Fragrance comparison

Bleu de Chine vs First

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

Updated 16 Oct 2026 3,643 ratings analysed

Bleu de Chine

Marc de la Morandiere

4.41160 votes

Rank #6,275 WoodyWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

27%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

First

Van Cleef & Arpels

3.983,483 votes

Rank #913 FloralGreen

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

First takes 4 of 8 categories.

Bleu de Chine
Choose it for a woody and white floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. 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.

Bleu de Chine3/8

First4/8

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Bleu de ChineMarc de la Morandiere

FirstVan Cleef & Arpels

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.41/ 5 · 160 votes

Have 65%Had 35%Want 0%

3.98/ 5 · 3,483 votes

Have 63%Had 37%Want 0%

Category winnerBleu de ChineRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

49%Love

46%Like

2%Ok

3%Dislike

0%Hate

160 votes

38%Love

41%Like

3%Ok

17%Dislike

1%Hate

3,483 votes

Category winnerBleu de ChineMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate85

⏱ Longevity72

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityBleu de Chine

SillageFirst

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value55

¤ Price value59

Category winnerFirstBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

white floral92%

mossy84%

earthy77%

amber69%

tuberose61%

floral100%

green92%

aldehydic84%

white floral77%

yellow floral69%

fresh61%

Scent match27%Clearly different · both white floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

TuberoseJasmineLily-of-the-ValleyBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

OakmossSandalwoodYlang-YlangVetiver

Base6-8+ hrs

ResinsVanillaTonka BeanMusk

Top20-30 mins

AldehydesBergamotBlack CurrantPeachMandarin OrangeRaspberry

Heart3-4 hrs

NarcissusHiacynthJasmineLily-of-the-ValleyCarnationYlang-YlangOrris RootTuberose

Base6-8+ hrs

CivetOakmossHoneyAmberMuskSandalwoodVetiverTonka Bean

Category winnerTieSame dry-down length

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring73

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day53

Night100

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter99

Day100

Night66

Category winnerFirstMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex27

Women73

Date 37%Party 29%Work 18%Casual 16%

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#6,275

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews13

Overall rank#913

PerfumerJean-Claude Ellena

Launched—

Reviews205

Category winnerFirstHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Bleu de Chine by Marc de la Morandiere is a bold 1987 floral chypre built with unapologetic character. The opening flares up with creamy tuberose, sweet jasmine, and a zesty flash of bergamot that quickly commands attention. Give it five minutes. Soon, the initial alcohol lift yields to a dense heart of genuine oakmos…

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, Bleu de Chine or First?

First takes 4 of 8 categories. Bleu de Chine is rated 4.41/5 from 160 votes; First is rated 3.98/5 from 3,483 votes. Choose Bleu de Chine for a woody and white floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. 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, Bleu de Chine or First?

Bleu de Chine lasts longest (Bleu de Chine 75/100, First 72/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Bleu de Chine or First?

Projection is very close: First 64/100, Bleu de Chine 62/100 for sillage.

Do Bleu de Chine and First smell similar?

Clearly different: a 27% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share white floral accords. Common notes include Tuberose, Jasmine, Lily-of-the-Valley and Bergamot.

Is Bleu de Chine or First better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Bleu de Chine and First?

Bleu de Chine has top notes of Tuberose, Jasmine, Lily-of-the-Valley and Bergamot, heart notes of Oakmoss, Sandalwood, Ylang-Ylang and Vetiver, a base of Resins, Vanilla, Tonka Bean and Musk. 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.