Ella vs First
Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.
14%scent match
Clearly different
Quick verdict
Which one should you pick?
First takes 6 of 7 categories.
EllaChoose it for a musky and powdery character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in winter.
FirstChoose it for a floral and green character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Ella1/7
First6/7
- Ratings & consensus
- First
- Community sentiment
- First
- Longevity
- First
- Sillage & projection
- Ella
- Value for money
- First
- Versatility
- First
- Note pyramid (duration)
- Not scored
- Fragranxe ranking
- First
Head-to-head breakdown
Every category side by side, with the winner called out.
Fragrance
EllaArquisteFirstVan Cleef & ArpelsWinner
Ratings & consensus
Average rating and ownership split3.61/ 5 · 135 votes
Have 28%Had 11%Want 61%
3.98/ 5 · 3,483 votes
Have 63%Had 37%Want 0%
Category winnerFirstRating weighted by vote count
Community sentiment
How voters split from love to hate29%Love
35%Like
7%Ok
26%Dislike
3%Hate
135 votes
38%Love
41%Like
3%Ok
17%Dislike
1%Hate
3,483 votes
Category winnerFirstMost positive mix (25+ votes)
Longevity & sillage
0–100 community performance scores
Category winners
LongevityFirst
SillageElla
Value for money
How fairly priced voters find itCategory winnerFirstBest value score
Main accords
Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by bothmusky100%
powdery92%
animalic84%
amber77%
white floral69%
smoky61%
floral100%
green92%
aldehydic84%
white floral77%
yellow floral69%
fresh61%
Scent match14%Clearly different · both white floral
Note pyramid (duration)
Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = sharedNotes
CivetJasmineSmokeHoneyAngelicaCarrot SeedsAmbergrisVetiverTurkish RosePatchouliCardamom
No top / heart / base split published
Top20-30 mins
AldehydesBergamotBlack CurrantPeachMandarin OrangeRaspberry
Heart3-4 hrs
NarcissusHiacynthJasmineLily-of-the-ValleyCarnationYlang-YlangOrris RootTuberose
Base6-8+ hrs
CivetOakmossHoneyAmberMuskSandalwoodVetiverTonka Bean
InformationalShared notesCivet, Jasmine, Honey and Vetiver. Durations are only published for First, so this is not scored.
Seasons & time of day
Relative to each fragrance's best seasonSpring78
Summer0
Fall0
Winter100
Day–
Night–
Spring100
Summer0
Fall0
Winter99
Day100
Night85
Category winnerFirstMost year-round
Who wears it
Gender appeal votesInformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored
Ranking & credits
Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launchOverall rank#33,992
PerfumerRodrigo Flores-Roux
Launched—
Reviews0
Overall rank#955
PerfumerJean-Claude Ellena
Launched—
Reviews205
Category winnerFirstHigher overall rank
In a nutshell
Description & review snapshotElla by Arquiste is a Chypre fragrance for women. Ella was launched in 2016. The nose behind this fragrance is Rodrigo Flores-Roux.
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.
Guided comparison
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Common questions
Straight answers from the data above.
Which is better, Ella or First?
First takes 6 of 7 categories. Ella is rated 3.61/5 from 135 votes; First is rated 3.98/5 from 3,483 votes. Choose Ella for a musky and powdery character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in winter. Choose First for a floral and green character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Which lasts longer, Ella or First?
They last about the same: First 72/100, Ella 70/100 for longevity in community votes.
Which projects more, Ella or First?
Ella projects furthest (Ella 69/100, First 64/100), based on community performance votes.
Do Ella and First smell similar?
Clearly different: a 14% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share white floral accords. Common notes include Civet, Jasmine, Honey and Vetiver.
Is Ella or First better for summer or winter?
For summer, Ella is the stronger pick. For winter, Ella is the stronger pick. First suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.
What are the notes in Ella and First?
Ella features Civet, Jasmine, Smoke, Honey and Angelica. 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.
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