Van Cleef & Arpels First
Van Cleef & Arpels First

Van Cleef & Arpels

First

for women · Launched 1976

Where to buy

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Scent profile

Share of people who describe it this way

How it wears

Share of votes by people who wear it: 193 votes, Parfica open fragrance database.

Longevity
long lasting51% of votes
Scent trail
moderate51% of votes
Season
autumn30% of votes
Time of day
day53% of votes
All votes

Longevity · 73 votes

  • very weak
    1%
  • weak
    1%
  • moderate
    36%
  • long lasting
    51%
  • eternal
    11%

Sillage · 78 votes

  • intimate
    6%
  • moderate
    51%
  • strong
    38%
  • enormous
    4%

Season · 193 votes

  • winter
    27%
  • spring
    26%
  • summer
    17%
  • autumn
    30%

Time of day · 106 votes

  • day
    53%
  • night
    47%

Sillage: how far the scent is noticed by people around you. Season and time of day allow several answers, so shares there are of all answers given.

Notes

Top notes are the first minutes, heart is the next hours, base is what stays.

Top notes

Heart notes

Base notes

Show all 25 notesShow fewer notes

About Van Cleef & Arpels First

Perfumer: Jean-Claude Ellena

First, Van Cleef & Arpels' debut fragrance from 1976, composed by Jean-Claude Ellena, is a full floral with a marked sweet side and lighter green, woody and fresh accents. It is an elegant, aldehydic floral in the classic French style.

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First, Van Cleef & Arpels' debut fragrance from 1976, composed by Jean-Claude Ellena, is a full floral with a marked sweet side and lighter green, woody and fresh accents. It is an elegant, aldehydic floral in the classic French style.

The opening is sparkling: aldehydes give a soapy, champagne-like lift, with bergamot and mandarin orange and a fruity touch of raspberry, peach and black currant. The heart is an abundant bouquet of jasmine, Turkish rose, ylang-ylang, tuberose, narcissus and lily of the valley, with carnation adding spice and orris root a powdery coolness. The base is deep and warm, with oakmoss, vetiver, sandalwood, honey and civet giving a mossy, softly animal finish.

About half of wearers find it long lasting, and its trail ranges from moderate to strong. It is voted for autumn and winter and slightly more for daytime, suiting formal daytime events, work and occasions that call for a polished floral.

First — for women fragrance by Van Cleef & Arpels (released 1976). Top notes: Aldehydes, Bergamot, Peach, Black Currant, Mandarin Orange, Raspberry. Heart notes: Narcissus, Hiacynth, Jasmine, Lily-of-the-Valley, Carnation, Ylang-Ylang, Orris Root, Tuberose, Turkish Rose, Orchid. Base notes: Civet, Oakmoss, Honey, Amber, Musk, Sandalwood, Vetiver, Tonka Bean, Vanilla. — Parfica open fragrance database

Similar by notes

More creations by Jean-Claude Ellena

Quick answers

How much does Van Cleef & Arpels First cost in the United States?

No partner shop in the United States has it in stock right now; the page stays with the facts.

What does it smell like?

Mainly floral, gourmand, green and woody. It opens with aldehydes, bergamot, black currant, mandarin orange, peach, raspberry; the heart is carnation, hyacinth, jasmine, lily of the valley, narcissus, orchid; the base is amber, civet, honey, musk, oakmoss, sandalwood.

Who makes it?

Van Cleef & Arpels (France). Launched in 1976. The perfumer is Jean-Claude Ellena. Marketed for women.

How long does it last?

People rate its longevity as long lasting and its sillage as moderate. Based on 73 wearers’ votes.

When to wear it?

Most people wear it in autumn and winter, mostly daytime.

Where does this data come from?

The rating and the votes on longevity, sillage, season and time of day come from Parfica open fragrance database. Notes, accords, perfumers and release data come from the ScentGlade catalogue (shared with the Olfactory app) and its editors.

What is it similar to?

Closest by notes and accords among fragrances on sale in the United States: Rochas Madame Rochas, Cartier Must de Cartier, Giorgio Beverly Hills Red, Givenchy Ysatis and Fred Hayman Touch.