Elegant Woman La Rive 2023

When I first tried Elegant Woman, I honestly thought someone was pranking me - I smelled a bit of alcohol and nothing else. Weeks later I read that noseblindness is common with Baccarat Rouge 540 Eau de Parfum and its dupes, and suddenly it clicked. Apparently it’s such a strong scent that some people’s brains shut it off almost immediately.

With this in mind, I tried Elegant Woman again. I sprayed my wrist, focused… and this time I could actually smell it. And I loved it. A few days later my partner wore it and I could smell an aura of scent around him, but he couldn’t smell anything at all. He still can’t - he simply doesn’t seem to have receptors for this particular scent.

To me it smells divine, like sweet syrup or cotton candy with a slight woodsy feel. I don’t find it strong, it feels light and airy to me, probably because my mind keeps trying to shut it down… but I love it. I’d also love to try the OG or even stronger dupes.

► Performance:
For at least an hour my husband had a noticeable scent aura around him. When I wear it, I apply it only on my forearms, away from my nose, so I don’t go noseblind, and I can smell it for up to 6 hours on my skin (way longer on clothes) - but most of that time it’s a soft, faint scent (at least to me). I can’t tell how strong it is for people around me, since I don’t wear it in crowds. I mostly wear this perfume at home, especially because some people really hate this DNA.

In the meantime I fell in love with Her Eau de Parfum - which is basically Baccarat Rouge with berries - and even my husband can smell that one, probably just the berries. Anyhow, I really love this perfume and this DNA, and I can’t wait to try more dupes.

►Rating out of 10: Scent - 10, Longevity - 8, Sillage - 6

BR 540 divides opinions. Some celebrate the scent, while others condemn it. There’s no black or white here. But there’s also a group like me, who has some difficulties with the original scent but doesn’t actually find it that bad. It’s kind of a middle ground. For us, the affordable cousins of the fragrance spring up like mushrooms. A close relative is Belle Icône, where I like the strawberry scent. So, a spring cousin.

Here with Elegant Women, we are dealing with the summer cousin, as I smell citrus notes at the beginning and a bit of pine resin. It’s like walking through a pine forest in the sweltering heat of summer. Also, the beginning doesn’t smell like hairspray, which is otherwise typical for La Rive. Otherwise, it’s very, very close to BR 540, but still a bit different. Not bad, but I prefer the relative with the strawberry scent. But that’s a matter of taste.

Longevity is 5-6 hours, and later it’s nice to sniff up close. Now in the cold season (it has snowed here in my area in the Bergisches Land), I find the scent fitting.

The bottle is simple and elegant, albeit angular and not suitable for a handbag. But you can always decant it.

This week, the La Rive fragrances are available at RM for 4.99 euros. For that price, it’s an absolutely good scent. Just one should mentally detach from the idea that it’s supposed to be a copy or something of BR540. Rather, consider it a nice cousin, where you can sense... um, smell the family resemblance.

I bought Elegant Woman yesterday at the drugstore because I liked the DNA of Belle Icône so much that I also treated myself to the famous original Baccarat Rouge 540 Eau de Parfum in 35ml.
Since I plan to use BR500 sparingly due to the price & it won't be oversprayed daily, I am happy about alternative fragrances that I can spray generously.
I don't just use fragrances for myself, but I also like to spray them on pillows or curtains.

About the scent
The fragrance cost me €6.95 at Dm for 100ml, the bottle somewhat resembles the original and is quite simple & straightforward.

After spraying, the DNA of Baccarat Rouge 540 Eau de Parfum is clearly recognizable, yet something is missing and something has been added, making it not a copy but rather a related scent.
Of course, we don't have the intensity of Baccarat here; saffron dominates with jasmine undertones and has a nice fir resin touch in the dry down along with slightly woody notes.
The scent has a sweet and noble character with rich cotton candy undertones.
It doesn't smell cheap, which is the most important thing for me.
Compared to "Belle Icône | Câline," I prefer Belle Icône a bit more because of the candied strawberries. Thus, Elegant Woman & Belle Icône are related but different; I am glad to have both alongside the originals in my collection. I plan to spray them generously and will repurchase both drugstore fragrances because I like the DNA so much.

Both drugstore fragrances are unisex and can be sprayed by both genders, so please don't be misled by the name Elegant Woman.

Anyone who loves the Baccarat Rouge 540 Eau de Parfum DNA and enjoys the scent will find Elegant Woman to be a standalone fragrance with a relation to the original.

The scent is truly a very good and affordable alternative to Baccarat Rouge by MFK. For just €7.45, you get a very sweet saffron note. I prefer this alternative to the Belle Icone for the simple reason that, in my opinion, it represents the fragrance better with all the sweet notes. I find the Belle Icone, in contrast, a bit fresher than the Elegant Woman and also than the Baccarat Rouge. However, the longevity is not the best, so I would recommend buying small 5ml spray bottles and filling the scent into them for on-the-go use; if it fades, just reapply.

La Rive - Elegant Woman - really surprised me positively after I first smelled it on my sister. The scent feels very feminine, elegant, and pleasant, without being intrusive. The fragrance combination gives it a noble aura that is suitable for both everyday wear and special occasions.

I particularly like that the scent offers surprisingly good quality for its price and remains noticeable for several hours.

Anyone looking for a stylish and affordable women's fragrance should definitely try La Rive - Elegant Woman. Clear recommendation from me!