Fragrance comparison

Marc Jacobs Gardenia vs Rive Gauche

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

Updated 16 Oct 2026 4,400 ratings analysed

4 wins

Marc Jacobs Gardenia

Marc Jacobs

4.0964 votes

Rank #16,816 White FloralLactonic

Full profile Similar & dupes

25%scent match

Clearly different

Rive Gauche

Yves Saint Laurent

3.924,336 votes

Rank #1,240 AldehydicWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Marc Jacobs Gardenia takes 4 of 7 categories.

Marc Jacobs Gardenia
Choose it for a white floral and lactonic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Rive Gauche
Choose it for a aldehydic and white floral character. Wins on longevity, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Marc Jacobs Gardenia4/7

Rive Gauche3/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Marc Jacobs GardeniaMarc Jacobs

Rive GaucheYves Saint Laurent

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.09/ 5 · 64 votes

Have 9%Had 9%Want 83%

3.92/ 5 · 4,336 votes

Have 56%Had 44%Want 0%

Category winnerMarc Jacobs GardeniaRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

45%Love

36%Like

3%Ok

14%Dislike

2%Hate

64 votes

38%Love

39%Like

3%Ok

19%Dislike

1%Hate

4,336 votes

Category winnerMarc Jacobs GardeniaMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage72

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate73

Category winners

LongevityRive Gauche

SillageMarc Jacobs Gardenia

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value53

Category winnerRive GaucheBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

white floral100%

lactonic83%

warm spicy65%

animalic48%

fruity30%

aldehydic100%

white floral92%

woody84%

earthy77%

fresh69%

green61%

Scent match25%Clearly different · both white floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

GardeniaHoneysuckleJasmine

Heart2-4 hrs

GingerMuskCedar

Base5-7 hrs

—

Top

AldehydesGreen NotesHoneysuckleBergamotPeachLemon

Heart

RoseIrisYlang-YlangLily-of-the-ValleyGeraniumJasmineMagnoliaGardenia

Base

OakmossTahitian VetiverMuskSandalwoodAmberTonka Bean

InformationalShared notesGardenia, Honeysuckle, Jasmine and Musk. Durations are only published for Marc Jacobs Gardenia, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer65

Fall25

Winter25

Day100

Night37

Spring95

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerMarc Jacobs GardeniaMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex20

Women80

Casual 37%Work 31%Date 22%Party 10%

Men3

Unisex23

Women74

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#16,816

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews10

Overall rank#1,240

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews204

Category winnerRive GaucheHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Marc Jacobs Gardenia opens with a vivid spray of sweet honeysuckle and green jasmine petals before settling into its star flower. Give it three minutes. The initial alcohol flash quickly burns off, letting a buttery gardenia bloom across the skin with remarkable intensity. A quiet pulse of fresh ginger keeps the petal…

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.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Marc Jacobs Gardenia or Rive Gauche?

Marc Jacobs Gardenia takes 4 of 7 categories. Marc Jacobs Gardenia is rated 4.09/5 from 64 votes; Rive Gauche is rated 3.92/5 from 4,336 votes. Choose Marc Jacobs Gardenia for a white floral and lactonic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Rive Gauche for a aldehydic and white floral character. Wins on longevity, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Marc Jacobs Gardenia or Rive Gauche?

Rive Gauche lasts longest (Rive Gauche 73/100, Marc Jacobs Gardenia 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Marc Jacobs Gardenia or Rive Gauche?

Marc Jacobs Gardenia projects furthest (Marc Jacobs Gardenia 72/100, Rive Gauche 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Marc Jacobs Gardenia and Rive Gauche smell similar?

Clearly different: a 25% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share white floral accords. Common notes include Gardenia, Honeysuckle, Jasmine and Musk.

Is Marc Jacobs Gardenia or Rive Gauche better for summer or winter?

For summer, Marc Jacobs Gardenia is the stronger pick. For winter, Rive Gauche is the stronger pick. Marc Jacobs Gardenia suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Marc Jacobs Gardenia and Rive Gauche?

Marc Jacobs Gardenia has top notes of Gardenia, Honeysuckle and Jasmine, heart notes of Ginger, Musk and Cedar. 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.