Fragrance comparison

Bal à Versailles vs Chanel No 5 Parfum

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

Updated 28 Oct 2026 15,697 ratings analysed

6 wins

Bal à Versailles

Jean Desprez

4.152,256 votes

Rank #24,043 AmberPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

46%scent match

Some overlap

Chanel No 5 Parfum

Chanel

3.6813,441 votes

Rank #31,349 PowderyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Bal à Versailles takes 6 of 7 categories.

Bal à Versailles
Choose it for a amber and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.
Chanel No 5 Parfum
Choose it for a powdery and woody character. Wins on versatility. Best in winter, evening wear.

Bal à Versailles6/7

Chanel No 5 Parfum1/7

Ratings & consensus: Bal à Versailles
Community sentiment: Bal à Versailles
Longevity: Bal à Versailles
Sillage & projection: Bal à Versailles
Value for money: Bal à Versailles
Versatility: Chanel No 5 Parfum
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

Chanel No 5 ParfumChanel

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.15/ 5 · 2,256 votes

Have 73%Had 27%Want 0%

3.68/ 5 · 13,441 votes

Have 67%Had 33%Want 0%

Category winnerBal à VersaillesRating 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

38%Love

28%Like

2%Ok

31%Dislike

2%Hate

13,441 votes

Category winnerBal à VersaillesMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate67

Category winners

LongevityBal à Versailles

SillageBal à Versailles

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value60

¤ Price value38

Category winnerBal à VersaillesBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

powdery92%

woody84%

animalic77%

musky69%

balsamic61%

powdery100%

woody92%

aldehydic84%

iris77%

fresh69%

white floral61%

Scent match46%Some overlap · both 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

AldehydesYlang-YlangNeroliBergamotLemon

Heart2-4 hrs

IrisJasmineRoseOrris RootLily-of-the-Valley

Base8-12 hrs

CivetMuskSandalwoodAmberMossVanillaVetiverPatchouli

InformationalShared notesBulgarian Rose, Jasmine, Neroli and Bergamot. Durations are only published for Chanel No 5 Parfum, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring31

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring52

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day58

Night100

Category winnerChanel No 5 ParfumMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men4

Unisex47

Women49

Men2

Unisex17

Women81

Date 42%Work 24%Casual 18%Party 16%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#24,043

PerfumerJean Desprez

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#31,349

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 No 5 Parfum is the original, ultra-concentrated pure perfume extract created in 1921. It opens with an unmistakable burst of sparkling aldehydes, bright lemon, and sunny ylang-ylang. The initial sharpness softens within minutes. A velvety heart of powdery iris, rich Grasse jasmine, and May rose rises to take ov…

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 Chanel No 5 Parfum?

Bal à Versailles takes 6 of 7 categories. Bal à Versailles is rated 4.15/5 from 2,256 votes; Chanel No 5 Parfum is rated 3.68/5 from 13,441 votes. Choose Bal à Versailles for a amber and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter. Choose Chanel No 5 Parfum for a powdery and woody character. Wins on versatility. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Bal à Versailles or Chanel No 5 Parfum?

They last about the same: Bal à Versailles 76/100, Chanel No 5 Parfum 75/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Bal à Versailles or Chanel No 5 Parfum?

Projection is very close: Bal à Versailles 66/100, Chanel No 5 Parfum 64/100 for sillage.

Do Bal à Versailles and Chanel No 5 Parfum smell similar?

Some overlap: a 46% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share powdery and woody accords. Common notes include Bulgarian Rose, Jasmine, Neroli and Bergamot.

Is Bal à Versailles or Chanel No 5 Parfum better for summer or winter?

For summer, Bal à Versailles is the stronger pick. For winter, Bal à Versailles is the stronger pick. Chanel No 5 Parfum suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Bal à Versailles and Chanel No 5 Parfum?

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. Chanel No 5 Parfum has top notes of Aldehydes, Ylang-Ylang, Neroli and Bergamot, heart notes of Iris, Jasmine, Rose and Orris Root, a base of Civet, Musk, Sandalwood and Amber.