Fragrance comparison

Balahe vs First

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

Updated 20 Oct 2026 4,004 ratings analysed

Balahe

Leonard

4.23521 votes

Rank #4,195 SweetPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

23%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

First

Van Cleef & Arpels

3.983,483 votes

Rank #912 FloralGreen

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

First takes 4 of 8 categories.

Balahe
Choose it for a sweet and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and note pyramid duration. Best in winter, evening wear.
First
Choose it for a floral and green character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Balahe3/8

First4/8

Ratings & consensus: Balahe
Community sentiment: Balahe
Longevity: Tie
Sillage & projection: First
Value for money: First
Versatility: First
Note pyramid (duration): Balahe
Fragranxe ranking: First

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

BalaheLeonard

FirstVan Cleef & Arpels

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.23/ 5 · 521 votes

Have 62%Had 38%Want 0%

3.98/ 5 · 3,483 votes

Have 63%Had 37%Want 0%

Category winnerBalaheRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

47%Love

40%Like

2%Ok

10%Dislike

0%Hate

521 votes

38%Love

41%Like

3%Ok

17%Dislike

1%Hate

3,483 votes

Category winnerBalaheMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity72

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate81

⏱ Longevity72

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityTie

SillageFirst

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value51

¤ Price value59

Category winnerFirstBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

sweet100%

powdery92%

white floral84%

woody77%

musky69%

fruity61%

floral100%

green92%

aldehydic84%

white floral77%

yellow floral69%

fresh61%

Scent match23%Clearly different · both white floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-30 mins

PlumAldehydesClary SageCorianderAnisePineappleMandarin OrangeBergamot

Heart3-4 hrs

TuberoseOrchidOrris RootYlang-YlangIrisRoseJasmineOrange Blossom

Base8-10+ hrs

CivetOpoponaxVanillaSandalwoodMuskVetiver

Top20-30 mins

AldehydesBergamotBlack CurrantPeachMandarin OrangeRaspberry

Heart3-4 hrs

NarcissusHiacynthJasmineLily-of-the-ValleyCarnationYlang-YlangOrris RootTuberose

Base6-8+ hrs

CivetOakmossHoneyAmberMuskSandalwoodVetiverTonka Bean

Category winnerBalaheLongest dry-down: 8-10+ hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring27

Summer19

Fall0

Winter100

Day37

Night100

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter99

Day100

Night66

Category winnerFirstMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex44

Women55

Date 41%Party 33%Casual 15%Work 10%

Men2

Unisex12

Women86

Work 33%Casual 29%Date 25%Party 14%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#4,195

PerfumerDaniel Moliere

Launched—

Reviews50

Overall rank#912

PerfumerJean-Claude Ellena

Launched—

Reviews205

Category winnerFirstHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Balahe by Leonard is a decadent 1983 oriental floral that refuses to whisper. Dark, syrupy plum immediately collides with sharp aldehydes and spicy coriander in the opening. Give it five minutes. Once that initial solvent burst settles, a lush heart of creamy tuberose, powdery iris, and warm ylang-ylang unfolds across…

Reviews →

First by Van Cleef & Arpels opens with a brisk, effervescent burst of aldehydes, tart bergamot, and ripe black currant that immediately calls to mind crisp, high-end French milled soap. As the initial sparkle settles, the scent unfolds into an abundant floral heart packed with spring narcissus, dewy green hyacinth, an…

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.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Balahe or First?

First takes 4 of 8 categories. Balahe is rated 4.23/5 from 521 votes; First is rated 3.98/5 from 3,483 votes. Choose Balahe for a sweet and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and note pyramid duration. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose First for a floral and green character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Balahe or First?

They last about the same: Balahe 72/100, First 72/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Balahe or First?

Projection is very close: First 64/100, Balahe 62/100 for sillage.

Do Balahe and First smell similar?

Clearly different: a 23% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share white floral accords. Common notes include Aldehydes, Mandarin Orange, Bergamot and Tuberose.

Is Balahe or First better for summer or winter?

For summer, Balahe is the stronger pick. For winter, Balahe is the stronger pick. Balahe suits evening wear; First suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Balahe and First?

Balahe has top notes of Plum, Aldehydes, Clary Sage and Coriander, heart notes of Tuberose, Orchid, Orris Root and Ylang-Ylang, a base of Civet, Opoponax, Vanilla and Sandalwood. First has top notes of Aldehydes, Bergamot, Black Currant and Peach, heart notes of Narcissus, Hiacynth, Jasmine and Lily-of-the-Valley, a base of Civet, Oakmoss, Honey and Amber.