Sortilège vs First
Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.
48%scent match
Some overlap
Quick verdict
Which one should you pick?
First takes 5 of 8 categories.
SortilègeChoose it for a woody and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear.
FirstChoose it for a floral and green character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Sortilège3/8
First5/8
- Ratings & consensus
- Sortilège
- Community sentiment
- Sortilège
- Longevity
- First
- Sillage & projection
- First
- Value for money
- First
- Versatility
- Sortilège
- Note pyramid (duration)
- First
- Fragranxe ranking
- First
Head-to-head breakdown
Every category side by side, with the winner called out.
Fragrance
SortilègeLe GalionFirstVan Cleef & ArpelsWinner
Ratings & consensus
Average rating and ownership split4.38/ 5 · 93 votes
Have 60%Had 10%Want 30%
3.98/ 5 · 3,483 votes
Have 63%Had 37%Want 0%
Category winnerSortilègeRating weighted by vote count
Community sentiment
How voters split from love to hate57%Love
30%Like
9%Ok
2%Dislike
2%Hate
93 votes
38%Love
41%Like
3%Ok
17%Dislike
1%Hate
3,483 votes
Category winnerSortilègeMost positive mix (25+ votes)
Longevity & sillage
0–100 community performance scores
Category winners
LongevityFirst
SillageFirst
Value for money
How fairly priced voters find itCategory winnerFirstBest value score
Main accords
Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by bothwoody100%
powdery92%
yellow floral84%
floral77%
fresh69%
aldehydic61%
floral100%
green92%
aldehydic84%
white floral77%
yellow floral69%
fresh61%
Scent match48%Some overlap · both floral, yellow floral and aldehydic
Note pyramid (duration)
Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = sharedTop30 to 45 minutes
AldehydesLilacYlang-YlangLily-of-the-Valley
Heart3 to 4 hours
IrisNarcissusMimosaTurkish RoseEgyptian Jasmine
Base4 to 7 hours
MuskVetiverSandalwoodAmberLabdanum
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 seasonSpring56
Summer37
Fall100
Winter100
Day82
Night100
Spring100
Summer0
Fall0
Winter99
Day100
Night85
Category winnerSortilègeMost year-round
Who wears it
Gender appeal votesInformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored
Ranking & credits
Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launchOverall rank#7,108
PerfumerPaul Vacher
Launched—
Reviews19
Overall rank#945
PerfumerJean-Claude Ellena
Launched—
Reviews205
Category winnerFirstHigher overall rank
In a nutshell
Description & review snapshotSortilège by Le Galion is a classic floral aldehyde fragrance built around a powdery, woody core. Created by perfumer Paul Vacher in 1937, it opens with a sparkling fizz of aldehydes alongside lilac, ylang-ylang, and lily-of-the-valley. As the initial crispness settles, the composition reveals a rich bouquet of iris, …
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, Sortilège or First?
First takes 5 of 8 categories. Sortilège is rated 4.38/5 from 93 votes; First is rated 3.98/5 from 3,483 votes. Choose Sortilège for a woody and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose First for a floral and green character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Which lasts longer, Sortilège or First?
They last about the same: First 72/100, Sortilège 71/100 for longevity in community votes.
Which projects more, Sortilège or First?
First projects furthest (First 64/100, Sortilège 61/100), based on community performance votes.
Do Sortilège and First smell similar?
Some overlap: a 48% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share floral, yellow floral and aldehydic accords. Common notes include Aldehydes, Ylang-Ylang, Lily-of-the-Valley and Narcissus.
Is Sortilège or First better for summer or winter?
For summer, Sortilège is the stronger pick. For winter, Sortilège is the stronger pick. Sortilège suits evening wear; First suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.
What are the notes in Sortilège and First?
Sortilège has top notes of Aldehydes, Lilac, Ylang-Ylang and Lily-of-the-Valley, heart notes of Iris, Narcissus, Mimosa and Turkish Rose, a base of Musk, Vetiver, Sandalwood and Amber. 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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