not have the edp. But I’ve hoarded it away as a collector piece and never wear it though I tested it a few times after receiving it.

Rive Gauche EdP

If you enjoy Chanel No 5 and enjoy clean laundry type fragrances, I think it’s a safe bet to say that you’d probably like Rive Gauche as well, though keep in mind Rive Gauche is much less sweet and floral than No 5. There’s a bit of greenness to it from the oakmoss and it wears on the powdery side from the iris. It’s considered a feminine fragrance but I think in this day in age it’s fairly unisex since it’s not overly floral or sweet, plus I think the bottle would appeal to guys too. Overall, it’s a very simple, minimalist fragrance, though timeless and classic and easy to wear.

Year: 1971

Season: Year round

Top: Aldehydes, honeysuckle, peach, green notes, bergamot, lemon

Heart: Magnolia, iris, gardenia, jasmine, ylang, lily of the valley, rose, carnation

Base: Oakmoss, sandalwood, tonka, amber, vetiver, musk

Mitsouko Guerlain

When it comes to writing down my thoughts and feelings about perfumes, I never approach the task flippantly, most especially when it comes to the older iconic fragrances. It took years before I felt I was ready to opine on Shalimar, for example. It’s been around longer than my grandmother after all and what could an inexperienced, beginner perfumista have to say about it anyway? Nothing, that’s what. Nothing worthy of paying any attention to anyway. And Mitsouko is even older than Shalimar, being released in 1919. I just don’t form opinions on things I don’t understand. And it took a long time for me to “get” Mitsouko, but alas, I finally understand.

When I was first introduced to this perfume over 5 years ago by Johnathan Nieto at the Guerlain boutique in Palazzo Vegas, my only thought was why on earth would anyone want to smell like this? I ended up buying Mon Precieux Nectar that visit lol. I knew nothing about Mitsoukos historical context, or what ingredients were even available at the time of its creation, nor the inspiration behind its name, or even its predecessor, Chypre de Coty. No, I knew none of these things and didn’t even consider their existance. All I knew was that it didn’t smell like the squeaky clean, sweetened concoctions that had been in vogue most of my life. To me it smelled sour, musty, and very very dated. And while it IS dated, now that I really understand oakmoss, it no longer smells sour and musty, but sweet and woodsy. I’ve actually grown to adore Mitsouko.

So you might ask, how on earth can something go from smelling bad to smelling good and the only thing that’s changed is a mindset? Well, the nose is funny that way. And really, it’s like anything else that’s an acquired taste. I mean, who really loves beer the first time they taste it? Or “stinky cheese”?

It wasn’t until I started tinkering around with essential oils and absolutes that I developed a love for oakmoss. And after I had tested an original, very rare-over 90 years old formula of Chypre de Coty, the original chypre of mass production, I was inspired to create my own chypre with all natural ingredients just to see what it would smell like. So I researched where to get the best (legit) EOs and Absolutes, researched basic chypre composition, and ended up ordering Patchouli and Oakmoss Absolute from Piping Rock and Labdanum, Cistus, and Bergamot from Gritmans along with a few others, and began my little experiment.

My chypre experiment

Oakmoss has been mostly banned from perfumes in the last 10 years or so due to alleged allergens, but after playing around in it for weeks, I can say I am in no way allergic to oakmoss. And what I discovered was that the Mitsouko I had originally tested was but a shadow of a ghost of its original self, for it contained little to no oakmoss. And oakmoss is an imperative ingredient in any true chypre. Like baking bread without flour, or spaghetti without any tomatoes, a chypre without oakmoss is not really a true chypre.

What I ended up creating over those few weeks tinkering with EOs, was a very “rough around the edges”, unrefined hint of what Chypre de Coty was and I ended up developing a real love for oakmoss. But my experiment was very much lacking, and compared to Mitsouko, the most obvious thing lacking was the peaches.

From my personal collection, Extrait & EdP Mitsouko, both vintage.

It’s funny how things are relative. Like how originally, Mitsouko was sour and musty to my nose with nothing sweet about it. But a side by side comparison of Mitsouko to Chypre de Coty, proved how much sweeter Mitsouko is than Coty because of the peach note. When you cut out all the sugar from your diet, things begin to taste sweeter. And that’s just what I experienced with my nose with my chypre creation experiments and wearing Mitsouko and Coty. I avoided all the sweet gourmands and orientals for a while to focus on chypres, and all the little nuances began to really shine within them.

Screenshot of notes from Fragrantica

The other facet of Mitsouko that I loved even before the fragrance itself grew on me, is the incredibly romantic inspiration behind the fragrance in the first place. Mitsouko was metaphorically meant by Jacques Guerlain, to ring in the end of WWI and to inspire hope for the future. The namesake, Mitsouko, came from the book, La Bataille by Claude Farrere. It is a story of forbidden love between two lovers whose countries were at war against each other. From wiki:

” The story of Mitsouko is found in Farrère’s novel La Bataille (‘The Battle’, 1909), which is a romance based upon Japan modernization and westernization during the Meiji period and upon the 1905 naval Battle of Tsushima when the Imperial Japanese Navy defeated the Russian Imperial Navy . In Claude Farrère’s book ‘La Bataille’, Mitsouko was a beautiful Japanese woman whose name meant both ‘honey comb’ and ‘mystery’, who was married to a noble Japanese Navy officer and who had an ill-fated love affair with an English officer. ”

So that brings me to how I grew to love and appreciate Mitsouko. And after swapping my reformulated EdP for a decant of Royal Extract, I decided to replace it with a vintage edp, that still contained all that glorious oakmoss. And I just looooove it!

Mitsouko is definitely an acquired taste for the young noses of today, that have been spoiled by clean sugary sweet, mass market fragrances. Not only is it an acquired taste, it can be somewhat of a difficult taste to acquire because Mitsouko can be a bit on the temperamental side. The notes that dominate can depend on the weather, humidity, and the moisture levels in ones skin. Sometimes I get lots of peaches and Mitsy is sweet and well behaved, other times, I get more bergamot and vetiver, which do not play so nice on my skin. So if you try it out and do not like it at first, do yourself a favor and try again at another time. I’ve known lots of perfumistas that disliked Mitsy at first, but I don’t know many that didn’t grow to just love it. There’s a good reason, after all, that it’s still in production after almost 100 years when many new fragrances get discontinued within a decade. Despite its temperamental nature, Mitsouko is truly an endearing classic fragrance that I’m sure will be around many more years to come.

Vintage Guerlain print Ad

Season: All
Top: Citrus, Jasmine, Bergamot, Rose
Heart: Lilac, Peach, Jasmine, Ylang, Rose
Base: Spices, Amber, Cinnamon, Vetiver, Oakmoss

Vintage Guerlain print Ad

Vol de Nuit Evasion Guerlain

This elusive perfume has seduced and puzzled even the more experienced perfumistas and fragrance bloggers from the time of its release, through its discontinuation, and even continues still in its legendary “unicorn” status. But if you dig a little, the mysteries begin to unfold.

Photo belongs to Monsieur Guerlain

Guet Apens, Attrape Coeur, Royal Extract, Evasion… They are all the same fragrance. Why Guerlain does that I can only speculate, but recycling perfumes is one of their “things”. Attrape Coeur is thick and heavy and on me, wears more like an extrait. Evasion wears like an edp even though it is an edt. Though there are a few complaints about longevity, I get a full 8 hours+ from Evasion. I find it has lots of projection the first 4 hours then it settles down into a skinscent another 4 hours.

THIS is what Guerlains are all about. Sure it’s a peachy vanilla but it’s not just any old peachy vanilla. Many frags have dupes or similar smelling perfumes. Evasion has none.

Looking at the timeline of Guerlains’ releases, I see Evasion as their way of saying goodbye to an era. The ending of one chapter and the beginning of another. Au revoir! 2007 seems to have marked the year that Guerlain really let go the reigns of family tradition and allowed the LVMH acquisition to fully manifest itself. As if floodgates were opened, out came flanker after flanker after flanker, reformulations, les exclusifs this, les exclusifs that, up goes the prices, down comes the quality and worse yet; gone is the inspiration. In comes the Insolence and MORE Insolence then La. Petite. Robe. Noir in 2009. I could pretty much rest my case here but…

Vol de Nuit is just as much of an icon as Shalimar but where are the VdN flankers? There is JUST. THIS. ONE. There are no Mitsy flankers. There are no L’ Heure Bleue flankers. But they chose to put this juice in a L’ Heure Bleue flacon and name it VdN. If you know the story behind L’heure Bleue then you will see that they are making a statement here. Guerlain could have named it just “Evasion” but they didn’t. This is Guerlain we are talking about here… everything is intentional. They ARE artists after all. And to artists, every little thing, every little detail, is an opportunity to make a statement. And Vol de Nuit Evasion makes a very loud and clear statement I think.

Evasion combines element from all of the classic Grand Dames of Guerlain: This is Mitsoukos peaches with Shalimars vanilla. And the heart of Vol de Nuit: Iris. That is the cool “night flight” and the metallic edge of the propellers, flying through a cool blue night. Bittersweet nostalgia. Bottled meloncholy on the verge of heartbreak. Wistful yearning for a bygone era and memories of what once was.

Ok, Evasion… so what exactly are we “evading” here? Evading change perhaps? Evading the inevitable degradation of traditions? I think so. Like I said before, they could have just named it “Evasion”, but they didn’t. They named it “Vol de Nuit” Evasion and released it specifically to be sold at airports no less.

I think Evasion was intended to be an ode to Guerlains past. It’s a nod to the classics as they were in their heyday. The world of perfumery has changed drastically since the days of Jacques Guerlain. Gone are the days of REAL perfume, before IFRA regulations. But for the moment, just one last thrill, one last romantic joy ride, one last time. Vol de Nuit Evasion was a tribute to the original artistry and romance that was Guerlain and there hasn’t been another since. ❤

Season: Any chance you get!

Top: Peach, Rose
Heart: Iris, Jasmin
Base: Amber, Vanilla, Woods

Chanel No 5 L’ Eau

I occasionally swap fragrances on Fragrantica. If you find good swap partners it can be lots of fun sending each other mystery samples and extra goodies along with the agreed swap items.

I listed a few unworn frags in the forum and ended up swapping a 75ml Shalimar EdC for a 50ml No 5 L’ Eau and really, it’s everything I imagined it would be. 

It’s still very Chanel No 5 but noticably lighter, less concentrated, a bit soapier, and very powdery. 

The few bad reviews I’ve read are mostly complaints about longevity or lack of it and that it smells cheaper than the original. And they aren’t technically wrong haha. I mean it is an Edt afterall and Chanel made it a point to out it in the name, as in “L’ Eau” = “water”.  So like, this is “watered down” No 5, duh lol.

Edt are less concentrated therefore cost less and are not as lasting as an extrait or Edp. So yeah, it’s true but I don’t think it’s fair to give the perfume bad marks because of it. Chanel was pretty clear about what it is and what it’s supposed to be. 

I think it’s a great option for close quarters/ office type setting when you want to smell nice but not overpower everyone. 

This is a squeaky clean, sparkling version of this classic beauty. Lots of soapy aldehydes, white musk instead of the civet but it still has that ylang-ylang, jasmine, rose signature.

This would be a great intro to No 5 for the younger perfumistas or an incredibly light, airy alternative for establishef No 5 fans. If you love No 5 and have realistic expectations for this fragrance then you will love this one too! ❤ 

Season: All seasons

Top notes: Lemon, mandarin, Orange, Bergamot, Lime, Neroli, and Aldehydes.

Heart notes: Rose, Ylang-Ylang, Jasmine

Base notes: Cedar, Orris, White Musk, Vanilla

 

Vol De Nuit Guerlain

Though Vol de Nuit and I got off to a rocky start, I’ve come to conclude that this amazing fragrance is the queen supreme of powdered iris, once you get to the dry down heart of the perfume. The opening galbanum is very strong, sharp, and metallic green, perfectly fitting the flacon, but once the opening phase is past, it transforms into the most beautiful powdery scent, that’s very,  lightly sweetened so it’s not too dry. I was a bit challenged by the top notes as a novice perfumista starting out, but over the years I have come to appreciate the full development of this iconic fragrance. The art deco styled “propeller” flacon, inspired by the book of the same name, is to die for and is hands down my favorite bottle design out of everything in my entire wardrobe. 

I have the EdT and Parfum concentrations but find the EdT easier to wear, and surprising, much more enjoyable, which is completly opposite to every other perfume I have since the parfum is usually the smoothest, richest, and least harsh. Both concentrations are more skin scents, with low projection. I find the edt projects more and seems much more powdery than the parfum. Not to mention the extreme difference in price between the two.  Though I’m sure that propeller flacon counts towards much of the cost, a new retail bottle will put you back $350 USD before taxes, and there are only a handful of high end dept. stores that carry it. The edt on the other hand, in the new atomized bee bottles can be bought online from many different discounters for around $50. 

VdN in both concentrations and I did get off to a rough start though.  It took some time for me to really appreciate the beauty of this fragrance, as I, coming of age in the 90’s, really got my start with perfumes that were highly sweetened, aquatic floral bombs. And VdN is none of those. Or really, the opposite of those, being very green at first then very powdery dry. But it’s a sophisticated, mature fragrance that IS somewhat haughty, as iris fragrances tend to be since they are considered cold. 

Another reason it took a while to really get this fragrance was because I didn’t give enough patience to wait for the dry down before passing judgment. The first 15 or so minutes, VdN is very shrill and metallic on my skin, in the same way that Nahema extrait is, and I had a hard time getting past that. I still haven’t got past it with Nahema but that’s another story for another day lol.

We live in an age of highly sugared, soapy clean, and fruity floral bombs.  They are very easy to wear and require zero sophistication.  They are a part of the “made for consumer market”, just as fast food and reality TV are.  But there is no artistry involved in them, any of them.  They’re easy to swallow, require no contemplation, easy to digest, and are created from a market tested approved cookie cutter production formula. 

Vol de Nuit predates this method of creation.  When Jacques Guerlain created this perfume, he had a vision and heart.  He wasn’t looking for anyones’ approval in this creation.  No true-to-self, authentic artist creates art for the sake of their audiences’ approval (commissions excluded, obviously).  This perfume is authentic art. 

I find myself coming back to revisit this one more and more frequently. In fact I’ve not only amassed a little collection of current and vintages, I’m going on my second bottle of edt! It’s really become a love. 

From my personal collection

Jacques Guerlain was a master perfumer who created some of the most iconic perfumes of all time, this being one of them.  Just having the ability to experience that history is reason enough for me to want to  wear it but I find it more enjoyable and lovely everytime I put it on. 

Season: Fall/Winter

Top notes: Orange, Orange blossom, Galbanum, Mandarin, Bergamot, Narcissus, Lemon

Heart notes: Aldehydes, Narcissus, Iris, Vanilla, Violet, Carnation, Jasmine, Rose

Base notes: Spices, Sandlewood, Musk, Orris, Oakmoss

Chanel No 5 Parfum- Current Formulation

I don’t know why I avoided this one for so long, but I did. Maybe it was all the hype and fear of being let down. Maybe I didn’t feel ready to take on such an immortal legend. It seemed somewhat intimidating as a relative ‘newbie’ perfumista at only 3 years in, but if I put it off I knew I couldn’t be disappointed or challenged.

Then I found the unused giftcard from Christmas I had forgotten about and decided to use it to add to my collection. Reservations aside, I went online and ordered 2 timeless classics that apparently ‘every serious collector should have’ in their wardrobe at some point in their lives: Shalimar and Chanel No 5. I chose the pure parfum, which from all the reviews I read, that one was the most acclaimed.

When I received my shipment I was so excited and wanted to immediately play with them. Shalimar was not a blind buy as I had tested it before at the Guerlain boutique in the Palazzo shops in Las Vegas. My good friend Johnathan took me on a “tour” of all the old Guerlain classics that day, for which I will be forever grateful for, especially since he no longer works there. Chanel No 5 WAS a blind purchase or so I thought…

In my excitement of unraveling that little black cord and pulling out the stopper I knocked it over and spilled a quarter of the bottle on my kitchen countertop. I was immediately infuriated with myself. How could I be such a klutz? My kitchen is going to reek for weeks! What the heck is WRONG with me… Ugh! I was completely disgusted.

Then it hit me, that scent. It stopped me dead in my tracks. I instantly forgot I was upset. I was completely stunned. I froze, like a deer in the headlights.  

That fragrance. I was hypnotized. So strong but delicate, intoxicating, and so hauntingly familiar. But WHY? What WAS it? 

Instantaneously I was swept away and transported back in time to revisit a woman from my childhood, whom hadn’t crossed my mind in a very long time nor seen in 25 years, but who had impacted my life so greatly, that my heart was broken all those years ago and I cried over her for weeks when the time came to leave her. It was my 4th and 5th grade teacher Mrs. Brooks. THIS is what she smelled like! I had never even given it one single thought as a child.

It’s mind-blowing how a scent can trigger a memory. I had NO idea I even remembered what her perfume smelled like. It’s been over two decades since I’ve even been in her presence afterall, but this was definitely it!

I was instantly taken back to her classroom and I could hear the sound of her voice.  I felt the tough love she showed and remembered how proud I was to receive a compliment from her for the small victories, that seemed like impossible defeats at the time.  I remembered how ashamed I was when she scolded me for misbehaving. And how hard I cried at my 5th grade graduation because I didn’t want to leave her since I would have to go to a new school, middle school, after the summer break. I could feel my heart break all over again. 

She was my most favorite teacher, even though she had a reputation for being very strict. I remembered how scared I was on the first day of school because I was afraid of her. And how silly I felt two years later for being afraid because I  had grown to love her dearly. 

So why the hype over this one little bottle of perfume? Why is this one so important, so special that it has stood the test of time and even made history? I’ve had many teachers over the years from grade school through college and a few very special ones I’ll never forget. Many of them wore some type of fragrance, long forgotten, but…

In one breath, one small instant, I time traveled 25 years into my past and was flooded with memories, fond and bittersweet but so vivid, that when I finally returned from this trance, this spell I was under, I was a bit taken aback when I realized I was still standing in my kitchen, for God only knows how long, staring at a little puddle of spilled perfume on my countertop and I was crying, but it wasn’t because I spilled the bottle.❤ 

Season: All

Top notes: Aldehydes, Neroli, Lemon, Bergamot, Ylang-ylang 

Heart notes: Jasmine, Iris, Orris Root,  Rose, Lily of the Valley.

Base notes: Vetiver, Sandlewood, Musk, Amber, Moss, Civet, Patchouli, Vanilla

Purchase Chanel No 5 Here