‘Every woman deserves to be First…’ was the slightly racy tag-line for the fragrance created for the prestigious French jewellery house of Van Cleef & Arpels founded by Alfred Van Cleef, Charles and Julien Arpels. Debuting way back in 1976 (if you can believe it was that long) the perfume took the world by storm – the iconic floral aldehyde becoming legendary – and secured its way into many a fragrance fan’s heart. So… what better time than the 40th anniversary of the original scent than to celebrate the second-coming with the launch of So First?
Composed by ultra talented perfumer Nathalie Lorson, So First is described as a scent ‘…to wear around your neck, like an invisible jewel.’
Top Notes: Bergamot, magnolia
Heart Notes: Freesia, jasmine, frangipani
Base notes: Vanilla, sandalwood
An harmonious balance of a whisper-soft floral bouquet – an echo of the original, with a sparkle of bergamot twinkling in the top notes – enhanced by a distinctly modern touch of gourmand sweetness. As the waxy magnolia, jasmine and freesia give way to exotically creamy frangipani, we get a subtle yet completely addictive white chocolate-like note that deepens in the dry down of smooth sandalwood and vanilla. Most definitely a wrist-sniffer!
With a streamlined flacon that nods to the heritage of the past while remaining resolutely contemporary, we think it’s set to be the ‘first’ fragrance love of a whole new generation…
Van Cleef & Arpels So First from £32 for 30ml eau de parfum
Available now exclusively in Harrods (nationwide, September 12th)
Written by Suzy Nightingale
