Which Van Cleef & Arpels sample to try first

We list 20 samples by Van Cleef & Arpels. Here are 8 of them, each with the data that is on record for it. The order is not a ranking; it is a way to choose where to begin.

The selection

Van Cleef & Arpels Bois D'Iris

Van Cleef & Arpels Bois D'Iris is on the list from Van Cleef & Arpels. Its notes are not on record here, and we do not guess them. Write down what you notice after a few minutes and again after lunch, and you will see how it moves.

Van Cleef & Arpels Moonlight Cherry

Van Cleef & Arpels Moonlight Cherry is on the list from Van Cleef & Arpels. Its notes are not on record here, and we do not guess them. A paper strip shows the outline, skin shows the detail.

Van Cleef & Arpels Musc de Soie

No notes are on record for Van Cleef & Arpels Musc de Soie from Van Cleef & Arpels; the sample is the way to find out. What reads as sweet on one person can read as dry on another.

Van Cleef & Arpels Precious Oud

Van Cleef & Arpels Precious Oud by Van Cleef & Arpels: no note list is on record with us, so the sample page sticks to name and house. Pay attention to what is still there by the evening, since that is the part you live with longest.

Van Cleef & Arpels Reve D'Encens

Van Cleef & Arpels Reve D'Encens, by Van Cleef & Arpels, comes without a recorded note list on our pages. Try it on a normal day, not only on a special one, to see whether it fits your routine.

Van Cleef & Arpels California Reverie

For Van Cleef & Arpels California Reverie from Van Cleef & Arpels we hold no notes; wear it and judge. Warm skin and cool skin can bring out different sides, so try both if you can.

Van Cleef & Arpels Feerie

Van Cleef & Arpels Feerie, by Van Cleef & Arpels, comes without a recorded note list on our pages. Smell it right after applying and again later in the day, because the first minutes rarely tell the whole story.

Van Cleef & Arpels Santal Blanc

Van Cleef & Arpels Santal Blanc is on the list from Van Cleef & Arpels. Its notes are not on record here, and we do not guess them. Wear it on more than one day before you make up your mind.

Also in this selection: Van Cleef & Arpels Encens Precieux, Van Cleef & Arpels Bois D'Amande, Van Cleef & Arpels Fleur de Nuit, Van Cleef & Arpels Néroli Amara, Van Cleef & Arpels Oud Blanc, Van Cleef & Arpels Bois Doré, Van Cleef & Arpels Neroli Amara Le Parfum - Perfume, Van Cleef & Arpels Orchid Leather, Van Cleef & Arpels Moonlight Patchouli, Van Cleef & Arpels Orchidee Vanille.

How to test them

Start light; you can always add a spray on the next wearing. Wear it on at least three different days before you decide. Spray it on the inside of your wrist or elbow and do not rub. Ask someone you trust what they notice, because your own nose adapts quickly.

Trying it as a sample first means your decision rests on wearing it, not on a description. A sample earns its place when you reach for it again without planning to. A sample is the sensible first step: a perfume on paper and a perfume on skin are rarely the same thing.

Where to go next

• Van Cleef & Arpels samples
• all samples
• how we fill your sample
• all brands
• frequently asked questions
• how to store perfume samples
• how to use a sample vial
• how to build a sample set

Questions

How were these samples chosen?

By the tags and note lists on record for each perfume. Nothing was added from memory, the order is not a ranking, and perfumes without recorded notes are described without notes.

Which sizes do the samples come in?

Every sample comes as 2, 5 or 10 ml in a glass spray vial. The smallest is enough for a first impression, the larger ones for many wearings.

What is a decant?

Perfume moved from the original bottle into a smaller vial. Ours are filled by FragranceGems into glass spray vials and labelled by us, so you can wear a perfume before you decide on a bottle.