Hi there Posse, All this doing nothing has left me completely zonked and I haven’t done a piece for today. Sorry. Currently wafting around the house with Jin. He’s got 6 days off and I’m unemployed for the first time since 1985. we have been cooking, watching oodles of TV, ZOOMing friends, walking dogs and generally acting like it’s a staycation holiday. Right now it’s all about this old bottle of First extrait I’ve had for years. it was already old when I got my mitts on it. March talks about falling for First way back in 2009.
First extrait by Van Cleef + Arpels
Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Aldehydes, Bergamot, Raspberry, Mandarin, Peach, Blackcurrant
Heart: Carnation, Hyacinth, Orris root, Jasmine, Lily-of-the-valley, Narcissus, Orchid, Tuberose, Turkish rose, Ylang-ylang
Base: Amber, Oakmoss, Honey, Musk, Sandalwood, Tonka bean, Vanilla, Vetiver, Civet
Now modern First has become a little screechy but it’s still worth a whirl if you happen to see it. First was Jean Claude Ellena’s first major success and it came out back in 1976. An aldehydic floral in the old school style and a harbinger of what would come in the 1980s. It’s a kitchen sinker of a perfume, everything is in there, and it’s dialled up to 11.
One of the things I love most about the extrait is that it feels thicker, richer and has less of a nuclear throw than the EdT. While it remains flamboyantly fragrant it doesn’t scream for attention in quite the same way.
First extrait opens with fruity aldehydes. Roses, carnation, jasmine, narcissus and ylang fill the heart. An animalic vanilla/amber softened with furry oakmoss and glorious sandalwood plus so much else give the base its golden depths.
Did you ever wear First?
Portia xx
Nice blog thanks for sharing. I was searching for custom bath bomb boxes and found this amazing website they provide high quality on wholesale with free designing and free shipment in UK.
I think I have a mini of First somewhere, I’ll be rooting through my armoire and perfume box as well. I recall I loved it when I first sniffed it, right up my alley as a big vintage floral. Thanks for the reminder Portia! xx
Hey Kathleen!
So good to see you.
Og yes, I can imagine you being a First wafter. If you find its please come back and tell us how you loved it on the SOTD post.
Portia xx
Yes! One of my early fragrance loves and of course, that bottle is classic!! In fact, I remember that a bit later on (late ’90s?), VC&A had a scent called Murmure which was also quite lovely. Thanks, Portia, for this great fragrance reminder!
Hey Ann,
Murmure is a fabulous name for a perfume.
So nice to see you.
Portia xx
Hi Portia- Oooooo FIRST! In 1980, First was my introduction to “adult” perfume. Had that exact bottle as shown in your photo. Purchased on flights duty free on international business trips. Think I loved the bottle more than the juice. None the less, wish I had hoarded a few and stashed them away.
P.S. Portia, Wonder if the old extract we used to dab on has been reformulated in the newer spray bottles? Do you know? Wishing you the best,
Stay Well.
OOOH! They have spritzable extrait now? MY FAVOURITE!! Where did you happen to see that Jo Ann?
Portia x
Hi again Portia dear, may have been
vancleefarpels.com , not sure I recall.
Will message you again if I can find it. 🙂
I forgot all about this! Dangit, off to the basement to root around for that bottle….. and thanks!
Heya March,
YAY! Love going hunting through the boxes. Always find a couple of other treasures I’d completely forgotten about when I do.
Good luck with the search.
Portia xx
My friend has First
Aha! Are you going to raid their perfume stash so you can have a spritz?
Portia x
I have a mini of First. It’s between an okay and a like for me. Starts out as a like then deteriorates. When I tried it years ago, it went on a lovely floral aldehyde then got this bitter bloodlike note and oakmoss took over; there’s hyacinth but the jumble of notes overwhelms it.
Hey GinaT,
Yes, it is a cacophony. Are you dabbing it? I wonder if spritzing helps make it seem more cohesive? The extrait is much more slow paced and richer. Though if you don’t love the EdT/P I can’t imagine it changing your mind.
Portia xx
I blind bought First after reading Luca Turin’s book in which he gave it high marks and remember how strong it was! I can’t remember if it’s edt or edp even….this was when I started getting more into perfumes and it’s been a few years now. Now that I’m more fragrance educated I’ll have to dig the bottle out and have another try!
Luca Turin has a lot to answer for, he sent so many of us down the perfumed rabbit hole JenniferS,
It’s so interesting to go back and smell those early buys. Sometimes they happily surprise me.
Portia xx
My mother used to wear First when I was a toddler, up until I was 6 years old. Back then, yellow florals were among her go-to choices. First, Chloé Narcisse and Carolina Herrera´s Floré (which is a brilliant spiced yellow floral)
WOW! I love Chloe Narcisse too theperfumeadvocate. Do you mind if I call you TPA from now on?
Floré had something in it that sent me bonkers, I had to move it on. The bottle was cool though.
Portia xx
Yes, of course you can call me TPA!
I miss these yellow florals so much! They were so rich. The only yellow flower I still don’t understand is mimosa. My experience with it has been less than pleasant, sadly.
Did you try the new Amouage: Love Mimosa? It’s my gold standard of the genre. Cleaner than most yellow florals but glorious. I wore a LOT of it this summer, went through about 1/3 of a 100ml bottle.
I adore First. I’ve had both the edt and edp. My preference is edp. I have never tried the extrait, I’ll bet it’s super dooper. I’d take a punt on a blind buy if I saw it at a decent price.
Hey Cassieflower,
I never smelled the EdP. Is it much different to the EdT?
Portia xx
The edt has more sparkle, more aldehydic. But the edp has more depth and and warmth.
Right Cassieflower,
So the parfum is REALLY warm and deep in dry down. I wish you lived closer so we could compare.
Portia xx
I have a mini of this somewhere. Need to pull it out and give it a whirl!
Yeah MMKinPA,
Come back and give us a verdict eh?
Portia xx
I wore the EDT in the 80s. It was a gift from my partner at the time. I wore it because he bought it ( for the name…he bought it blind LOL). It was a like, not a love. Never knew of the extrait. Bet I would have liked it more.
Hi Brigitte,
I wonder what you’d think of First now?
portia xx
I wonder as well. I think Neil might have sent me some eight years ago. I think when I sniffed it at the time I got very nostalgic.
Yeah, it’s definitely one of those misty memory scents. I sold on my EdT. Can’t remember why but I do know it went to a loving home.
All the narcissus in the extrait makes me swoon a bit. So feral and glamorous at the same time.
I think I’ve got First,not the extrait. Must be a newer version. Must look for it !!!!
Hey Matty,
Woo Hoo! Get that stuff on you. Come back and tell us how much fun you had wearing it please.
Portia xx
False alarm !!!!!
When I checked on my perfume list I’ve got Reve
Ha! Bummer.