Fragrance comparison

Black Bold vs Rive Gauche pour Homme

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 16 Oct 2026 2,027 ratings analysed

Black Bold

Marc Joseph

4.405 votes

Rank #39,673 CitrusWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

39%scent match

Some overlap

Rive Gauche pour Homme

Yves Saint Laurent

4.402,022 votes

Rank #239 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2.

Black Bold
Choose it for a citrus and woody character. Wins on longevity and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.
Rive Gauche pour Homme
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Black Bold2/4

Rive Gauche pour Homme2/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Black Bold
Sillage & projection: Rive Gauche pour Homme
Value for money: Black Bold
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Rive Gauche pour Homme

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

Black BoldMarc Joseph

Rive Gauche pour HommeYves Saint Laurent

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.40/ 5 · 5 votes

Have 56%Had 17%Want 28%

4.40/ 5 · 2,022 votes

Have 71%Had 29%Want 0%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

40%Love

60%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

5 votes · too few to score

58%Love

32%Like

2%Ok

8%Dislike

0%Hate

2,022 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity74

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate85

⏱ Longevity72

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate85

Category winners

LongevityBlack Bold

SillageRive Gauche pour Homme

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value67

¤ Price value45

Category winnerBlack BoldBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

woody92%

anis84%

leather77%

aromatic69%

soft spicy61%

aromatic100%

woody92%

fresh spicy84%

lavender77%

warm spicy69%

anis61%

Scent match39%Some overlap · both woody, aromatic and anis

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top15-30 mins

LemonBergamot

Heart2-3 hrs

Guaiac WoodStar Anise

Base5-7 hrs

LeatherTonka Bean

Top

Star AniseRosemaryBergamot

Heart

LavenderGeraniumClovesCoumarin

Base

PatchouliOakmossVetiverGuaiac Wood

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Guaiac Wood and Star Anise. Durations are only published for Black Bold, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring50

Summer50

Fall50

Winter100

Day75

Night100

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter99

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men78

Unisex22

Women0

Casual 31%Date 29%Work 27%Party 14%

Men95

Unisex3

Women3

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#39,673

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#239

PerfumerJacques Cavallier Belletrud

Launched—

Reviews208

Category winnerRive Gauche pour HommeHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Marc Joseph Black Bold delivers an immediate burst of crisp lemon and tart bergamot that quickly dries down into a warm, shadowy heart. The citrus zest gives way to spicy star anise and smoky guaiac wood within fifteen minutes. As the scent settles against warm skin, smooth leather and sweet tonka bean take over the b…

Reviews →

Rive Gauche pour Homme smells like the cleanest, most satisfying traditional hot-towel shave you can imagine. Right after spraying, a bright kick of bergamot and fresh rosemary blends into a signature star anise note that feels crisp, brisk, and instantly refreshing. As it warms on your skin, smooth lavender and spicy…

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Black Bold or Rive Gauche pour Homme?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. Black Bold is rated 4.40/5 from 5 votes; Rive Gauche pour Homme is rated 4.40/5 from 2,022 votes. Choose Black Bold for a citrus and woody character. Wins on longevity and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Rive Gauche pour Homme for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Black Bold or Rive Gauche pour Homme?

They last about the same: Black Bold 74/100, Rive Gauche pour Homme 72/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Black Bold or Rive Gauche pour Homme?

Rive Gauche pour Homme projects furthest (Rive Gauche pour Homme 66/100, Black Bold 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Black Bold and Rive Gauche pour Homme smell similar?

Some overlap: a 39% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, aromatic and anis accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Guaiac Wood and Star Anise.

Is Black Bold or Rive Gauche pour Homme better for summer or winter?

Black Bold suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Black Bold and Rive Gauche pour Homme?

Black Bold has top notes of Lemon and Bergamot, heart notes of Guaiac Wood and Star Anise, a base of Leather and Tonka Bean. Rive Gauche pour Homme has top notes of Star Anise, Rosemary and Bergamot, heart notes of Lavender, Geranium, Cloves and Coumarin, a base of Patchouli, Oakmoss, Vetiver and Guaiac Wood.