Escape vs First
Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.
25%scent match
Clearly different
Quick verdict
Which one should you pick?
No clear winner: the 8 categories split 4–4.
EscapeChoose it for a aromatic and fruity character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.
FirstChoose it for a floral and green character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and note pyramid duration. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Escape4/8
First4/8
- Ratings & consensus
- First
- Community sentiment
- First
- Longevity
- Escape
- Sillage & projection
- Escape
- Value for money
- Escape
- Versatility
- Escape
- Note pyramid (duration)
- First
- Fragranxe ranking
- First
Head-to-head breakdown
Every category side by side, with the winner called out.
Fragrance
EscapeCalvin KleinFirstVan Cleef & ArpelsWinner
Ratings & consensus
Average rating and ownership split3.69/ 5 · 3,303 votes
Have 43%Had 39%Want 18%
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 hate28%Love
41%Like
5%Ok
23%Dislike
2%Hate
3,303 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
LongevityEscape
SillageEscape
Value for money
How fairly priced voters find itCategory winnerEscapeBest value score
Main accords
Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by botharomatic100%
fruity92%
floral84%
herbal77%
sweet69%
fresh spicy61%
floral100%
green92%
aldehydic84%
white floral77%
yellow floral69%
fresh61%
Scent match25%Clearly different · both floral
Note pyramid (duration)
Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = sharedTop1 to 2 hours
MelonChamomileMarigoldApricotHiacynthOakmossAppleCoriander
Heart3 to 4 hours
PeachLily-of-the-ValleyCarnationRoseJasmineCloves
Base5 to 8 hours
MuskSandalwoodAmberVetiverCedarVanilla
Top20-30 mins
AldehydesBergamotBlack CurrantPeachMandarin OrangeRaspberry
Heart3-4 hrs
NarcissusHiacynthJasmineLily-of-the-ValleyCarnationYlang-YlangOrris RootTuberose
Base6-8+ hrs
CivetOakmossHoneyAmberMuskSandalwoodVetiverTonka Bean
Category winnerFirstLongest dry-down: 6-8+ hrs
Seasons & time of day
Relative to each fragrance's best seasonSpring100
Summer89
Fall99
Winter57
Day100
Night57
Spring100
Summer0
Fall0
Winter99
Day100
Night85
Category winnerEscapeMost year-round
Who wears it
Gender appeal votesInformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored
Ranking & credits
Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launchOverall rank#25,925
PerfumerClaude Dir
Launched—
Reviews0
Overall rank#943
PerfumerJean-Claude Ellena
Launched—
Reviews205
Category winnerFirstHigher overall rank
In a nutshell
Description & review snapshotEscape by Calvin Klein is an assertive floral aquatic scent defined by juicy melon, bitter chamomile, and earthy marigold up front. Created in 1991, it captures an unmistakable early nineties character that feels lush, breezy, and unapologetically bold. As the initial burst settles, crisp peach, lily-of-the-valley, an…
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
Ask about this matchup
Get a practical answer grounded in the fragrances currently selected.
Recent comparisons
Head-to-head activity from live history
♛
Lime & NeroliMahdi PerfumesWINNER
vs
BanditRobert PiguetRUNNER-UP
1 person compared this today
Lime & NeroliMahdi PerfumesWINNER
vs
BanditRobert PiguetRUNNER-UP
♛
Plum de VeloursSuperfumistaWINNER
vs
Royal FlushTestament LondonRUNNER-UP
1 person compared this today
Plum de VeloursSuperfumistaWINNER
vs
Royal FlushTestament LondonRUNNER-UP
Malbec IconO BoticárioRUNNER-UP
vs
♛
Amber FusionKarakash PerfumeWINNER
Jette 7Flowers Cherry BlossomJette JoopRUNNER-UP
vs
♛
KoiameJ-ScentWINNER
Common questions
Straight answers from the data above.
Which is better, Escape or First?
No clear winner: the 8 categories split 4–4. Escape is rated 3.69/5 from 3,303 votes; First is rated 3.98/5 from 3,483 votes. Choose Escape for a aromatic and fruity character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose First for a floral and green character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and note pyramid duration. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Which lasts longer, Escape or First?
Escape lasts longest (Escape 76/100, First 72/100), based on community performance votes.
Which projects more, Escape or First?
Escape projects furthest (Escape 69/100, First 64/100), based on community performance votes.
Do Escape and First smell similar?
Clearly different: a 25% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share floral accords. Common notes include Hiacynth, Oakmoss, Peach and Lily-of-the-Valley.
Is Escape or First better for summer or winter?
For summer, Escape is the stronger pick. For winter, First is the stronger pick. Escape suits daytime wear; First suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.
What are the notes in Escape and First?
Escape has top notes of Melon, Chamomile, Marigold and Apricot, heart notes of Peach, Lily-of-the-Valley, Carnation and Rose, a base of Musk, Sandalwood, Amber and Vetiver. 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.
Popular fragrance comparisons
The matchups people have compared most on Fragranxe.
vs
Sauvage vs Bleu de Chanel
Dior · Chanel · 36 comparisons
vs
Paco Rabanne Pour Homme Rabanne for men vs Shiyaaka Shadow
Rabanne · Khadlaj Perfumes · 30 comparisons
vs
Baccarat Rouge 540 vs Khamrah
Maison Francis Kurkdjian · Lattafa Perfumes · 21 comparisons
vs
Birth of Venus vs Brioni Eau de Parfum Intense
Argos · Brioni · 17 comparisons
vs
Supremacy Not Only Intense vs Arabians Tonka
Afnan · Montale · 14 comparisons
vs
Secret De Venus Eau de Parfum vs # What Matters is Inside - Italy
Weil · Jovoy Paris · 14 comparisons