Fragrance comparison

Bal d'Afrique vs Verbena Sun

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

Updated 14 Oct 2026 18,966 ratings analysed

Bal d'Afrique

Byredo · 2009

4.1018,867 votes

Rank #1,393 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

42%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Verbena Sun

L'Occitane en Provence

4.2299 votes

Rank #14,226 CitrusWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Verbena Sun takes 4 of 6 categories.

Bal d'Afrique
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.
Verbena Sun
Choose it for a citrus and white floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Bal d'Afrique2/6

Verbena Sun4/6

Ratings & consensus: Verbena Sun
Community sentiment: Verbena Sun
Longevity: Bal d'Afrique
Sillage & projection: Verbena Sun
Value for money: Not scored
Versatility: Verbena Sun
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

Verbena SunL'Occitane en Provence

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.10/ 5 · 18,867 votes

Have 76%Had 24%Want 0%

4.22/ 5 · 99 votes

Have 38%Had 19%Want 42%

Category winnerVerbena SunRating 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

31%Love

64%Like

1%Ok

4%Dislike

0%Hate

99 votes

Category winnerVerbena SunMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage53

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity48

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate81

Category winners

LongevityBal d'Afrique

SillageVerbena Sun

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value36

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

woody83%

floral65%

powdery61%

citrus100%

white floral83%

aromatic65%

woody48%

fresh30%

Scent match42%Some overlap · both aromatic and woody

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

Top15-30 mins

Lemon VerbenaAmalfi LemonGrapefruit

Heart1.5-3 hrs

African Orange FlowerJasmineCitruses

Base3-5 hrs

MuskVetiverVirginia Cedar

InformationalShared notesAmalfi Lemon, African Orange Flower, Jasmine and Vetiver. Durations are only published for Verbena Sun, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter30

Day–

Night–

Spring37

Summer100

Fall14

Winter10

Day100

Night19

Category winnerVerbena SunMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men4

Unisex47

Women49

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Casual 47%Work 34%Date 11%Party 7%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#1,393

PerfumerJérôme Epinette

Launched2009

Reviews1,068

Overall rank#14,226

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews11

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 →

L'Occitane en Provence Verbena Sun delivers an immediate rush of crushed lemon verbena, zesty Amalfi lemon, and tart pink grapefruit. It wakes you up instantly. The first blast carries a crisp herbal sting that quickly softens into dewy African orange flower and subtle jasmine petals. As the sun warms your skin, clean…

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.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Bal d'Afrique or Verbena Sun?

Verbena Sun takes 4 of 6 categories. Bal d'Afrique is rated 4.10/5 from 18,867 votes; Verbena Sun is rated 4.22/5 from 99 votes. Choose Bal d'Afrique for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring. Choose Verbena Sun for a citrus and white floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Bal d'Afrique or Verbena Sun?

Bal d'Afrique lasts longest (Bal d'Afrique 61/100, Verbena Sun 48/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Bal d'Afrique or Verbena Sun?

Projection is very close: Verbena Sun 55/100, Bal d'Afrique 53/100 for sillage.

Do Bal d'Afrique and Verbena Sun smell similar?

Some overlap: a 42% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic and woody accords. Common notes include Amalfi Lemon, African Orange Flower, Jasmine and Vetiver.

Is Bal d'Afrique or Verbena Sun better for summer or winter?

For summer, Verbena Sun is the stronger pick. For winter, Bal d'Afrique is the stronger pick. Verbena Sun suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Bal d'Afrique and Verbena Sun?

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. Verbena Sun has top notes of Lemon Verbena, Amalfi Lemon and Grapefruit, heart notes of African Orange Flower, Jasmine and Citruses, a base of Musk, Vetiver and Virginia Cedar.