Fragrance comparison

173 Candy vs First Love

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 15 Nov 2026 143 ratings analysed

4 wins

173 Candy

Michael Malul London

4.24128 votes

Rank #29,821 VanillaFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

54%scent match

Some overlap

First Love

Shirley May

3.4715 votes

Rank #65,075 FruitySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

173 Candy takes 4 of 5 categories.

173 Candy
Choose it for a vanilla and floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring.
First Love
Choose it for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

173 Candy4/5

First Love1/5

Ratings & consensus: 173 Candy
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: 173 Candy
Sillage & projection: 173 Candy
Value for money: First Love
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: 173 Candy

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

173 CandyMichael Malul London

First LoveShirley May

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.24/ 5 · 128 votes

Have 84%Had 16%Want 0%

3.47/ 5 · 15 votes

Have 15%Had 30%Want 56%

Category winner173 CandyRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

53%Love

26%Like

15%Ok

5%Dislike

2%Hate

128 votes

27%Love

33%Like

7%Ok

27%Dislike

7%Hate

15 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate81

⏱ Longevity43

〰 Sillage38

♥ Love / hate62

Category winners

Longevity173 Candy

Sillage173 Candy

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value56

¤ Price value85

Category winnerFirst LoveBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

vanilla100%

floral92%

sweet84%

amber77%

fruity69%

powdery61%

fruity100%

sweet83%

floral65%

woody48%

green30%

Scent match54%Some overlap · both fruity, sweet and floral

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top

QuinceCitruses

Heart

JasmineFreesiaRose

Base

VanillaAmberWoody NotesMusk

Top

Black CurrantAppleWild StrawberryCitruses

Heart

RaspberrySweet PeaJasmineRoseFreesia

Base

MuskAmberSandalwood

InformationalShared notesCitruses, Jasmine, Freesia and Rose. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter77

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer71

Fall71

Winter29

Day100

Night17

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men7

Unisex4

Women89

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#29,821

PerfumerFrank Voelkl, Roger Howell

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#65,075

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winner173 CandyHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

173 Candy is a sweet fruity floral with a soft musky amber base. The quince and citrus opening gives it a bright, juicy lift, then jasmine, freesia, and rose smooth it into a powdery vanilla finish that reads feminine and easy to wear. It suits shoppers who want a playful floral gourmand without heavy syrup. The overa…

Reviews →

First Love by Shirley May opens with a bright burst of black currant and tart apple, softened almost immediately by a sweet wild strawberry note. As it settles on the skin, the fragrance transitions into a light, airy floral bouquet dominated by sweet pea and freesia, while jasmine adds a clean, soapy depth. It feels …

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, 173 Candy or First Love?

173 Candy takes 4 of 5 categories. 173 Candy is rated 4.24/5 from 128 votes; First Love is rated 3.47/5 from 15 votes. Choose 173 Candy for a vanilla and floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring. Choose First Love for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, 173 Candy or First Love?

173 Candy lasts longest (173 Candy 63/100, First Love 43/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, 173 Candy or First Love?

173 Candy projects furthest (173 Candy 50/100, First Love 38/100), based on community performance votes.

Do 173 Candy and First Love smell similar?

Some overlap: a 54% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fruity, sweet and floral accords. Common notes include Citruses, Jasmine, Freesia and Rose.

Is 173 Candy or First Love better for summer or winter?

First Love suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in 173 Candy and First Love?

173 Candy has top notes of Quince and Citruses, heart notes of Jasmine, Freesia and Rose, a base of Vanilla, Amber, Woody Notes and Musk. First Love has top notes of Black Currant, Apple, Wild Strawberry and Citruses, heart notes of Raspberry, Sweet Pea, Jasmine and Rose, a base of Musk, Amber and Sandalwood.