Fragrance comparison

Bal d'Afrique vs Dreaming Princess

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 18,887 ratings analysed

Bal d'Afrique

Byredo · 2009

4.1018,867 votes

Rank #1,424 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

29%scent match

Clearly different

3 wins

Dreaming Princess

Succes de Paris

4.2020 votes

Rank #40,660 PowderyFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Dreaming Princess takes 3 of 5 categories.

Bal d'Afrique
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.
Dreaming Princess
Choose it for a powdery and fruity character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Bal d'Afrique2/5

Dreaming Princess3/5

Ratings & consensus: Bal d'Afrique
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Dreaming Princess
Sillage & projection: Dreaming Princess
Value for money: Dreaming Princess
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Bal d'Afrique

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Bal d'AfriqueByredo

Dreaming PrincessSucces de Paris

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.10/ 5 · 18,867 votes

Have 76%Had 24%Want 0%

4.20/ 5 · 20 votes

Have 28%Had 17%Want 55%

Category winnerBal d'AfriqueRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

44%Love

36%Like

11%Ok

8%Dislike

1%Hate

16,124 votes

45%Love

45%Like

0%Ok

5%Dislike

5%Hate

20 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage53

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity78

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate80

Category winners

LongevityDreaming Princess

SillageDreaming Princess

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value36

¤ Price value100

Category winnerDreaming PrincessBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

woody83%

floral65%

powdery61%

powdery100%

fruity92%

white floral84%

amber77%

violet69%

green61%

Scent match29%Clearly different · both powdery

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Amalfi LemonMarigoldBergamotBlack CurrantAfrican Orange Flower

Heart

VioletCyclamenJasmine

Base

VetiverMuskAmberVirginia Cedar

Top

Black CurrantAfrican Orange FlowerVioletGalbanumBergamot

Heart

PeachIrisRoseJasmineLily-of-the-Valley

Base

AmberMuskVanilleVirginia Cedar

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Black Currant, African Orange Flower and Violet. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter30

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer33

Fall83

Winter67

Day100

Night60

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men4

Unisex47

Women49

Men67

Unisex33

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#1,424

PerfumerJérôme Epinette

Launched2009

Reviews1,068

Overall rank#40,660

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerBal d'AfriqueHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Bal d'Afrique by Byredo is a bright floral woody fragrance that captures a breezy, sun-drenched day. It features a lively mix of Amalfi lemon, African marigold, and bergamot, leading into a soft heart of violet and cyclamen. The base of vetiver and musk settles into a clean, skin-like finish that works comfortably for…

Reviews →

Dreaming Princess by Succes de Paris is a powdery floral fragrance for women that blends black currant and African orange flower with a soft heart of peach and iris. This scent feels like a gentle nod to late twentieth-century perfumery, making it a fitting choice for crisp spring days when you want a touch of nostalg…

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, Bal d'Afrique or Dreaming Princess?

Dreaming Princess takes 3 of 5 categories. Bal d'Afrique is rated 4.10/5 from 18,867 votes; Dreaming Princess is rated 4.20/5 from 20 votes. Choose Bal d'Afrique for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring. Choose Dreaming Princess for a powdery and fruity character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Bal d'Afrique or Dreaming Princess?

Dreaming Princess lasts longest (Dreaming Princess 78/100, Bal d'Afrique 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Bal d'Afrique or Dreaming Princess?

Dreaming Princess projects furthest (Dreaming Princess 66/100, Bal d'Afrique 53/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Bal d'Afrique and Dreaming Princess smell similar?

Clearly different: a 29% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share powdery accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Black Currant, African Orange Flower and Violet.

Is Bal d'Afrique or Dreaming Princess better for summer or winter?

Dreaming Princess suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Bal d'Afrique and Dreaming Princess?

Bal d'Afrique has top notes of Amalfi Lemon, Marigold, Bergamot and Black Currant, heart notes of Violet, Cyclamen and Jasmine, a base of Vetiver, Musk, Amber and Virginia Cedar. Dreaming Princess has top notes of Black Currant, African Orange Flower, Violet and Galbanum, heart notes of Peach, Iris, Rose and Jasmine, a base of Amber, Musk, Vanille and Virginia Cedar.