Fragrance comparison

Bal à Versailles vs Narcisse Noir (2021)

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

Updated 17 Oct 2026 2,296 ratings analysed

5 wins

Bal à Versailles

Jean Desprez

4.152,256 votes

Rank #23,353 AmberPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

37%scent match

Some overlap

Narcisse Noir (2021)

Caron

3.6540 votes

Rank #21,421 White FloralWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Bal à Versailles takes 5 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.
Narcisse Noir (2021)
Choose it for a white floral and woody character. Wins on versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Bal à Versailles5/7

Narcisse Noir (2021)2/7

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: Narcisse Noir (2021)
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Narcisse Noir (2021)

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Bal à VersaillesJean Desprez

Narcisse Noir (2021)Caron

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.15/ 5 · 2,256 votes

Have 73%Had 27%Want 0%

3.65/ 5 · 40 votes

Have 23%Had 5%Want 72%

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

45%Love

15%Like

10%Ok

20%Dislike

10%Hate

40 votes

Category winnerBal à VersaillesMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage54

♥ Love / hate66

Category winners

LongevityBal à Versailles

SillageBal à Versailles

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value60

¤ Price value42

Category winnerBal à VersaillesBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

powdery92%

woody84%

animalic77%

musky69%

balsamic61%

white floral100%

woody88%

citrus77%

aromatic65%

powdery53%

musky42%

Scent match37%Some overlap · both woody, powdery and musky

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

Top20-30 mins

NeroliPetitgrain

Heart2-4 hrs

JasmineOrange BlossomRose

Base6-8+ hrs

SandalwoodVetiverMusk

InformationalShared notesBulgarian Rose, Orange Blossom, Jasmine and Neroli. Durations are only published for Narcisse Noir (2021), so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring31

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring90

Summer70

Fall100

Winter80

Day69

Night100

Category winnerNarcisse Noir (2021)Most year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men4

Unisex47

Women49

Men0

Unisex22

Women78

Work 33%Date 28%Casual 25%Party 14%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#23,353

PerfumerJean Desprez

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#21,421

PerfumerJean Jacques

Launched—

Reviews9

Category winnerNarcisse Noir (2021)Higher 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 →

Caron Narcisse Noir (2021) turns classic French perfumery inside out by replacing heavy vintage animalics with luminous woods and crisp florals. It is bright. The opening snaps with bitter petitgrain and zesty neroli before blooming into a sunny heart of orange blossom and jasmine. You will not find actual narcissus f…

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 Narcisse Noir (2021)?

Bal à Versailles takes 5 of 7 categories. Bal à Versailles is rated 4.15/5 from 2,256 votes; Narcisse Noir (2021) is rated 3.65/5 from 40 votes. Choose Bal à Versailles for a amber and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter. Choose Narcisse Noir (2021) for a white floral and woody character. Wins on versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

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

Bal à Versailles lasts longest (Bal à Versailles 76/100, Narcisse Noir (2021) 68/100), based on community performance votes.

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

Bal à Versailles projects furthest (Bal à Versailles 66/100, Narcisse Noir (2021) 54/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Bal à Versailles and Narcisse Noir (2021) smell similar?

Some overlap: a 37% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, powdery and musky accords. Common notes include Bulgarian Rose, Orange Blossom, Jasmine and Neroli.

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

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

What are the notes in Bal à Versailles and Narcisse Noir (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. Narcisse Noir (2021) has top notes of Neroli and Petitgrain, heart notes of Jasmine, Orange Blossom and Rose, a base of Sandalwood, Vetiver and Musk.