Fragrance comparison

Madame vs Rive Gauche

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 6,531 ratings analysed

5 wins

Madame

Rochas

4.162,195 votes

Rank #785 WoodyWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

74%scent match

Closely related

Rive Gauche

Yves Saint Laurent

3.924,336 votes

Rank #1,318 AldehydicWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Madame takes 5 of 7 categories.

Madame
Choose it for a woody and white floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in spring.
Rive Gauche
Choose it for a aldehydic and white floral character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.

Madame5/7

Rive Gauche2/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

MadameRochas

Rive GaucheYves Saint Laurent

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.16/ 5 · 2,195 votes

Have 63%Had 38%Want 0%

3.92/ 5 · 4,336 votes

Have 56%Had 44%Want 0%

Category winnerMadameRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

39%Love

44%Like

3%Ok

13%Dislike

1%Hate

2,186 votes

38%Love

39%Like

3%Ok

19%Dislike

1%Hate

4,336 votes

Category winnerMadameMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate73

Category winners

LongevityRive Gauche

SillageRive Gauche

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value67

¤ Price value53

Category winnerMadameBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

white floral92%

green84%

powdery77%

earthy69%

aldehydic61%

aldehydic100%

white floral92%

woody84%

earthy77%

fresh69%

green61%

Scent match74%Closely related · both woody, white floral and aldehydic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

AldehydesHiacynthGreen NotesNeroliHoneysuckleBergamotOrange BlossomLemon

Heart

IrisNarcissusOrris RootYlang-YlangBulgarian RoseVioletLily-of-the-ValleyJasmine

Base

OakmossSandalwoodVetiverMuskCedarAmberTonka Bean

Top

AldehydesGreen NotesHoneysuckleBergamotPeachLemon

Heart

RoseIrisYlang-YlangLily-of-the-ValleyGeraniumJasmineMagnoliaGardenia

Base

OakmossTahitian VetiverMuskSandalwoodAmberTonka Bean

InformationalShared notesAldehydes, Green Notes, Honeysuckle and Bergamot. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter96

Day–

Night–

Spring95

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerMadameMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex12

Women86

Men3

Unisex23

Women74

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#785

PerfumerGuy Robert

Launched—

Reviews199

Overall rank#1,318

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews204

Category winnerMadameHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Madame Rochas is a classic floral aldehyde that centers on a bright, crisp bouquet of hyacinth, iris, and ylang-ylang. Created in 1960, it offers an airy, sophisticated profile that remains a staple for lovers of vintage perfumery. This scent performs beautifully in warmer weather, leaving a clean, powdery, and slight…

Reviews →

Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche is a classic floral aldehyde fragrance that greets you with an icy burst of crisp bergamot, green notes, and fizzy luxury soap. As the sparkling top settles, a dense floral bouquet of chilled rose, powdery iris, sweet honeysuckle, and creamy gardenia unfolds across the skin. The dry-down…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Madame or Rive Gauche?

Madame takes 5 of 7 categories. Madame is rated 4.16/5 from 2,195 votes; Rive Gauche is rated 3.92/5 from 4,336 votes. Choose Madame for a woody and white floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in spring. Choose Rive Gauche for a aldehydic and white floral character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Madame or Rive Gauche?

They last about the same: Rive Gauche 73/100, Madame 71/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Madame or Rive Gauche?

Projection is very close: Rive Gauche 66/100, Madame 65/100 for sillage.

Do Madame and Rive Gauche smell similar?

Closely related: a 74% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, white floral and aldehydic accords. Common notes include Aldehydes, Green Notes, Honeysuckle and Bergamot.

Is Madame or Rive Gauche better for summer or winter?

For summer, Madame is the stronger pick. For winter, Rive Gauche is the stronger pick. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Madame and Rive Gauche?

Madame has top notes of Aldehydes, Hiacynth, Green Notes and Neroli, heart notes of Iris, Narcissus, Orris Root and Ylang-Ylang, a base of Oakmoss, Sandalwood, Vetiver and Musk. Rive Gauche has top notes of Aldehydes, Green Notes, Honeysuckle and Bergamot, heart notes of Rose, Iris, Ylang-Ylang and Lily-of-the-Valley, a base of Oakmoss, Tahitian Vetiver, Musk and Sandalwood.