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Gabriella_fromAF – :
This one opens badly, that seems to be relatively a consensus, it’s harsh and strange, but thankfully it passes quickly and the dry down is truly lovely. Actually the dry down reminds me quite a bit of Shalimar Cologne (not the EDC, the Cologne), clearly the openings have zero in common but the dry downs are quite similar.
slavian12 – :
I blind bought this cheap. I like First EDP and EDT very much, and I’m a huge fan of vintage scents. This has been called “talc” and “old lady” which actually piques my interest in a good way.
And I was even more excited to see TWO people thought this was like Jicky! I love Jicky for it’s super weird funky-ness that I can’t even put into words.
Ok… this is like a more feminine Jicky. I can totally see where the comparisons come from. They are not the same tho. You can’t mistake that lavendar-Guerlainade-funk of Jicky.
I only did a tissue test of this, and it was NASTY at first… alcohol and gag-worthy messy. But as it dries down, and becomes a powdery floral, it gets interesting, and sort of reminds me of Jicky. I can’t wait to wear this proper and I will update!
Next day drydown reminds me of Mon Guerlain. Light airy sweet sparkling vanilla with something that resembles lavender.
I really really like this but the opening is kinda rank. It’s like syrupy rotten fruit wine. The bad stuff lasts about 10 minutes and then it’s a lovely scent. Soft and powdery, but potent/good sillage.
I jokingly put on squirt of Jicky over it later in the wearing, and this does NOT smell like Jicky– lol… but the drydown of First Love smells like the drydown of Mon Guerlain a bit.
JelenaZuvela – :
This one smells 100% like old musty talc.No flowers ,fruits,nothing.Just super heavy talc.
cobraxxx – :
This sadly seems to be an unknown gem and it doesn’t help that it’s now discontinued. There is also something familiar about it to me. Soft, powdery, sweet amber and vanilla that is still somehow deep and slightly complex with the hint of pepper in the opening. This does have a slightly vintage make-up almost dusty vibe, but really pretty and charming. Perfect for fall and winter. I love it!
undertaker87 – :
Beautiful elegant, soft, gentle perfume. Lovely. Feminine and flowery, sweet and demure. Sophisticated and womanly. I feel very loved in it.
porok – :
It always amazes me how different people have polar opposite experiences with the same perfume. Some said they had to scrub it off, they were so repulsed by it. On me, it’s very comforting and warm. I smell a creamy vanilla and spicy carnation, which works very well for me. I found it at Marshall’s a few years ago, and now there is just enough left to wear it 2 or 3 more times before the bottle is completely empty. I’ve not seen it anywhere since then, perhaps because it’s been discontinued. It was a blind buy on clearance for only $5, and I have to say, one of the best bargains I’ve ever had.
StAnSer64 – :
Wow this is beautiful. I am still searching for my wedding day perfume. Today I tested this one out and loved it. Bought it. Have only worn it for about an hour. This is a gorgeous floral fragrance. It opens with sweet mandarin orange fruit. It then turns into flowery scents of orchids, peonies and ylang ylang. Sweet soft flowers. Nothing heavy or too fragrant. Subtle floral. There is also a lot of vanilla and amber which give it a soapiness and powder. Very feminine and relaxing. It doesn’t last as long as I need it to last so this is not going to be my wedding perfume but it is a perfume I will wear with pleasure. Love the bottle. Very luxurious looking. The fragrance is lovely.
loki95 – :
Old fashioned once it dries down kind of lipstick makeup sent , I’m not keen really, shame as I got a bottle based on reviews and it’s not a good blind buy. It’s kinda nice at first but then u think ill gift that one out so sorry to all the lovers of this 🙂
tekstowpisaniewp – :
I do smell quite a bit of patchouli here -though it’s not listed. Why does Fragrantica leave out notes? Pretty powdery and a mature fragrance to my nose,winter fragrance to me. Not bad.
olega_78 – :
This is quite pleasant. Cuddly. Soft, powdery, sweet and creamy vanilla. Lovely. I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy a bottle, but if I found one on sale or it was given to me as a gift I’d be happy with it.
lyopa – :
Although it’s a fragrance of such simplicity it’s very elegant. Love the purple packaging and liquid and the design of the bottle which is the same as the more popular First. First Love is a blushing bride. It starts with citrus, osmathus and pepper. So all at once it’s fruity, floral and spicy. The spiciness wears off rather quickly and becomes soft, very soft like talcum powder puff. Orchid and ylang-ylang and peony shape the heart. Amber and vanilla make it sweet, clean and soapy. This fragrance is really nice but I believe it’s not getting as much attention as First. While First is the older sister who is wiser and more experienced, this one could very well be the same First but younger, more innocent and starting out in life. As such I love this fragrance as a scent for women who are also starting out in life and want to be comforted by this fragrance. Divine.
msusa – :
Now that I have safely got rid of my bottle, I can give vent to my feelings regarding this fragrance. I hated it, my mum hated it, everyone hated it. She said it smelled old fashioned, I thought it smelled like a cheap dollar store concoction except with monster sillage and longevity. My poor mother scrubbed it off so I know it’s not just me, and I know it can’t have sold well, hence its discontinued status. Disclaimer though, I can’t tell you you’ll hate it, this is my experience, but everyone has different perception so by all means, try it yourselves, it may be the one for you.
Pink syrupy plums and cherry blossoms drenched in baby powder.
All I get is peonies, osmanthus, ylang ylang- all these syrupy fruity sticky flowers. The unappealing powder of the first fragrance is echoed here as a more insipid baby powder. I can see why it is discontinued. This doesn’t scream romance to me but tack in a big pink bottle. No orchid, no amber, no any of that. All pink flowers, vanilla and powder, I must be explicitly clear.
Yikes.
geshka63 – :
This was a blind buy for me and when I first tried it lets just say it was NOT Love at first sight. I think it was because it wasn’t what I was expecting and it surprised me. After about a week I tried it again before I sold it on Ebay and decided to keep it. After wearing it a few times it just grew on me and now I crave wearing it at times, especially if I want to feel comforted.
To me this smells like sweet amber sandalwood mixed with baby powder with a touch of vanilla. The pepper emerges at the heart and drydown. Longevity on me is great but to ladies who are used to dousing themselves in silage monsters it might not seem to hang around since it tends to stay close to the skin.
I get absolutely NO soapiness, I’m not sure how others are smelling soap unless compared to something that isn’t actually considered soapy in the fragrance world.
If a fuzzy sweater had its own smell First Love would be it. I love spraying it on my sheets when the weather cools.
agik – :
Mmmmm, how marvellous and feminine, how soft and tender, yet very distinctive and different. I love other Van Cleefs, yet this one has own place in my heart, its romantic and sensual, there is something from baby powder, old-fashioned lipstick ,yet with after-shower creams and body warmth. Its not extremely sweet or powdery though, its just right from all angles. When you are cuddled in warm bed on the morning, stretching yourself and see little flower bundle at your side of the bed. Nice feeling, lovely fragrance.
nassya – :
First Love: vc já assistiu Um Amor Para Recordar? Pois é, se além de poder ouvir sua música The Reason (Hoobastank), a TV possibilitasse sentir o perfume do filme, exalaria First Love, na minha opinião.
O aroma do primeiro amor, do encantamento inicial, da sensação de paz, conforto, segurança ao lado da pessoa amada. Sinto o cheiro da inocência, da pureza, da primeira experiência, o momento inicial da vida, aquele em que se tem o primeiro contato com esse sentimento de afeto/carinho por outra pessoa. Já não é como as relações do cotidiano com os amigos da escola, é alguém que chega e vc começa a admirar, a querer ouvir, estar ao seu lado todo o tempo e sonha em um pequeno instante mágico tocar os lábios no primeiro beijo.
Muito bem apontado pelo Thiago, remete imediatamente à talco de bebê, mas não é nada infantil. Como disse, a palavra é inocência, pureza. Delicadeza e suavidade em forma de perfume.
Na abertura é forte, floral e atalcado, predominante no osmanthus, peônia e orquídea. Esta última flor é que prevalece na minha pele o tempo todo.
Não sinto nada frutal nele, nem uma fagulha da tangerina.
20 minutos depois, suaviza, predominam orquídea, ylang ylang e âmbar, fica rente à pele, ele pede que o outro chegue mais perto p/ sentir sua beleza.
Então vem a sensação de pó, do talquinho de bebê e uma cremosidade leitosa (leite c/ chocolate ao fundo), portanto aqui provocando esse conforto, bem estar.
Em se tratando de um perfume atalcado combina melhor c/ temperaturas amenas. Não é comum, não vai sentir facilmente algo parecido por aí.
O mais próximo dele, fazendo a mesma linha atalcado confortável c/ personalidade é o My Insolence. Se vc gosta dele, busque conhecer o encanto do First Love assim que possível, tiro certeiro.
seregap – :
Lovely scent. Smells like a more powdery, sueded version of Gucci Flora. They both share similar notes: osmanthus, peony, mandarin Orange and pepper. I agree with the previous reviewer that osmanthus can smell like leather as well as apricot. The osmanthus in Gucci Flora smells more like apricots whereas in First Love it takes on a more leather scent. Strangely after a few hours, I can smell similarities to Fan di Fendi Extreme.
100793 – :
First Love was a blind buy for me, and a bit unexpected. I thought osmanthus was sweet and powdery, but after spraying First Love the first time, I had to look up all of the notes to figure out what the heck i was smelling!
Apparently osmanthus can be sweet, in an apricotty vein, but here the osmanthus in cooler weather takes on a plummy, suedey, leathery note. In warm weather it is almost chocolatey, just wonderful.
This jus opens dark and tart, with a salty tone, like the taste of wine poured over skin. The color of the bottle is quite appropriate- I’ve drunk wines that tasted like this.
The osmanthus and orchid are present from the first blush, but the sweetness of ylang ylang doesn’t show up until the scent evolves. While the name of this perfume is clearly a play on VC&A First, the scent itself unfolds like a new love, from the initial tart exchange, to the engaging heart that feels safe and familiar, and eventually introduces a breath of sweetness via the vanilla notes that show up deep and soft as the scent evolves on your skin.
A first kiss is here, the first time you taste another’s sweat, but ultimately this is about romantic love, and although it is deep and soft, with the exploratory sensuality of making out in dark corners, it lacks a carnal note.
Almost touchably soft, First Love isn’t a soft-focus-rose-petal romance. It also is not a this-girl-is-gonna-sweep-you-off-your-feet kind of scent. It holds that edge of adventure and exploration…but ultimately retains a certain innocence. Light to moderate sillage, and long lasting enough for a date, but not a day at work, this one is worth a sniff. There are plenty of scents to wear when you want to be ravished. This is one to wear when you want to be romanced, to embark on a new adventure.
IlyasHoopr – :
Just purchased this cute bottle, not in à shop since i heard that it was discontinued?
I can’t wait to try it out since i m so not familiar with van Cleef & Arpels… I hope i Will not regret my blind buy. What is THE normal price for à 60 ml EDT?
I got mine for 20€, good price?
pehota – :
To the below poster asking if First Love is similar to J’aime la Nuit, they are not. First Love is very powdery and does not have the same “chocolate” scent as J’aime la Nuit.
I was concerned that this fragrance might be too sweet. I often have difficulties with amber & vanilla, and when they are combined.. well, the results can be quite horrible.
So I was pleasantly surprised when I spritzed this on and found it to be soft, powdery and not particularly sweet. Or at least not sweet in a sugary way.
Everything in this fragrance rests on an ambrox (similar to ambergris) base, but aside from that I find the osmanthus to be quite prominent and the ylang-ylang adds a spicy floral tone.
Final drydown has a slightly milky quality. First Love is subtle, warm and feminine.
slik13 – :
I had this, until it was discontinued… Loved it, and received compliments on it.
Extremely good sillage and longevity. Rosey and musky, and personally i could detect a hint of star anise.
Gorgeous!
Note – For fans of deeper and sweeter frags only.
Very ‘rich’ fragrance, so if you enjoy scents like Cool Water by Davidoff or Clinique happy, maybe give this a skip.
el_post – :
i bought it blindly. it’s not that i dislike it, but it’s never my first choice of use. Some people complained that it smelled too powdery… maybe it has to do with my body chemistry. I feel like an old lady using it. Maybe in the future this fragrance will fit me better.
abba59 – :
I saw, smelled, and instantly bought it. I was looking for a substitute for two of my beloved fragrances as simply too many women have them. First is Jean Paul Gaultier EDP Classique and second is Dior Hypnotic Poison. I love them so much but simple every 2nd woman in Switzerland and Germany has it. I went to the store today, thought it would be a waste of my time as usual and saw it.. last bottle on the shelf, calling me… I never saw it before and would have never ever thought of buying a van cleef & arpels fragrance as I simply hate First. But here it was, sweet amber, vanilla, orchid with some spice to it. Oh my lovely First Love where have you been hiding from me in the past 3 years when I was looking for you everywhere. I won`t let you go – ever. For myself the perfect substitute for the above mentioned fragrances although it doesn`t smell like them. It´s more like a mix of them both. They made love and this one is their baby. Happy smelling 🙂 Somewhere in the drydown this baby turns into the little, nasty & cute sister of Habanita. While Habanita drives her motorcycle and wears leather pants, this sister here comes with a lollipop and rollerblades. Love it. If I would have to compare it to a body product it would be Africa Shea Butter & Sesame Oil Body Balm by Body Shop as somebody down below compares to body products.
tyty77 – :
Really want to give this is try but is it too much like La Perla “Jaime La Nuit”??
denis.odessa – :
First Love smells just like almond and honey or milk and honey body lotion. It is a lovely, mild, and calming scent akin to bath and body products moreso than how you’d imagine a perfume.
brodjaga70 – :
if i read the ingredients i think these is beter for me than first.i am very curious about how these is om me.
i have an tester ,but is is not my perfume.
Snorch – :
I have no idea that this frag was introduced in 2006, as I thought it must be from the same league of the many classic fragrances. This fragrance is all about amber and vanilla, and powdery too.
Rockone1 – :
ok, the starting notes are nothing grand, let s pass the middles notes and talk about the last notes…if you like powdery, creamy, slightly sweet then this is a must you try, it is nice, not powerfull as the original first, more softer, more romantic, more girlie let’s say…
Filosof89 – :
This is one of the fragrances that is more than the sum of its notes. They look tremendously poor comparing to the overall effect. To be more precise – correct me if I’m wrong but it’s a younger sister of Shalimar. It’s vanilla-powdery base must contain some extra ingredient not listed.
But indeed the lasting power does not compare to Big S so much! But it’s not really bad, either
андрей чухнин – :
I liked it very much.It is must have
JuliaAg84 – :
A very intersting oriental floral, but the longevity is not even 2 hours….not buying another bottle for sure.
EndodoemumB – :
I like the smell very much but I have to admit at first my feelings weren’t that enthusiastic, because the smell has something mature in it. It’s complicated, because of the happy, pink, young feeling when you smell them together with kinda vintage smell. It’s unique. Sometimes it brings My Insolence to my mind, maybe because of powder, but all in all, these 2 are different.
You see, when I wear First Love, I have an older woman in my mind, a woman who still feels young at heart (maybe she’s in love?) and is optimistic, she has some mature experiences behind her.
When I wear First Love, I feel mature and happy, I mean, being mature, older doesn’t mean being sad. It’s a sweet pink smell, with a hint of green in it and a touch of vintage style. An interesting one, you feel classy in it and you don’t pay much.
dimi3o – :
I wanted to try first love for a while now, since I wasn’t much into the original. But was surprised how premier bouquet differed from the original like night and day and I supposed this one would too. With that I’m quite attracked towards purple bottles, so I gave it a try on a piece of paper… The first thing I thought of: GLÜHWEIN! Yes, sweet warm wine with a piece of citrus drifting in it and some spices added. I thought: ‘lovely for winter’, and had put the piece of paper in my pocket. A few hours later I was reaching for my keys in my pocket and found that same piece of paper and smelled it again. Though this time, first love had turned into: first make-up! Do you girls remember your first make-up box in the shape of a heart which had rouge and eyeshadow in it, so you could turn into a princess? Well, this is exactely it! I don’t know how it turns out on the skin, but when I had let my mom smell the piece of paper even she recognized little-girls-make-up in it! The smell is not at all bad… But as you may have noticed, my associations are just too strong for wanting to wear it.
Zexhienna – :
This perfume is just gorgeous!! One of my favorites from the Van Cleef & Arpels line for sure! It is the combination of Osmanthus, Peony and Orchid which I truly adore. Beautiful flowers, ladylike, sensual even with a warm base, vanilla, Ylang Ylang, Amber. It has everything a warm elegant sensual classy perfume should contain. GREAT choice!! A keeper for sure!
shamilbek – :
If I had a signature scent it would be this, because it suits me incredibly well.
Also, it is the only perfume I saw, smelled, and instantly bought.
I was neither particularly attracted by the bottle nor the name, which I don’t really find very suitable, as judging from the name I’d expect a girly fragrance, inviting and sweet, cute..
This however is very un-girly,
neither bubbly nor flirty, sparkly or particularly feminine –
but complex, powdery and grown-up, and it has a certain melancholy to me, which I find truly amazing and beautiful.
Being sweet and vanillary but not at all yummy, powdery and somewhat heavy it’s very vintage without being old-fashioned in the slightest, and I’d say I’m quick to call a fragrance ‘old’.
I associate this scent instantly with standing behind the window of an old gothic castle, wearing a glaucous blue victorian dress, looking at the gusty landscape with a few rays of sunshine.
After two years of using it pretty much through all seasons I’m not one single bit less in love.
vova.g1960 – :
Van Cleef & Arpels FIRST LOVE, while not a masterpiece like FIRST, is nonetheless a very enjoyable perfume. The oriental notes are not all listed, I think, since there’s definitely more going on here than just vanilla–perhaps a dash of pepper or an iota of incense? In any case, the orchid is the dominant floral to my nose, with the peony and ylang serving as complements.
Off topic: It’s becoming clearer and clearer that I do not really have a peony problem after all! Neither FIRST LOVE nor Bond no 9 CHINATOWN or LEXINGTON AVE causes me any dismay whatsoever, so it must be that my problem with certain peony-heavy frags has to do with a specific type of synthetic peony.
FIRST LOVE is neither overly oriental nor flamboyantly floral, which may lead some to find this composition too ambiguous. But while FIRST LOVE is not a show-stopper, neither is it banal. With good longevity and medium sillage, FIRST LOVE is a pleasant, high-quality edt suitable for many contexts that call for a subtle, warm inviting fragrance rather than an aggressive frontal olfactory assault.
Domogackiy – :
For me;This one falls short of what is to be considered an oriental floral.The spunk and confidence and personality is nowhere to be found here.Everything about it feels watered down and subdued and CHEAP.Not my type of scent.Though I thought I would enjoy it and the bottle is pretty enough.This is going to the can as soon as I wash it off.
karat82 – :
Sniffed & sample-sprayed this yesterday at TJMAXX $34.99 for 2 oz and thought it a dead ringer for Houbigant’s Chantilly. Despite some differing notes, the overall effect is that of a powdery floral. Very feminine, a hefty sweetness, but lasts just a couple of hours (unlike Chantilly, which can last 24 hours or more).
Glad I passed it up.
Fueseapeexcew – :
When I purchase this perfume, the seller told me it’s a”grape” perfume, and I bought it unsniffed…I think the seller knows nothing about this perfume and he created such a joke…I don’t care for the top and middle notes of this perfume, I just love the vanllia tone that left on my skin. It doesn’t smell cheap at all. The thickness and volume of the base note makes you feel you are a virgin princess. So innocent!
kLe1n:D – :
I can see why I didn’t like it at store.I always run from ylang-ylang and peony and both of them are here.but I should confess I like the bottle very much,specially the color.
it’s not classic like other van cleef perfumes,but it follows the same line.
the smelling is very warm,not very feminine and somehow dark.
I don’t think girls who fall in love for the first time,wear this one!but maybe it’s suitable for the souvenir of first love(which wasn’t that successful),just as a reminder of that time.
I should confess that I like orchid and the dry down of vanilla in it.
mmmennennn – :
Very surprisingly comfortable adult and feminine. I expected a spritely girlish floral, but First Love is more about its orchids and amber than about the fruits and I do believe I smell some patchouli.
First love has a pleasantly sophisticated air and deserved a better name
jnx557bedyWelty – :
Very feminine, a bit soapy sweet fragrance.
Deroxejwle – :
It’s the soap kind of smell that I like :p
jpy848Diobtetty – :
At the beginning it smells great- very subtle and elegant. Not too sweet despite vanilla. I love the way the orchid and vanilla combine here. However, after some time it starts smelling like soap… :/
мирабелла – :
Subtle, elegant, luxurious – just like a jewel… It needs a cool evening to develop its treasures and soft feminine warmth.
Classy, a bit retro.
elxxxan – :
I bought this for my mother, I haven’t tried it myself but on her it smells really pleasant, like baby showergel but more feminine. I like it.