First by Van Cleef & Arpels bottle
Van Cleef & Arpels

First

4.0/5 · 3,483 votes Feminine 1976
Main accords
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Fragrance notes

Top notes
Heart notes
Base notes

Character

Longevity3.6/5
Sillage3.2/5
Day100
Night85
Fall94
Spring85
Winter84
Summer35
Our take

First doesn't ease you in. Aldehydes hit hard at the very start, a bright, powdery fizz that some people love instantly and others need a minute to adjust to. It introduces itself like a fanfare, closer to a held chord than a soft melody, no gentle build required.

Tuberose arrives soon after, dense and white, backed by a green edge that gives the floral heart some bite instead of letting it go purely soft. Underneath, a cluster of other white and yellow florals thickens the middle further, so the whole heart smells layered and heavy without curdling into anything cloying.

Vetiver shows up late and grounds everything, earthy and dry, pulling the aldehyde brightness back down to something wearable by the finish. A musky, powdery warmth rounds out the drydown, so the finish feels calmer than the sharp opening promised, closer to skin than to powder by the end.

Longevity runs long, the aldehyde-vetiver frame holding its structure well into the dry-down. Sillage stays modest, easy to catch up close but not broadcast beyond that. Spring and fall suit it best, though the aldehyde brightness carries it through summer heat reasonably well too. First stays a bold, aldehyde-forward floral built for someone who already loves the genre, not an easy first fragrance for newcomers to the style.

Smells similar

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