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kip980 – :
This is very similar to Quelques Fleurs l`Original Houbigant. Beautiful, complex and interesting. Love him.
denj0505 – :
I ADORE the original First. Although this is pleasant enough, on me, I detect stronger rose and spices (?) which aren’t my favourite notes.
vlasai – :
For me the smell of this parfume is the epitome of LOVE.Pure ,kind,tender yet strong love.It is creamy,dreamy,grown-up,calm ,nothing scary or agressive,just perfection.
It is very long lasting with a greeat sillage,but it opens more beautifully in warm weather,in cold is little bit shy and sour.Very potent and creamy in warm weather!
it is also suitable for a wedding fragrance.
Aahhhhhh i love it
kdh616bedyWelty – :
Truly amazing. So beautiful and feminine and extremely sophisticated. I love it so much. I’ve got Body Shop’s White Musk oil and love it. They have something in common…though they are different scents. I’m not an expert, but In my opinion it is not versatile. It doesn’t matter anyway.
It was a blind buy and I’m so happy I got it.
Taliera’s article was descriptive, and I also have the same experience with creamy scents, vanilla and musk.
Anhel108 – :
Almost every review for this perfume a full balloon bouquet, I will have the unpopular review. Unfortunately, on me this smells like sparkling white vinegar. I have had my sample for 2 years and keep coming back to it hoping for something different with no such luck. I can feel some type of flower trying to push through, but stays in the far background. Boohoo for me 🙁
xandr – :
This is a lovely & sophisticated summery perfume.
To me is more Airy-flowery than fresh- green- flowery.
The drydown is amazing on my skin!!!!
zmj406JeomiWogkig – :
This is a very well done and blended perfume. It’s green, sweet, airy and uplifting. I mostly get galbanum, aldehydes and musk here with some LotV and currant leaf. Both sillage (heavy to moderate from 2 sprays) and longevity (good 7 hours) are there. It is also very affordable. I have a big respect for Van Cleef house for their modern creations.
Having said all that, Un Air de First is completely not my cup of tea as I tend to perceive musky perfumes as ‘stuffy’. Nevertheless it is a great one for people who like this kind of scents.
nikolanipera – :
This wears extremely well. Surrounds you in a cloud of elegance without you even being aware of it. Light, but heavily creamy too. Not the kind of creamy that makes me feel sick, which is unusual, because most backgrounds of musk and vanilla are nauseating for me. The green aldehydic floral opening only lasts a few minutes, unfortunately. What follows is different, but beautiful. I would describe it as the most silky satin white dress you can imagine. You think the perfume has gone, but then it wafts past you over the next few hours. And hello – so does the green! This is an exceptional perfume. Was a rare blind buy for me. Nothing like First, except for following its legacy of elegance. Totally modern. And the aldehydes? No biggie – at least not to the woman whose favourite perfume is Chanel No. 22…
mssancho – :
Fragrance Review For Un Air De First Van Cleef & Arpels
Top Notes Aldehydes Mandarin Orange Galbanum Currant
Middle Notes Peach Rose Jasmine Lily of the Valley
Base Notes Musk Amber Vanilla Vetiver
A lovely homage to the 1st First, and quite frankly though not a substitute a winner and fab frag on it’s own terms. I was drawn to it because of the chypre ingredient of the galbanum. Galbanum is by far my favorite chypre note. That being said this isn’t classified as a chypre. This is a floral. It opens with a fresh citrus – that mandarin orange in it’s sweet and fresh citric aroma. Then it turns into a bit of a currant but it develops into that galbanum. Very nice. It matches up with the greenery of the lily of the valley. The other flowers take center stage: rose and jasmine, both flowers are divaesque, fragrant and glamorous. The dry down on me was vanilla and amber. So yes it does still feel like you’re wearing a First. It has nods to the original’s aldehydes, the flowers and the amber. But it has more fruit in addition to the citrus and currant it has a delicious peach. This is really more modern, updated, easier to wear. The civet/animalic note is gone and in it’s place is a good vanilla. The fragrance lasts a long time, it’s a beautiful smell and you’ll get compliments on it all day. I enjoy wearing this to formal black tie galas and events. It’s a gorgeous perfume.
Красопеточка – :
Many thanks to Ioli19 for sending me a decant of this. Its a really lovely bright aromatic fragrance. It somehow manages to be fresh smelling yet creamy which I suspect has something to do with the musk. It opens with the aldehydes, galbanum, lily of the valley and jasmine yet there is nothing harsh or screechy about it. I agree that it does smell expensive and very lady like. On me these notes definitely dominate but with time I do manage to pick up the vetiver, rose, amber and currant leaf.
Moderate sillage and longevity. A very reasonably price fragrance for when you want to feel confident and lady like. Id wear it to interviews for sure.
Cerega – :
Air is so well crafted and so gorgeous- it smells like you’re worth a million bucks in a completely effortless way. It’s suitable to wear almost any time of the year at any time of the day. I feel like I’m radiating a mist of golden sunshine mixed with pure grace or some other comparison equally as cheesy yet completely appropriate of a description.
To be a bit more specific it’s like a modernized version of fragrances like Tea Rose (which smells like freezer burned potpourri to me, or a flower shop freezer when it’s time to throw away the rejects that didn’t sell) They attempted to capture flowers and stems but for whatever reason the weird aldehydes used left the fragrance cold and I can’t imagine any man saying it smells sexy or clean.
What Air does right is managing to make the adlehydes seem warm and glowing. The green from the galbanum takes away some of the intensity of the white florals and touch of peach and vanilla give it a sweet clean smell that makes it modern. I can see it being compared with Beautiful but I like this better because of the fruits and citrus which keep it from reminding me of my grandma (who wears Beautiful) I love it!
pia1966 – :
One word – ELEGANT!
two words – AMAZING, SOPHISTICATED!
three words – I LOVE IT!!!!
Four words – I bought another bottle!
This is in my opinion THE BEST SCENT from Van Cleef & Arpels. Found myself another 100ml bottle. Superhappy!
Aerohopleneriwpw – :
So beautiful and captivating! Strong galbanum note reminded me of Noa, but then comes slight peachy-raspberry note with a touch of aldehydes. At that point, I found great similarity with Tomorrow from Avon. Reusable luxury bottle with puffer is a quite bonus!
Meddox – :
I appreciate a lot van cleef perfumes. And this is another pleasant floral van cleef scent. I cannot get green notes but I detect pretty well galbanium and white florals. Sometimes it smells like old flowers and sometimes freshly cut flowers. I didn’t understood yet wich environment impacts this difference. Vanillia is not prominent and sits on the background which explains this small almost and almost non existent sweetness.
Good long lasting power and huge silage during the first hour. Then moderate silage.
Samphesee – :
Unquestionable style, elegance and good taste. For those who consider First old-fashioned, but want a true classic. I love it, and its delicate yet distinctive fresh character. Aldehydes are not usual for the nose used to modern-day mass market, I personally think. Nevertheless, they make this VCA piece yet another mystery people will be trying to solve about you.
Svetik19 – :
I tried this one and I was quite intrigued.
It’s a very soft scent, but it’s not missing personality.
I see little resemblance with big and sharp First. The green notes are quite tamed and it becomes basivally a floral with interesting drydown, a little powdery and woody, but all very soft and just a little fluffy, too.
It smells like Kxnaides said: the free-spirited yet good-mannered daughter of Lady First.
This could be the perfume of a classy teenager when teenagers were not yet obsessed with very sweet scents.
It’s a light-hearted girl on her path to become a lady.
It’s a safe scent IMO, good for many occasions at any age.
It’s longlasting and has a decent sillage.
EDIT: I have a small decant and I find myself reaching for it more often than I thought. The more I smell it the more I get a white muske-y drydown but very soft, not brain hammering like many wm around. The word for this one is CLEAN, an expensive clean type of smell, if it makes sense.
greshvadim – :
it was a blind buy. since I met Vol de Nuit from Guerlain I was searching for an other galbanum scent for warmer days. To tell the truth: first try was a bit dissapointment for me. As I prefer oriental, spicey, woody stuff, (saffron, ylang-ylang, leather, oud-what I really like) – my first impression was not a suprice. BUT!!! After 3 or 4 try – this fragile beauty stole my heart. Light, classic, french, easy, and perfectly created. Now I am really happy with my bottle.
TRAMBABAMBA – :
My signature perfume for summer. I feel so classy wearing it, feel glamorous even. This will never “get old”. It’s like Chanel No5 – you must be mature enough (not necessary by age) to like Van Cleef’s perfumes. If you are the type of girl that is keen on every new perfume that comes out, then maybe this is not for you. When I picked Van Cleef’s perfumes for my signature, I wanted to be something different, something that can represent me and something that you will remember. So this is ME.
gingerr07 – :
Green fragrance family is not my favorite one so no surprise that I’ve found this scent to be too sharp for me. It is not unpleasant, it just does not match my taste. If you like green aroma, try it.
Danehawtezeui – :
A well-named scent. I am in the camp of perfumeheads that finds this a lighter, more airy version of the elegant First. One could say it is the free-spirited yet well-mannered daughter of the Lady First. As much as I adore my vintage bottle of First, I have always found it difficult to carry it off. I do not have this problem with Un Air de First, with its brilliant sunny character of aldehydes and the gorgeous bitter galbanum that pairs beautifully with the tiny white flowers. For me it is a breath of fresh air in my heavy Oriental and gourmand populated perfume collection. Sillage and longevity are excellent for Un Air de First. Feminine without the posy of roses, sophisticated without being unreachable, fresh and sparkling without being an aquatic.
vrtudmCsecf – :
Opens with green notes and jasmine with aldehydes. So beautiful that I find myself taking a deep breaths and quick sniffs – very often. In the morning, as my picky preteen left, she hugged me and momentarily froze and sniffed deeply as my perfume filled her nose. She loved it and she’s not easily impressed with my collection. I remember my mom’s First but I prefer Un Air on me. This is classic but not boring. It works for all seasons and for night or day.
One spray on me:
Sillage: a foot
Longevity: 3 hours (two sprays on the same spot lasts the whole day)
Rating: 5/5
Deroxjhjqg – :
Un Air de First is such a super fresh, slightly green, crystal clear scent, and yet so pretty and delicately feminine! I find this combination of features absolutely captivating and I haven’t smelled anything else quite like it. It’s beautiful and soft, and yet it gives a cold impression somehow, in a very elegant, refreshing and innocent kind of way. I imagine fairies dancing on a summer meadow under the midnight sun without their feet actually touching the ground.
levkinasy3ag – :
I loved the opening of this. A very old fashioned floral. Marigold maybe, something yellow. Generally a spring fresh greenness to it. Then that faded and….nothing. Vanished after an hour. So I put some more on. Same thing happened. Only when I applied it to clothes rather than skin did I get the wonderful dry down. It does remind me of First but it is subtle and lovely. Shame my skin kills it.
Nils1969 – :
Un Air de First is much more prim and proper than the perfumes I usually go for but it’s very well done.
Composition-wise it’s what one expects it to be; a green aldehydic floral. The strange thing is that makes notes that normally don’t work for me wear beautifully; the aldehydes are the softest kind I’ve ever encountered (along with maitresse by Agent Provocateur) and the galbanum is nowhere near as astringent and earthy as normally. Also muguet which wears very sharp on me most of the times behaves so well. For that alone, I’m impressed.
Manages to be creamy, airy, soft and fresh like a sophisticated liquid version of Dove soap. The one to pick when in the mood to wear pearls on a bright spring/summer day.
Edit: I sampled Ivoire by Balmain recently and it strikes me as a sister of Un Air de First.
The later appears more sparkling and airy in comparison (must be the aldehydes and the tiny tinge of peach) while Ivoire is more dense with the grounding cedar and the earthy violet leaves.
sorento47rus – :
This is a lovely summery perfume. It settled on me fairly quickly and no heavy top notes. I also loved the bottle which arrived with a puffer, very elegant. It smells nothing like the original First, well not to me anyway. A definate repeat buy for me.
dimonhoppy – :
Got a bottle today. “Aldehydes” are the boss , they’re dominate which is a bit of a shame as the floral scents are truly beautiful.
Quite strong at first & a bit ” Classic ” , ” a deja sniffed ” scent. As soon the dry down takes over, florals notes comes out more !
OggY – :
Ah, wow, what can I say, this is pure beauty. So lush and feminine, I blind bought this due to the positive reviews and am truly happy I did. So much has already been written about this, and I have really nothing to add, except that is beautiful, beautiful, beaaauuuuuutifulllllll.
shurxxxx – :
So green, but so feminin, very delicate smell, so much love!
roverbee – :
Ohh Serenity . Peace of mind .Touched by an angel.Lifted to higher plaises . All this words and states can sum up this wonderfull smell of this scent.
It is such a calming gental floral mix . On me there is no screaching notes what so ever, its almost like a second skin to me . Roses the lightest pink you can imagin with a gental smell. Jasmin like a gental powder. Aldehyds like a luminous ray of light just when you nead it the most, Vanilla a gental puf only not to sweet , just a powdery sweetnes . Lilly of the valley gental and soft fresh from the forest. Just tiny wiff of peach and fruit. Galbanum vetiver . currant buds makes it slightly green . Infact n my skin its not that green at all. Maybe my skin does not devolpe that note to much . Or it might be that green ha a different feal to me
All i know is that i have truly found a beautiful Gem in this perfume . I initialy was affraid of the Aldehyds and green note , but they are not to much at all.. Im so happy i took the time to ask about it and got so many good reviews and guidens about it. thanks also for the lovely sample i got to try before buying 🙂
Im very greatfull and in a state of Bliss wearing this
This perfume reminds me sligthly of Chanel NO5 Premier , not much but a little bit. Also Vivienne Westwoods Naughty Alice comes to mind at some stage.
Love them bout so this is a 10 out of 10
seriiaverkin – :
I received this today as a blind buy purchase and let me tell you it is amazzzzzing I really have enjoyed it so much that I will buy a second one right now… It is a clean fresh cotton and very feminine scent sweet and jolly and pretty.. nothing cloying and it’s exquisite… I am very impressed especially with the absolute gorgeous bottle and atomizer attached, magnifique.
nyjen – :
What a beautiful perfume. Fresh and elegant. It is a modern take on a classic. Green with jasmine and aldehydes. I know that this will become a favourite in my collection. I can not add much to what has already been written here except to say it is a must have in your wardrobe if you love the more classic type of scents. The bottle is beautiful and comes with an atomiser spray so loved by ladies of bygone years. Silage is moderate and longevity good (about 5 hours on me) Pure, white, gossamer wings, all these come to mind when smelling this. A blind buy at a great price, I am a very happy bunny today and for less than £20 for 50mls EDP what is not to love?
ALEX2416 – :
Oooohohohoho. Galbanum-jasmine-aldehydes galore. This is just so classic and modern at the same time. One of my all time favourites, and it’s up there on the shelf next to my Shalimar, can you imagine? 90 years apart, and they still has alot incommon to talk about.
Un Air de First is what i would expect the colour “White” to smell like. Pure, innocent and graceful.
zholobigor – :
This is an impossibly beautiful fragrance! The nose who created this scent was truly a genius in blending the most exquisite of ingredients of the highest quality! Un Air de First is an absolute thrill to wear!
The aldehydes mixed with the florals is fresh and wonderful! It invites you into a most precious space where there is air and light and flowers galore! It is provocative, but not lusty. It is Feminine but not coy. It is sophisticated, but certainly not stuffy! It is just the perfect romantic fragrance! I feel like I have been kissed by an angel!
Sillage on me is moderate, drying down to soft
Longevity is long lasting
bendercool222 – :
I agree Mooniq, this fragrance takes a place amongst my top scents. It really works.
And is nothing compared to the 1st by Van Cleef…(which i personally kind of dislike)
This scent is fresh, and feminine, gives you almost a sparkling feeling when you wear it.
Not soapy at all, at first its a little lemony, then settles into a magnificent mystery.
I love the fact that its not way too popular, and not many people have it, so they always wonder what im wearing.
‘Is it DKNY? Nope, is it Narsisco? No…(thats straight musk and boring), (not to mention brutally expensive round here)’
If you like fresh scents, and out the shower feeling types, but dont want to own ‘common’ frags like Tommy girl, or DKNY energizing, get this. It will NOT disappoint you! 🙂
This fragrance just blows my mind everytime i have a sniff.
paxan85 – :
One word – ELEGANT!
two words – AMAZING, SOPHISTICATED!
three words – I LOVE IT!!!!
Un Air de First is amazing, nothing like the original First from VC&A. Two very different parfum’s. Un Air de First is an airy, fresh, newly showerd-feeling of a scent. The aldehydes is green, on my skin the blackcurrantleaf is dominant together with musk. The flowernotes dances in the background and the vanilla is shy – but there..I feel really elegant and rich wearing this one and Un Air de First stays on my skin all day. Worth every penny! A True Keeper!! Now I found myself a big 100 ml bottle – happy as a child on x-mas eve..=)
ett ord – ELEGANT!
två ord – OTROLIGT SOFISTIKERAD!
tre ord – JAG ÄLSKAR DEN!!!
Un Air de First är otrolig, den har ingenting med originalet First att göra alls från VC&A. Två hel olika parfymer. Un Air de First ger den där luftiga, fräscha, gröna, nyduschad-känslan som vissa dofter gör. Aldehyderna är gröna och mjuka, på min hud framträder svartavinbärsbladen tillsammans med musken. Blomnoterna dansar i bakgrunden och vaniljen är lite blyg – men där. Jag känner mig otroligt elegant och rik när jag bär denna. Un Air de First är otroligt hållbar på min hud, håller hela dagen. Värd varje krona! En riktigt skatt. Nyligen hittade jag en 100 ml flaska -jag är lycklig som ett barn på julafton. =)
KurtKentin – :
This is aldehydic or airy if you like, light ,delicately beautiful and has some notes blended to something making it special and powdery. Very ladylike, but
– this one is unfortunately not for me…
vova2026 – :
I love it : clean, sweet, wrapping, like a cocoon. Floral and musky, full of tenderness.
It makes me think about a soft Clea – Yves Rocher.
Very good lasting power.
vam621bedyWelty – :
Wow. This is beautiful, elegant and feminine; a delightful flanker to the original “First” fragrance. Its so well made; I got my 5th compliment today already! Although soft and green it will be wonderful in the Fall and Winter as there is a glorious strength to it that is not overpowering. This makes me feel amazing when I wear it – A must try; strongly recommended!
ddemun – :
This is very nice, I wasn’t a fan of the original but un Air is lighter more modern, you still get some aldehydes but not sharp in any way. This is an elegant perfume , very French, I am enjoying my sample. This a a light scent, with green undertones, no great projection there .Would I buy a bottle? If I found it at a real good price I just may.
dov70 – :
Truly a little wonder. Green freshness, aldehydes, galbanum. It smells like an iris fragrance to me. Elegant, rather cold and very feminine with practically no sweetness. I like First as well but not as much as Air, because First dries down to a sweetish skin scent, this one remains colder and greener, pure and revitalizing.
ssosi – :
A jewel fragrance, rare and precious, Un Air isn’t a copy of First but an echo, the white lacquered bottle reflects the delicate softness, as the clear raindrop reveals the colour of the juice and infuses the bottle with light, the perfume seems to take on an almost snowy, frosty cast like snow falling in the middle of summer. Even though it seems a little strong at first smell, the scent of aldehydes, which makes the perfume smell like a clean immaculate and freshly ironed white shirt left to cool outside on a cold sunny winters morning, the galbanum note unfolds into a green leaves effect, Egyptian jasmine, Bulgarian rose essence, vetiver, amber and musk comes to the fragrance slow and beautifully. Good longevity, I use it when I want to dress to impress.
lugov – :
This is a very nicely balanced scent. I can smell all the notes, jasmine, aldehydes, rose, the mossy-wood of the vetyver and the slightly bitter green of the galbanum; however, they all seem perfectly blended into a fresh, green, woody, slightly spicy floral. Sillage is fairly intimate on my skin, and only lasts about 2-3 hours before I need to re-spritz, but then I think my skin eats perfume!
patronura – :
I’m trying it thanks to a sample i just had for purchasing pink sugar .
I already know the original “First” which is a very 80’s scent .
The opening is very fresh , with light flowers , then while it dries down , there’s a note that i guess is galbanum ( i’m not a note specialist) which settles down , and makes the overall thing not as innocent as it seems the first seconds .
It’s very soapy , when wearing such thing you really have the feeling you’ve been scrubbing yourself hard with a soap bar ( that are the Aldehydes , i know)
However the connection with the original is clearly here for me . It could also have been called ” Eau de First”
As far as i’m concerned , it smells a lot better on my clothes than on my skin , less ” galbanumy ” .
Nice, but i don’t think i’d buy it , it’s really not like anything i’ve already worn .
daniil59 – :
I do not know Un Air de First.
But I’m already in love with this scent
BOGDAN007 – :
omg its exactly the smell off chanel premier wonderful beuthiful and much nice even then tha chanel !very expensive smell
mazan.1993. – :
very fresh beuthiful extrem feminal and i feel some gul rosa smell strenger!!???very happy with my fume
retroboy – :
Received a sample in Paris & I love it!
Smells divine. I will be buying a large bottle very soon. Smell’s sexy but classy & not over powering.
тор – :
Yes indeed XSX, it is a very sweet resin that qualifies as green too. Perfumes with an ABNORMAL amount of Galbanum (for example Trussardi ACTION) are VERY VERY sweet BUT very very green too!!
СОФА – :
As a lover of “First” will be interesting to see how this one stacks up – will it be a paler softer version of the original or something different? Definitely one to try – is it just me or am I the only one who doesn’t know what “galbanum” is. Could someone tell me please – my ignorance is showing!!
Vipyc78 – :
Oh wauw a new perfume containing Galbanum! We do not see that too often! Well, this one I will be running to the store for sure to try out!!