Un Air de First Van Cleef & Arpels
Un Air de First announces itself with galbanum — that singular green, resinous note that carries the ghost of 1970s sophistication.
The scent fingerprint
Weighted by intensity across 10 accords.
Every perfume in Sillage is represented as a distribution across canonical accord slugs — a lingua franca for scent. Two fragrances with overlapping fingerprints are scent-twins, even if they share no literal note.
- Jasmine55
- Rose50
- Musk45
- Vetiver40
- Green35
By the editors · 2 min readUn Air de First announces itself with galbanum — that singular green, resinous note that carries the ghost of 1970s sophistication. It is cool and slightly waxy, the kind of opening that clears the air before the floral heart arrives. Rare in modern perfumery, galbanum's presence here signals a deliberate nod to the house's heritage and to the original First (1976).
The heart unfolds into three classic white florals: jasmine, lily of the valley, and rose. They arrive as a gathered bouquet rather than a soliflore, generous without becoming heavy. Galbanum lingers beneath, maintaining a green crispness that keeps the composition from drifting toward sweetness.
Vetiver adds a dry, slightly smoky underpinning to the base, while white musk provides sheer lift and amber and vanilla offer warmth without sentimentality. The arc — green opener to white floral heart to clean, grounded base — traces First's original architecture in a lighter, more contemporary format.
