Fragrance comparison

First Parfum vs Modern Jess

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 320 ratings analysed

4 wins

First Parfum

Van Cleef & Arpels

4.22298 votes

Rank #4,427 FloralPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

37%scent match

Some overlap

Modern Jess

Jessica McClintock

3.8222 votes

Rank #40,016 FloralGreen

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

First Parfum takes 4 of 5 categories.

First Parfum
Choose it for a floral and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.
Modern Jess
Choose it for a floral and green character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

First Parfum4/5

Modern Jess1/5

Ratings & consensus: First Parfum
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: First Parfum
Sillage & projection: First Parfum
Value for money: Modern Jess
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

Modern JessJessica McClintock

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.22/ 5 · 298 votes

Have 48%Had 23%Want 29%

3.82/ 5 · 22 votes

Have 31%Had 13%Want 56%

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

32%Love

36%Like

14%Ok

18%Dislike

0%Hate

22 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate81

⏱ Longevity58

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate70

Category winners

LongevityFirst Parfum

SillageFirst Parfum

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value53

¤ Price value92

Category winnerModern JessBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

floral100%

powdery92%

woody84%

sweet77%

musky69%

animalic61%

floral100%

green91%

rose83%

fresh spicy74%

violet65%

powdery56%

Scent match37%Some overlap · both floral 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

VioletYlang-YlangBergamot

Heart

HyacinthRoseTuberoseJasmine Sambac

Base

PeachSandalwoodVanilla

InformationalShared notesPeach, Bergamot, Hyacinth and Turkish Rose. 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

Day73

Night100

Spring100

Summer71

Fall43

Winter29

Day100

Night14

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men4

Unisex11

Women85

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#4,427

PerfumerJean-Claude Ellena

Launched—

Reviews25

Overall rank#40,016

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews4

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 →

Modern Jess by Jessica McClintock is a bright, uplifting floral fragrance centered around crisp spring blossoms. It opens with a sparkling burst of bergamot, powdery violet, and ylang-ylang before unfolding into a lush garden bouquet of green hyacinth, romantic rose, creamy tuberose, and sweet jasmine sambac. As it dr…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, First Parfum or Modern Jess?

First Parfum takes 4 of 5 categories. First Parfum is rated 4.22/5 from 298 votes; Modern Jess is rated 3.82/5 from 22 votes. Choose First Parfum for a floral and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Modern Jess for a floral and green character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, First Parfum or Modern Jess?

First Parfum lasts longest (First Parfum 73/100, Modern Jess 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, First Parfum or Modern Jess?

First Parfum projects furthest (First Parfum 65/100, Modern Jess 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Do First Parfum and Modern Jess smell similar?

Some overlap: a 37% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share floral and powdery accords. Common notes include Peach, Bergamot, Hyacinth and Turkish Rose.

Is First Parfum or Modern Jess better for summer or winter?

First Parfum suits evening wear; Modern Jess suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in First Parfum and Modern Jess?

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. Modern Jess has top notes of Violet, Ylang-Ylang and Bergamot, heart notes of Hyacinth, Rose, Tuberose and Jasmine Sambac, a base of Peach, Sandalwood and Vanilla.