So First Van Cleef & Arpels for women

Truly pleasant perfume. It’s definitely similar to flowerbomb but less cloying and more sophisticated and wearable. A hidden gem for sure!

I love this scent! I bought it based on the description. And it was the best decision! This is the best scent I've ever had! I would like to buy it again and again - I hope it will be possible, so please don't stop the production!

Not sure how long "Flowerbomb" had been on the market but I first smelled First (not So First) on an Afro-American lady at a congress. This was in 1992. I never smelled any similar fragrances before or since. I never tired it on myself but on her it smelled extremely elegant, sophisticated, distinctive, feminine. You can definitely identify the Magnolia but without it being too sweet. It is more something that I would wear for a meeting than for a night out.

This fragrance is so lovely. I stumbled upon this on fragrancex and blind bought it for around 30-35 dollars. It is a soft but present smell. So people will definitely will smell it on you but it won't choke anyone out. It is very well blended. The vanilla and florals stand out the most and the citrus is the supportive buddy. I would for sure recommend this

Disappointing blind buy. It smells nothing like flowerbomb to me. The opening is a harsh citrusy blast, a bit fizzy and stingy on the nose. I can't discern individual notes at this point but I don't enjoy it. It's not a bright and fresh uplifting smell, it's just loud. I must be anosmic to the heart because after the citrus blast dies down I literally can't smell anything. Hours later it leaves a beautiful vanilla scent, reminiscent of Guerlain's vanilla basenotes
Unfortunately you can only smell it by burying your nose in your skin. Tl:dr the opening notes are harsh and horrible and the more pleasant dry down is barely detectable.Was very cheap but will now either have to regift or charity shop it so only great value if you like it.

Still trying to understand if I’ll keep this is one. Not bad, yes, not bad at all… not complicated, not so floral, very fruity, citric, fizzy, like a lemonade, and sweet, but tell me, why didn’t anyone mention the patchouli structure ? It gives me a déjà-vu sensation, à la Mon Paris, à la Mon Évidence and so on, but without being a dupe of any of them.

A very nice perfume, sweet, feminine and light yet strong. Powder and vanilla rather than flowers. One spray can scent the air in my room, but it's not cloying. I think this could go with pretty much any season or outfit. It's not my style, but it's good bang for your buck if you want a pleasant, versatile scent.

If you do find a bottle of So First, grab it with both hands.
I don't see it in stores here in the UK anymore and I fear that it is about to be discontinued, if not already.
It's so underrated and overlooked.
It does smell like a refined Flowerbomb and maybe that's why I'm so much in love with it.
I personally adore Frangipani and I can clearly sense it here.
Masterpiece.

I needed to consult my perfume timeline to see what fragrances I've worn recently in order to find out what that heavenly scent lingering on my half-worn sweater is. It's So First.

This is clearly a Flower Bomb dupe but it’s a little brighter. Clearly not the same quality but then again neither is the price. It’s a nice fragrance if you like flower bomb but you don’t like flower bomb prices.

I blindly bought a 100 ml bottle and I didn't like the first sprays, very synthetic and gave me headache. My first impression was of an unremarkable perfume. It made me sad because it wasn't cheap.
When summer came, I decided to give it one more chance and my impression then was completely different. It's a feminine and inoffensive floral. It's one of those perfumes we wear to be comfortable on a summer's day, having an ice cream while walking by the sea. It brings a certain cheerful and optimistic vibe, much needed in this summer of 2021. It easily lasts more than 8 hours on skin and forever on clothes.

This is very pretty; classic V&R Flowerbomb with a citric-champagne effervescence from the bergamot. Easy to wear, with good sillage and quite long-lasting (6+ hours). Perfect for spring/summer if you find V&R to overwhelming in the warmer months.

Mainstream bright floral with the usual suspects —bergamot and vanilla— rounding out the scent. Office safe and unremarkable.

This totally didn't need the bergamot (or at least not sooo much). I like bergamot, but it's not needed here. It's fundamentally a soft powdery vanilla ruined by bergamot. It would be like someone squeezing bergamot juice in a bowl of vanilla ice cream. I agree with other reviewers there is another sweet note in this like cotton candy that doesn't quite work. It smells a bit disjointed to me, and even a little nauseating.

Powdery vanilla is much better executed in Jennifer Aniston J, and this comes from someone who doesn't exactly find themselves craving powdery scents.

Well, here is a true hidden gem if ever there was one and the fact that it's a Nathalie Lorson creation makes it a very good find! To me the top of this lovely fragrance is full of bergamot and vanilla, an unusual but tantalizing combination. While the other florals add a sweetness to the composition I do not smell any particular floral that stands out, they all blend nicely into soft sweetness grounded by a subtle but ever present sandalwood. Very classic, feminine leaning scent. Beautiful. The bottle is first class as well. This would be a wonderful signature scent as it is appropriate for any circumstance, not loud but present and lasting on my skin about 4-5 hours. A beautiful gift as well. Big thumbs up yet AGAIN for Nathalie Lorson!

Nathalie Lorson perfumes are such a delight! So First is a lovely fresh vanilla; very clean and creamy. It is light, cozy and sits close to the skin.

I don't get any frangipani in this - or at least not the type of frangipani I was expecting as this is not a tropical scent.

I prefer to wear So First at home rather than out and about.

It's a pleasant smell that lasts very long on my skin (with 4 shots in hot weather). My roommate said that she could smell the light scent in the room even after 24+ hours from the last time I wore it.
Its drydown is a sweet vanilla scent that is not especially unique but flattering anyways.

This is such a pleasant well-made perfume. Yes, it does smell like a much softer version of flowerbomb. It's like they took the DNA of flowerbomb and mixed it with candy and something a little spicy. The sandalwood is probably where I'm getting that candy note, it smells freshly sweet and not heavy.

I watched a Youtube video with a man testing this scent and he said to skip it. Probably right for a man not to want to wear this, but as a feminine 40 something woman I say don't skip it. If you like romantic, casual wear like sundress's and sandals, this scent pairs perfectly.

A beautiful sweet vanilla that resembles Flowerbomb. It's soft and classy.

Disappointing blind buy. I bought this based on the given accords. Sickly sweet wasn’t one of the accords but that is how I would describe this scent. It smells like candyfloss and cigarettes. Anyone who says this smells like Coco Mademoiselle needs to have their nose examined. This is not worthy of mingling with my skin.

A very cozy soft, sweet but not sugary scent. It is approachable and smells comforting but not elegant. It’s a day scent and a cozy night at home scent, but not a night out. It’s a skin scent for me about an hour after spraying which is perfect for me as a teacher with an hour long commute. I like to smell comforting and approachable when a student comes right next to me, but don’t want to bother anyone who has fragrance sensitivities with an overbearing fragrance. This one fits the bill. When snuggling with my children at bedtime they comment about how good I smell, but I don’t hear anything about how I smell from anyone that’s not very close to me. This is the perfect silliage for a shy girl like myself.

I’ve seen a few people mention that this obviously has patchouli. I don’t know how they get that. I don’t smell any patchouli...just sandalwood. I just don’t want patchouli adverse people like myself to be scared away by Patch comments. Had I seen comments mentioning patchouli I never would have bought this and that would have been a shame.

This is the vanilla I've been looking for, it's light and creamy and great for everyday wear. Just a little spice in the dry-down so it's not boring. I love this.

I'm Van Cleef & Arpels fan.Soft, gentle and sweet.
I'd recommend it.

Nice scent. Girlie and classy. Not very original, but pleasant. I can imagine a sweet and romantic rich teenage girl wearing it. It is well blended, a bit sweet, joyful. A fragrance uncapable of offending anyone. If you want to come across as feminine and giving, wear this perfume.

The release of So First marks the 40th Anniversary of the original Van Cleef & Arpels First EDT. First is a classic aldehydic floral, a scent closely resembling Chanel No. 5 EDT. So First, however, is not a mature scent nor is it aldehydic. This flanker is actually surprisingly sweet on my skin.

I can see why some would draw comparisons between So First and Viktor & Rolf's infamous Flowerbomb. They do share some similarities, particularly in the drydown. Flowerbomb is, however, a much stronger fragrance with bold tea and sugar notes. So First is more subtle on the skin, tending to wear more like a skin-scent.

A young woman that prefers soft, clean florals would definitely enjoy this fragrance. Van Cleef & Arpels most likely intended for this flanker to be sweeter than most fragrances from their collection so that it would appeal to the younger consumers. It is a shame though that So First has been relegated to the bargain shelves so soon after its release. Perhaps it did not sell as well as they had hoped.

The most dominant notes to my nose include freesia, vanilla, frangipani and jasmine. A creamy note of sandalwood blends with the sweet vanilla to create a smooth and delicate drydown to finish.

Although very inexpensive, I don't think I'd ever purchase a bottle of So First, but with that being said, I wouldn't be unhappy if a bottle just so happened to fall into my lap.

It's in the notes - that's a very vanilla of fragrances.

It is a perfectly nice, I dare even to say comfortable and cozy, day scent. Not very plain but not over-complicated either. Not really sophisticated albeit still elegant and pure. The thing is that's a scent nobody minds. It might not be an alluring thing to say, but we all need that kind of fragrance in our lives - something that smells nice, that nobody gets a headache by, etc. Something we can wear to work or school that we feel good about but it's not just 'meh'.

The lasting power on my skin is pretty decent. On me it's mostly rosey vanilla, but at the end of the day there's nice hint of sandalwood.

If you are looking for a gourmet scent that's might not be a good choice. Try it if you want some vanilla-ish scent that's not so plain.

Not sure if I'm going to buy again but that's a perfume worth its not so expensive price.

so first is a sweet soft powdery floral on me but it doesnt last long on my skin. it reminds me of blossoming fruit trees for some reason.
safe everyday scent. really quite lovely but nothing outstanding.
pretty bottle.

This was a blind buy, as it was at a great price for a fine fragrance. I love the original First..so I thought it was a safe bet.

Wrong.

Though I don't hate it, I don't like it either. It has that ubiquitous fruity tang
of every other recent lauch fragrance, that makes you ultimately smell like everyone else around. It strikes me it was created to capture that teenage market, sixteen going on 36.

A very forgettable fragrance. Certainly not a signature, and will likely be a discontinued flanker.

The only thing that takes the sting out of this purchase was that it did not cost me much, and I will be giving it away this Christmas...the bottle is very pretty.

Yes it is a bit Coco Mademoiselle, a bit Flowerbomb, and a bit Miss Dior as well. I confess I don't recall which year Dior; whichever one was the jammy rose one. Very surprised this doesn't list rose in the notes. It's on top and dies swiftly though. This is a good gift perfume, it's cute and well done, not particularly heavy or longevitous but it works for a few hours. It's like Coco but with training wheels on. And even though it's very girl next door ordinary it manages to have more personality than Gabrielle.

Inoffensive, quiet, accurate perfume. Too quiet for someone who need feel "orchestra of rainbow" for comfort.
Wasn't impressed while bought following reviews so expected something interesting. Turned out something what my teenage daughter likes a lot...
Those who like strong complicated "signature" smells have to avoid purchase not to get disappointed..

Smells like Flowerbomb and Shalimar Parfum Initial layered. Basically it's a very bergamot heavy Flowerbomb. Very sweet, powdery but a fluffy powder, floral with lots of bergamot and a little patchouli. I don't know why patchouli isn't listed since it's obviously in this.

Edited to add: I wore this to work today and a woman approached me and asked if I was wearing Coco mademoiselle by Chanel. I told her what I was wearing and she said to her it smelled like a slightly sweeter version of Coco Mademoiselle which is her favorite fragrance. She then wrote down the name. Weird, I didn't think this at all when I smelled it, but I guess I can see how some people could interpret it this way.

Second edit: Wore this to work again today and female customer asked me if I was wearing Coco Mademoiselle. She said it smelled wonderful. One of my male coworkers told me it was his favorite perfume I've ever worn and, obviously, I wear many different perfumes around him. I find this all so strange. It doesn't smell like Coco Mademoiselle to me, but I've worn this fragrance twice and both times strangers thought it was the Chanel. The actual Chanel smells really terrible on me. Bizarre!

OMG I am in love with this baby! Bought it online at a huge sale, as a blind buy, but the reviews sounded promising, and I love several other Van Cleef & Arpels - especially Féerie and Oriens. It was so cheap I couldn't resist buying it unsniffed, and I am SO happy I did, as I am completely amazed by it.

When first sprayed, it is very zesty bergamot and lemon, but it only last a minute or so, and very quickly turns into something more creamy and soft - white flowers especially. I think I get tuberose the most, and freesia maybe? Very difficult to put a specific label on which kinda flowers, but def. white flowers. Clean, soft, creamy, feminine.

After approx. half an hour, it starts developing a bit - gets a bit deeper and richer. I know patchouli is not listed, but I def. get some patchouli like scent.. The vanilla and the frangipani really steps up and make their fabulous entrée .

After some hours of wear, it dries down to end - and stay - as this beautiful vanilla trail on the skin, which has a frangipani kick, without being a typical frangipani-beach scent . There is some amazing, underlaying flowers underneath - still smells like patchouli to me - which gives it depth.

It has great projection, and last for AGES. Amazing quality. Bottle is so pretty .

This is a new favorite for sure, can't believe this hasn't got more hype. A very safe buy. It is in same genre as Viktor & Rolf 'Flowerbomb', Lancôme 'La Vie Est Belle', Prada 'Candy' and similar, popular sweet patchouli fragrances. With that being said, this is still unique, and not a 'copy'.

BWT: this is not similar to the original 'First' at all - they're two completely different fragrances. I think it is named like this, to kinda keep it in the family of the brand. Just like 'Black Opium' has nothing to do with the original 'Opium' from Yves Saint Laurent.

This will suit many kinda women at different ages and taste. This is a safe buy - a crowd pleaser, in the best way possible. Can't recommend it enough :)

So, this lasts pretty f*ing long.

Now that's out of the way, it is a not-too-sweet and creamy vanilla that's perfect for everyday wear. It is not overbearing and won't bother anybody as warm as the weather gets.
Although it is pretty simple, people care enough to compliment it and ask what it is, which is always a good sign to me.

I'd recommend it (also a safe blind buy btw), really because it is cheap, it smells good, and people around me like it as much as I do, so for a perfume it does the job.

So First is a fresh spring/summer scent to me. Fresh and airy, and there for many hours. Not heavy, more fresh, sparkling uplifting. The Vanilla and Fragipani is dominant on my skin supportet by soft mild sandalwood. Very nice indeed.

So First är en fräsch vår/sommardoft för mig. Fräsch och luftig och närvarande runt dig länge. Inte tung utan mer fräsch, sprudlande och glad. Vanilj och Frangipani är den dominanta mixen på min hud, uppbackad av mjuk varm sandelträ. Superfin doft.

Absolutely gorgeous light sweet fragrance that's just ideal for spring and summer.

I'm not a huge Van Cleef & Arpels fan, simply because the fragrances are too 'fresh' for my tastes. I like mine sweet and cuddly, creamy. I blind bought this and I'm still waiting for my bottle, but yesterday I 'stumbled into' a shop who has this. So, since I bought it already, I decided to give it a try.
This fragrance is Angel Eau Sucree meets Dame's Mexican Vanilla for a cold lemonade in a quiet garden. It's Vanilla, creamy, soft, hint of powder. I don't really detect much except for the vanilla and maybe a bit of the sandalwood. Divine!!!! I'm getting a backup of this ASAP

It has nothing to do with the original EDP, but that's what I like about it.
It's a nice and simple everyday scent, the most dominant notes are vanilla and frangipani. I can also sense tart lime note, which balances the sweetness well.
Very light and creamy, I like it.

This is absolutely stunning. Very soft and gentle. I'm actually quite moved as I sniff my wrist. It is reminiscent of a tender Flowerbomb and evokes true femininity. The scent itself is a creamy concoction of magnolia and vanilla with tarte nuances of frangipani. It remains close to the skin on myself which I don't mind because it's one of those scents that are enjoyed best in a close embrace.

01. July 2016

Oh it is so not first (and im not comparing it to the classic one), been there, smelled that before...

Nothing much to say except that it is a hevay vanilla frangipani mix in the opening (quite sufgocating and headache causing to me) in a vein of La vie est belle (muchh lesser praline though) and mix of Flowerbomb. Later Frangipani takes over and vailla is less dominating, but still ot is one of modern sweet scents with moderate sillage and lasting power. If only i could take away the opening it would be much more wearable for me but the way it is as it is its a suffer for me.

Very sweet, heavy vanilla and intense frangipani scent. Proud representative of sugary scents' trend. If you like La vie est belle or Flowerbomb, you must try it. For me it's far too sweet.

Real pretty, the sweetness isn't overdone, the scent has projection, it s a lovely sweet take on a more classic scent!! The base is more floral, less sweet, with a nice creaminess..smooth florals blended in with vanilla..the freesia seems to dominate, but I do detect frangipani, ..in a way it reminded me of Ralph Lauren Midnight Romance, but I much prefer So First, just better all around..
Don't expect though the Van cleef elegance, it is a simplistic modern juice!!
.I must say I like wearing it!! Longevity is ok..
In the end it is like a very nice shower gel!!!