Fragrance comparison

First Parfum vs H21

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

Updated 9 Oct 2026 333 ratings analysed

3 wins

First Parfum

Van Cleef & Arpels

4.22298 votes

Rank #3,936 FloralPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

45%scent match

Some overlap

H21

Bepolar

3.4535 votes

Rank #14,661 WoodyFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

First Parfum takes 3 of 5 categories.

First Parfum
Choose it for a floral and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.
H21
Choose it for a woody and fruity character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, day or night wear.

First Parfum3/5

H212/5

Ratings & consensus: First Parfum
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: H21
Sillage & projection: H21
Value for money: First Parfum
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: First Parfum

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

First ParfumVan Cleef & Arpels

H21Bepolar

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.22/ 5 · 298 votes

Have 48%Had 23%Want 29%

3.45/ 5 · 35 votes

Have 32%Had 36%Want 32%

Category winnerFirst ParfumRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

47%Love

39%Like

4%Ok

10%Dislike

0%Hate

298 votes

20%Love

40%Like

20%Ok

0%Dislike

20%Hate

10 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate81

⏱ Longevity78

〰 Sillage69

♥ Love / hate72

Category winners

LongevityH21

SillageH21

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value53

¤ Price value25

Category winnerFirst ParfumBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

floral100%

powdery92%

woody84%

sweet77%

musky69%

animalic61%

woody100%

fruity92%

floral84%

aromatic77%

warm spicy69%

powdery61%

Scent match45%Some overlap · both floral, woody and powdery

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-30 mins

AldehydesPeachBlack CurrantBergamotRaspberry

Heart3-4 hrs

HyacinthTurkish RoseCarnationYlang-YlangJasmineTuberoseOrris RootOrchid

Base8-10+ hrs

CivetHoneyMossSandalwoodVetiverAmberMuskVanilla

Top

RoseMuskVetiver

Heart

Carnation

Base

Black CurrantSandalwood

InformationalShared notesBlack Currant, Turkish Rose, Carnation and Sandalwood. Durations are only published for First Parfum, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring86

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day57

Night100

Spring100

Summer0

Fall80

Winter80

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men4

Unisex11

Women85

Date 39%Party 31%Work 17%Casual 14%

Men29

Unisex71

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#3,936

PerfumerJean-Claude Ellena

Launched—

Reviews25

Overall rank#14,661

PerfumerAngelo Orazio Pregoni

Launched—

Reviews17

Category winnerFirst ParfumHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

First Parfum by Van Cleef & Arpels opens with a crisp rush of aldehydes alongside sweet peach and tangy black currant, creating a bright fizz that immediately recalls luxury French bath soap. As it warms on the skin, a rich floral heart takes over, mingling velvety Turkish rose, night-blooming jasmine, and earthy hyac…

Reviews →

H21 by Bepolar is a woody aromatic creation from 2019 that blends bright rose and musk with an earthy vetiver base. It offers a clean, woody profile that feels versatile for daily wear. This scent maintains a crisp character on the skin, leaning toward those who appreciate subtle, refined woodiness in their everyday f…

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, First Parfum or H21?

First Parfum takes 3 of 5 categories. First Parfum is rated 4.22/5 from 298 votes; H21 is rated 3.45/5 from 35 votes. Choose First Parfum for a floral and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose H21 for a woody and fruity character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, First Parfum or H21?

H21 lasts longest (H21 78/100, First Parfum 73/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, First Parfum or H21?

H21 projects furthest (H21 69/100, First Parfum 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Do First Parfum and H21 smell similar?

Some overlap: a 45% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share floral, woody and powdery accords. Common notes include Black Currant, Turkish Rose, Carnation and Sandalwood.

Is First Parfum or H21 better for summer or winter?

First Parfum suits evening wear; H21 suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in First Parfum and H21?

First Parfum has top notes of Aldehydes, Peach, Black Currant and Bergamot, heart notes of Hyacinth, Turkish Rose, Carnation and Ylang-Ylang, a base of Civet, Honey, Moss and Sandalwood. H21 has top notes of Rose, Musk and Vetiver, heart notes of Carnation, a base of Black Currant and Sandalwood.