Our take
What does Van Cleef smell like?
Van Cleef & Arpels released this eponymous women's perfume in 1993. The perfumer's name has never been firmly established. Descriptions of the formula also vary, so the pyramid used here is just one of the published versions. The top pairs strawberry and bergamot with a bitter green galbanum. Neroli links it to the heart. There, orange blossom, jasmine and ylang-ylang form a fleshy white bouquet that heliotrope softens with an almond note. The base is comfortable. Vanilla and tonka lean on a dry cedar that keeps it from turning into custard. It is sunnier than Lancôme's Trésor, released three years earlier, and much less powdery. It no longer appears in the house's current range, though no discontinuation was ever announced.
When to wear it
Spring or autumn evenings. Two sprays, as the orange blossom fills a room quickly.
It belongs to the Floral family. Van Cleef is one of 23 creations by Van Cleef & Arpels in our encyclopedia.
