Illustrative — no verified product photo

First(1976)

Van Cleef & Arpels · Jean-Claude Ellena · Floral

At a glance

Created by Jean-Claude Ellena for Van Cleef and Arpels, First opens on aldehydes, bergamot, and peach, moves through a heart of rose, jasmine, ylang-ylang, and lily of the valley, and closes on sandalwood, vetiver, and musk. It represented the jewelry house's first venture into perfumery, and one of Ellena's early career compositions before he became one of the most celebrated and influential perfumers of the following decades, eventually serving as in-house perfumer for Hermes.

Did you know? This scent's aldehydes carry a famous origin myth — the "accidental overdose" story behind Chanel No. 5 — that historians say probably isn't true. Read the full story →
📌 Track your collection. Mark this Owned, Wishlist, or Showcase, and rate or comment on it. Sign up free
Launched
1976
Family
Floral

First is a fragrance from Van Cleef & Arpels, released in 1976 and composed by Jean-Claude Ellena. It sits in the Floral family. It opens with Aldehydes, Bergamot, and Peach, moves into a heart of Rose, Jasmine, Ylang-Ylang, and Lily of the Valley, and settles into a base of Sandalwood, Vetiver, and Musk.

New to top, heart & base notes? Learn how the fragrance pyramid actually works →

Top notes
AldehydesBergamotPeach
Heart notes
RoseJasmineYlang-YlangLily of the Valley
Base notes
SandalwoodVetiverMusk
Community
No ratings yet — be the first.
Log in to rate this perfume
Reader photos

No reader photos yet.

Log in to add a photo

No comments yet.

● drafted · last checked 2026-07-16