Fragrance comparison

Bal à Versailles vs Montaigne (2021)

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

Updated 10 Oct 2026 2,292 ratings analysed

6 wins

Bal à Versailles

Jean Desprez

4.152,256 votes

Rank #22,942 AmberPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

42%scent match

Some overlap

Montaigne (2021)

Caron

3.7836 votes

Rank #39,464 Yellow FloralPowdery

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.
Montaigne (2021)
Choose it for a yellow floral and powdery character. Wins on versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Bal à Versailles6/7

Montaigne (2021)1/7

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: Montaigne (2021)
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

Montaigne (2021)Caron

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.15/ 5 · 2,256 votes

Have 73%Had 27%Want 0%

3.78/ 5 · 36 votes

Have 25%Had 8%Want 67%

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

36%Love

28%Like

17%Ok

17%Dislike

3%Hate

36 votes

Category winnerBal à VersaillesMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate69

Category winners

LongevityBal à Versailles

SillageBal à Versailles

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value60

¤ Price value19

Category winnerBal à VersaillesBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

powdery92%

woody84%

animalic77%

musky69%

balsamic61%

yellow floral100%

powdery92%

woody84%

amber77%

sweet69%

vanilla61%

Scent match42%Some overlap · both powdery, amber 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

MimosaApricotCassiaOrange Blossom

Heart2-4 hrs

Ylang-YlangHeliotropeMoroccan Jasmine

Base6-8+ hrs

SandalwoodBenzoinLabdanumVanilla

InformationalShared notesOrange Blossom, Ylang-Ylang, Sandalwood and Benzoin. Durations are only published for Montaigne (2021), so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring31

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring89

Summer11

Fall100

Winter67

Day100

Night44

Category winnerMontaigne (2021)Most year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men4

Unisex47

Women49

Men0

Unisex37

Women63

Work 36%Casual 33%Date 22%Party 8%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#22,942

PerfumerJean Desprez

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#39,464

PerfumerJean Jacques

Launched—

Reviews3

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 →

Montaigne (2021) by Caron is a radiant floral composition built around fluffy yellow mimosa, ripe apricot, and rich orange blossom. The opening sprays on bright and slightly tart before softening into a velvety haze of heliotrope, ylang-ylang, and sweet Moroccan jasmine. As hours pass, warm benzoin, golden labdanum, a…

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 Montaigne (2021)?

Bal à Versailles takes 6 of 7 categories. Bal à Versailles is rated 4.15/5 from 2,256 votes; Montaigne (2021) is rated 3.78/5 from 36 votes. Choose Bal à Versailles for a amber and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter. Choose Montaigne (2021) for a yellow floral and powdery character. Wins on versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Bal à Versailles or Montaigne (2021)?

Bal à Versailles lasts longest (Bal à Versailles 76/100, Montaigne (2021) 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Bal à Versailles or Montaigne (2021)?

Bal à Versailles projects furthest (Bal à Versailles 66/100, Montaigne (2021) 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Bal à Versailles and Montaigne (2021) smell similar?

Some overlap: a 42% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share powdery, amber and woody accords. Common notes include Orange Blossom, Ylang-Ylang, Sandalwood and Benzoin.

Is Bal à Versailles or Montaigne (2021) better for summer or winter?

For summer, Montaigne (2021) is the stronger pick. For winter, Bal à Versailles is the stronger pick. Montaigne (2021) suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Bal à Versailles and Montaigne (2021)?

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. Montaigne (2021) has top notes of Mimosa, Apricot, Cassia and Orange Blossom, heart notes of Ylang-Ylang, Heliotrope and Moroccan Jasmine, a base of Sandalwood, Benzoin, Labdanum and Vanilla.