Fragrance comparison

Bal à Versailles vs Bois des Iles

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

Updated 28 Oct 2026 4,163 ratings analysed

4 wins

Bal à Versailles

Jean Desprez

4.152,256 votes

Rank #24,043 AmberPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

59%scent match

Closely related

Bois des Iles

Chanel

4.341,907 votes

Rank #26,722 WoodyPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Bal à Versailles takes 4 of 7 categories.

Bal à Versailles
Choose it for a amber and powdery character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter.
Bois des Iles
Choose it for a woody and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in winter, evening wear.

Bal à Versailles4/7

Bois des Iles3/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Bal à VersaillesJean Desprez

Bois des IlesChanel

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.15/ 5 · 2,256 votes

Have 73%Had 27%Want 0%

4.34/ 5 · 1,907 votes

Have 72%Had 28%Want 0%

Category winnerBois des IlesRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

47%Love

36%Like

3%Ok

13%Dislike

1%Hate

2,256 votes

53%Love

36%Like

2%Ok

8%Dislike

0%Hate

1,907 votes

Category winnerBois des IlesMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate83

Category winners

LongevityBal à Versailles

SillageBal à Versailles

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value60

¤ Price value32

Category winnerBal à VersaillesBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

powdery92%

woody84%

animalic77%

musky69%

balsamic61%

woody100%

powdery92%

amber84%

aldehydic77%

iris69%

fresh61%

Scent match59%Closely related · both amber, powdery and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

RoseBulgarian RoseOrange BlossomJasmineRosemaryNeroliMandarin OrangeBergamot

Heart

LeatherYlang-YlangSandalwoodOrris RootPatchouliLilacVetiverLily-of-the-Valley

Base

CivetResinsTolu BalsamAmberBenzoinVanillaMuskCedar

Top15-30 mins

AldehydesCorianderNeroliPeachBergamotMandarin Orange

Heart2-4 hrs

Ylang-YlangIrisOrris RootJasmineRoseLilacLily-of-the-Valley

Base6-8+ hrs

SandalwoodAmberBenzoinTonka BeanOpoponaxVanillaMuskVetiver

InformationalShared notesBulgarian Rose, Jasmine, Neroli and Mandarin Orange. Durations are only published for Bois des Iles, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring31

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring89

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day79

Night100

Category winnerBois des IlesMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men4

Unisex47

Women49

Men3

Unisex56

Women41

Date 34%Work 32%Casual 23%Party 11%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#24,043

PerfumerJean Desprez

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#26,722

PerfumerErnest Beaux

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerBal à VersaillesHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

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 →

Chanel Bois des Iles greets you with a sparkling fizz of aldehydes and sweet mandarin orange before settling into warm woods. The opening is bright and crisp like vintage bath soap. Give it twenty minutes on skin. Soon, buttery sandalwood and powdery iris take over, creating an intimate, cozy warmth reminiscent of gin…

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 à Versailles or Bois des Iles?

Bal à Versailles takes 4 of 7 categories. Bal à Versailles is rated 4.15/5 from 2,256 votes; Bois des Iles is rated 4.34/5 from 1,907 votes. Choose Bal à Versailles for a amber and powdery character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter. Choose Bois des Iles for a woody and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Bal à Versailles or Bois des Iles?

Bal à Versailles lasts longest (Bal à Versailles 76/100, Bois des Iles 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Bal à Versailles or Bois des Iles?

Bal à Versailles projects furthest (Bal à Versailles 66/100, Bois des Iles 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Bal à Versailles and Bois des Iles smell similar?

Closely related: a 59% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, powdery and woody accords. Common notes include Bulgarian Rose, Jasmine, Neroli and Mandarin Orange.

Is Bal à Versailles or Bois des Iles better for summer or winter?

For summer, Bal à Versailles is the stronger pick. For winter, Bal à Versailles is the stronger pick. Bois des Iles suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Bal à Versailles and Bois des Iles?

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. Bois des Iles has top notes of Aldehydes, Coriander, Neroli and Peach, heart notes of Ylang-Ylang, Iris, Orris Root and Jasmine, a base of Sandalwood, Amber, Benzoin and Tonka Bean.