Fragrance comparison

Absolu vs Bal à Versailles

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 3,764 ratings analysed

Absolu

Rochas

4.051,508 votes

Rank #1,237 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

32%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

Bal à Versailles

Jean Desprez

4.152,256 votes

Rank #25,963 AmberPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Bal à Versailles takes 4 of 7 categories.

Absolu
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.
Bal à Versailles
Choose it for a amber and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.

Absolu3/7

Bal à Versailles4/7

Ratings & consensus: Bal à Versailles
Community sentiment: Absolu
Longevity: Bal à Versailles
Sillage & projection: Bal à Versailles
Value for money: Absolu
Versatility: Bal à Versailles
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Absolu

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

AbsoluRochas

Bal à VersaillesJean Desprez

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.05/ 5 · 1,508 votes

Have 58%Had 42%Want 0%

4.15/ 5 · 2,256 votes

Have 73%Had 27%Want 0%

Category winnerBal à VersaillesRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

36%Love

51%Like

2%Ok

11%Dislike

0%Hate

1,288 votes

47%Love

36%Like

3%Ok

13%Dislike

1%Hate

2,256 votes

Category winnerAbsoluMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate78

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityBal à Versailles

SillageBal à Versailles

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value63

¤ Price value60

Category winnerAbsoluBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

warm spicy91%

white floral83%

citrus74%

sweet65%

powdery56%

amber100%

powdery92%

woody84%

animalic77%

musky69%

balsamic61%

Scent match32%Clearly different · both amber and powdery

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Mandarin OrangeFig Leaf

Heart

Orange BlossomLilyPepperRose

Base

BenzoinTolu BalsamLabdanumCedar

Top

RoseBulgarian RoseOrange BlossomJasmineRosemaryNeroliMandarin OrangeBergamot

Heart

LeatherYlang-YlangSandalwoodOrris RootPatchouliLilacVetiverLily-of-the-Valley

Base

CivetResinsTolu BalsamAmberBenzoinVanillaMuskCedar

InformationalShared notesMandarin Orange, Orange Blossom, Rose and Benzoin. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring28

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring31

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerBal à VersaillesMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men3

Unisex24

Women73

Men4

Unisex47

Women49

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#1,237

PerfumerJacques Cavallier Belletrud

Launched—

Reviews136

Overall rank#25,963

PerfumerJean Desprez

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerAbsoluHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Absolu by Rochas is a resinous, warm oriental fragrance for women. It opens with vibrant mandarin orange and crisp fig leaf before settling into a deep heart of orange blossom, rose, and black pepper. The base anchors the scent with benzoin, tolu balsam, and cedar, creating a rich profile best suited for cold autumn a…

Reviews →

Bal a Versailles opens with a dense puff of orange blossom and powdery rose before shifting into a heavy, lived-in leather. This vintage classic suits collectors who crave dramatic, animalic warmth rather than modern clean scents. Wear it on cold winter nights when you want a rich envelope of resins and civet to cling…

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.

Recent comparisons

Head-to-head activity from live history

Saffron AmberIlluminumRUNNER-UP vs

Septieme Sens (7e Sens)Sonia RykielWINNER

1 person compared this today

Fancy NightsJessica SimpsonRUNNER-UP vs

Nino Cerruti Pour FemmeCerrutiWINNER

3 people compared this today

Sweet DreamsHouse Of SillageWINNER vs

Safari ElixirAthoor Al AlamRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

PrometheuNecalliWINNER vs

Bruno ImperialAnfar LondonRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Absolu or Bal à Versailles?

Bal à Versailles takes 4 of 7 categories. Absolu is rated 4.05/5 from 1,508 votes; Bal à Versailles is rated 4.15/5 from 2,256 votes. Choose Absolu for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter. Choose Bal à Versailles for a amber and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Absolu or Bal à Versailles?

Bal à Versailles lasts longest (Bal à Versailles 76/100, Absolu 70/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Absolu or Bal à Versailles?

Bal à Versailles projects furthest (Bal à Versailles 66/100, Absolu 59/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Absolu and Bal à Versailles smell similar?

Clearly different: a 32% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber and powdery accords. Common notes include Mandarin Orange, Orange Blossom, Rose and Benzoin.

Is Absolu or Bal à Versailles better for summer or winter?

For summer, Absolu is the stronger pick. For winter, Absolu is the stronger pick. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Absolu and Bal à Versailles?

Absolu has top notes of Mandarin Orange and Fig Leaf, heart notes of Orange Blossom, Lily, Pepper and Rose, a base of Benzoin, Tolu Balsam, Labdanum and Cedar. Bal à Versailles has top notes of Rose, Bulgarian Rose, Orange Blossom and Jasmine, heart notes of Leather, Ylang-Ylang, Sandalwood and Orris Root, a base of Civet, Resins, Tolu Balsam and Amber.