Fragranova
Fragrances Similar to VAN CLEEF & ARPELS FIRST
Same accord family · 12 picks ranked by shared notes
Quick Answer
The strongest note-overlap match is Rochas Madame Rochas, sharing 15 core notes. Note overlap is not the same as identical smell, but if you love First's structure, these are its closest neighbors in our catalog.
Shared notes ≠ identical smell. We rank by overlap in accords and notes, but two fragrances can share most ingredients and still smell distinct (concentration, ratios, and the perfumer's hand all matter). Picks with a Verified Clone badge are mapped by our community as true smell-alikes; the rest sit in the same olfactory family.
Van Cleef & Arpels First is built on floral, aldehydic and green. Below are 12 fragrances from our catalog that share the most of that note structure. None of the picks below are designated clones. They share notes and accord structure with First, but two fragrances can share notes and still smell distinct. Treat this as "same family", not "same smell".
Same Olfactory Family
Shared notesThese share First's accord family and note structure. None are community-verified clones, so think of them as "in the same neighborhood" rather than "identical smell".
- #1
Rochas · 1960MADAME ROCHAS
join_inner 24 shared notesstar 4.1 / 5 (8807)Shared accords: woody, powdery, green, earthyShared notes: Tuberose, Lily-of-the-Valley, Bergamot, Aldehydes, Hiacynth - #2
Worth · 1932JE REVIENS EAU DE TOILETTE
join_inner 22 shared notesstar 3.8 / 5 (3556)Shared accords: woody, powdery, green, earthyShared notes: Bergamot, Aldehydes, Hiacynth, Vetiver, Orris Root - #3
Givenchy · 1984YSATIS
join_inner 23 shared notesstar 4.1 / 5 (12797)Shared accords: woody, powdery, musky, floralShared notes: Tuberose, Vanilla, Civet, Bergamot, Aldehydes - #4
Jean-Louis Scherrer · 1979JEAN-LOUIS SCHERRER
join_inner 21 shared notesstar 4.3 / 5 (5189)Shared accords: woody, powdery, green, muskyShared notes: Tuberose, Vanilla, Civet, Aldehydes, Hiacynth - #5
Lancôme · 1967CLIMAT (VINTAGE)
join_inner 21 shared notesstar 4.0 / 5 (5755)Shared accords: woody, powdery, green, muskyShared notes: Peach, Tuberose, Civet, Lily-of-the-Valley, Bergamot - #6
Lancôme · 1967CLIMAT
join_inner 21 shared notesstar 4.1 / 5 (4302)Shared accords: woody, powdery, green, muskyShared notes: Peach, Tuberose, Civet, Lily-of-the-Valley, Bergamot - #7
Houbigant · 1913QUELQUES FLEURS L'ORIGINAL
join_inner 22 shared notesstar 4.1 / 5 (9465)Shared accords: woody, powdery, green, floralShared notes: Tuberose, Vanilla, Civet, Lily-of-the-Valley, Bergamot - #8
Chloé · 1975CHLOÉ (PARFUMS CHLOÉ)
join_inner 22 shared notesstar 3.7 / 5 (7683)Shared accords: woody, powdery, green, floralShared notes: Peach, Tuberose, Bergamot, Aldehydes, Hiacynth - #9
Carolina Herrera · 1988CAROLINA HERRERA BY CAROLINA HERRERA
join_inner 19 shared notesstar 3.8 / 5 (7611)Shared accords: woody, powdery, green, muskyShared notes: Civet, Lily-of-the-Valley, Bergamot, Hiacynth, Vetiver - #10
Ted Lapidus · 1984CREATION 1984
join_inner 22 shared notesstar 3.9 / 5 (4353)Shared accords: woody, green, earthy, floralShared notes: Peach, Tuberose, Vanilla, Black Currant, Lily-of-the-Valley - #11
Emanuel Ungaro · 1983DIVA
join_inner 21 shared notesstar 4.1 / 5 (11112)Shared accords: woody, powdery, musky, earthyShared notes: Vanilla, Civet, Bergamot, Aldehydes, Vetiver - #12
Balmain Beauty · 1979IVOIRE DE BALMAIN
join_inner 23 shared notesstar 4.1 / 5 (4142)Shared accords: woody, powdery, green, earthyShared notes: Vanilla, Lily-of-the-Valley, Bergamot, Aldehydes, Vetiver
How we rank, and why this isn't a dupe list
We rank by a weighted overlap of dominant accords (50% of the score), shared notes across all pyramid positions (30%), and shared base notes specifically (20%). Base notes carry weight because they drive what you smell hours into the wear.
But shared ingredients don't guarantee identical smell. Two fragrances can list the same notes and still smell completely different. The perfumer's ratios, the materials they sourced, and the supporting molecules all change the result. That's why we split this page into two sections.
Verified Clones are fragrances our community has explicitly mapped to First in our Clone Lab. These are the only picks on this page we'd call true smell-alikes. The Same Family picks share its note structure but should be treated as "if you like First, you may like..." rather than direct dupes.
Looking for verified dupes specifically? Visit the Clone Lab for community-mapped alternatives across the catalog.