01/17/2016

ColinM
516 Reviews

ColinM
Very helpful Review
4
Amazing flanker!
What a perfect flanker this is. It is indeed a lighter version of classic Rive Gauche but in a smart, fulfilling, unpredictable and very compelling way. It's not simply a "washed-down" version of it, not a "sport" flanker, it hasn't "just more citrus" as it often happens with "light" flankers; instead, as other reviewers already noted, it is 95% Rive Gauche (this implying it bears the same DNA of an amazing contemporary barbershop masterpiece) with a subtle, yet amazingly recognizable and brilliant tweaking of a couple of key knobs - notably, anise and geranium for me. In fact, it smells at once a bit more "azure", crisp and slightly more sugary thanks to a little more anise, and at the same time, kind of subtly fresher in a floral, "watery" way, thanks (I guess) to some more geranium. Just think of the immensely beautiful "new wave of barbershop fougères" embodied by Rive Gauche pour Homme, with the abovementioned variations.
The difference with Rive Gauche is quite subtle, but so cleverly made that it makes it absolutely not redundant to own both. Actually they smell much "complementary" for me - the Light flanker is slightly, elegantly fresher, more suitable for the day, also slightly less bold and thus something you can spray more liberally. While classic Rive Gauche is a bit more mature, more darker, somehow more formal too, and probably more powerful (although this Light version is definitely strong and long-lasting as well, don't worry about that). Again, not a massive difference, but not even that negligible. This is how flankers should smell for me - subtle, yet interesting and clever variations. Fantastic per se (it's Rive Gauche, after all) and a great addition if you already own Rive Gauche.
8,5/10
The difference with Rive Gauche is quite subtle, but so cleverly made that it makes it absolutely not redundant to own both. Actually they smell much "complementary" for me - the Light flanker is slightly, elegantly fresher, more suitable for the day, also slightly less bold and thus something you can spray more liberally. While classic Rive Gauche is a bit more mature, more darker, somehow more formal too, and probably more powerful (although this Light version is definitely strong and long-lasting as well, don't worry about that). Again, not a massive difference, but not even that negligible. This is how flankers should smell for me - subtle, yet interesting and clever variations. Fantastic per se (it's Rive Gauche, after all) and a great addition if you already own Rive Gauche.
8,5/10