The VanCleef&Arpels is a French company that is in the business of creating jewelry and time pieces, and as it happens they are in the fragrance business as well.

Anyway, First as it is aptly named is the first perfume I have smelled from the house of VanCleef&Arpels and this is also the last purchase (fragrance wise) that I made for the year 2016. This perfume has been around since the year I was born (1976) so it is fair to say it has stood the test of time. This fragrance first came to my attention when a miniature bottle was sent to me as a freebie from a purchase I made from an online retailer. The moment I sniffed it I was instantly in love. And I told myself I just have to have this fragrance.

December of last year a fellow fragrance aficionado was unloading some of the bottles in his collection and I saw this posted at a very attractive price, and without hesitation, I immediately arranged for the purchase.

First, is how I remember a perfume smells like, when I was young, since during those times aldehyde was very popularly used in perfumery. This perfume smells floral and woody. It feels bright and very alluring. My mum said this one smells like fresh out of the shower after bathing with a soap made of extracts from fragrant flowers. And she is not wrong in that sense.

Performance wise since this is in eau de parfum it lasts for a fair amount of time. This is not in your face heavy, but it does project and leave a nice scent trail. I gave my miniature bottle on my mum and on her it lasts longer. However, on my skin I only get 6 to 8 hours longevity, which is not bad. It does last longer when sprayed on clothes.

This one really smells of flowers so if you are a man and you don't feel confident enough, I will not recommend this for you. However, if you (like me) believe that there is no such thing as gender when it comes to fragrance then by all means don't miss out on this one.