Fragrance comparison

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne vs H2Eau Musk Noir

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 256 ratings analysed

6 wins

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne

Jean Desprez

4.41179 votes

Rank #25,572 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

50%scent match

Some overlap

H2Eau Musk Noir

Clean

3.8277 votes

Rank #39,658 PowderyMusky

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne takes 6 of 7 categories.

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne
Choose it for a amber and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.
H2Eau Musk Noir
Choose it for a powdery and musky character. Wins on versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne6/7

H2Eau Musk Noir1/7

Ratings & consensus: Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne
Community sentiment: Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne
Longevity: Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne
Sillage & projection: Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne
Value for money: Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne
Versatility: H2Eau Musk Noir
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Bal à Versailles Eau de CologneJean Desprez

H2Eau Musk NoirClean

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.41/ 5 · 179 votes

Have 83%Had 17%Want 0%

3.82/ 5 · 77 votes

Have 38%Had 12%Want 50%

Category winnerBal à Versailles Eau de CologneRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

58%Love

34%Like

3%Ok

4%Dislike

2%Hate

179 votes

27%Love

36%Like

29%Ok

6%Dislike

1%Hate

77 votes

Category winnerBal à Versailles Eau de CologneMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity64

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate85

⏱ Longevity54

〰 Sillage41

♥ Love / hate70

Category winners

LongevityBal à Versailles Eau de Cologne

SillageBal à Versailles Eau de Cologne

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value63

¤ Price value57

Category winnerBal à Versailles Eau de CologneBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

woody92%

powdery84%

white floral77%

citrus69%

musky61%

powdery100%

musky91%

woody83%

violet74%

white floral65%

vanilla56%

Scent match50%Some overlap · both powdery, woody and musky

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Orange BlossomJasmineCassiaNeroliBergamotBulgarian RoseLemonMandarin Orange

Heart

Ylang-YlangSandalwoodVetiverOrris RootLeatherLily-of-the-ValleyLilacPatchouli

Base

CivetAmberTolu BalsamMuskResinsBenzoinVanilaCedar

Top15 to 30 minutes

Mandarin OrangeOrange Blossom

Heart1 to 2 hours

VioletLily

Base3 to 5 hours

MuskVanilaSandalwoodPatchouli

InformationalShared notesOrange Blossom, Mandarin Orange, Sandalwood and Patchouli. Durations are only published for H2Eau Musk Noir, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring61

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer93

Fall100

Winter41

Day100

Night76

Category winnerH2Eau Musk NoirMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men5

Unisex61

Women34

Men0

Unisex51

Women49

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#25,572

PerfumerJean Desprez

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#39,658

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerBal à Versailles Eau de CologneHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Jean Desprez Bal a Versailles Eau de Cologne is a warm, powdery floral that brings a dry, skin-like animalic musk to the forefront. This 1962 composition opens with orange blossom and rosemary, shifting to a heart of leather and sandalwood before settling into a deep civet base. It is a fragrance built for cold winter…

Reviews →

H2Eau Musk Noir by Clean offers a soft, skin-hugging fragrance built around clean musk, gentle floral petals, and a creamy woody base. The opening brings a mild burst of juicy mandarin orange and light orange blossom, providing a refreshing citrus greeting without any harsh sharp bite. Soon after, gentle violet and pa…

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 Eau de Cologne or H2Eau Musk Noir?

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne takes 6 of 7 categories. Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne is rated 4.41/5 from 179 votes; H2Eau Musk Noir is rated 3.82/5 from 77 votes. Choose Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne for a amber and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter. Choose H2Eau Musk Noir for a powdery and musky character. Wins on versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne or H2Eau Musk Noir?

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne lasts longest (Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne 64/100, H2Eau Musk Noir 54/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne or H2Eau Musk Noir?

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne projects furthest (Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne 58/100, H2Eau Musk Noir 41/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne and H2Eau Musk Noir smell similar?

Some overlap: a 50% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share powdery, woody and musky accords. Common notes include Orange Blossom, Mandarin Orange, Sandalwood and Patchouli.

Is Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne or H2Eau Musk Noir better for summer or winter?

For summer, H2Eau Musk Noir is the stronger pick. For winter, Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne is the stronger pick. H2Eau Musk Noir suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne and H2Eau Musk Noir?

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne has top notes of Orange Blossom, Jasmine, Cassia and Neroli, heart notes of Ylang-Ylang, Sandalwood, Vetiver and Orris Root, a base of Civet, Amber, Tolu Balsam and Musk. H2Eau Musk Noir has top notes of Mandarin Orange and Orange Blossom, heart notes of Violet and Lily, a base of Musk, Vanila, Sandalwood and Patchouli.