Fragrance comparison

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne vs Jicky

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

Updated 5 Nov 2026 2,943 ratings analysed

4 wins

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne

Jean Desprez

4.41179 votes

Rank #25,826 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

28%scent match

Clearly different

Jicky

Guerlain

4.152,764 votes

Rank #2,506 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne takes 4 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.
Jicky
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne4/7

Jicky2/7

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: Tie
Value for money: Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne
Versatility: Jicky
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Jicky

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Bal à Versailles Eau de CologneJean Desprez

JickyGuerlain

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.41/ 5 · 179 votes

Have 83%Had 17%Want 0%

4.15/ 5 · 2,764 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

47%Love

36%Like

3%Ok

12%Dislike

2%Hate

2,764 votes

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

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity64

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate85

⏱ Longevity62

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityBal à Versailles Eau de Cologne

SillageTie

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value63

¤ Price value51

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%

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

citrus84%

lavender77%

vanilla69%

woody61%

Scent match28%Clearly different · both woody and citrus

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

Top30 to 45 minutes

RosemaryBergamotLemonMandarin Orange

Heart2 to 3 hours

LavenderTonka BeanOrris RootBasilJasmineEthylvanillin

Base3 to 5 hours

VanillaLeatherSpicesBenzoinSandalwoodAmberBrazilian Rosewood

InformationalShared notesJasmine, Bergamot, Lemon and Mandarin Orange. Durations are only published for Jicky, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring61

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring95

Summer67

Fall100

Winter66

Day100

Night46

Category winnerJickyMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men5

Unisex61

Women34

Men8

Unisex61

Women32

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#25,826

PerfumerJean Desprez

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#2,506

PerfumerAime Guerlain

Launched—

Reviews203

Category winnerJickyHigher 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 →

Jicky by Guerlain presents a brisk, herbal opening of rosemary, lemon, and bergamot that quickly greets the senses. Rather than staying a simple, clean cologne, the scent introduces a core of dry lavender and powdery orris root, paired against sweet tonka bean and ethylvanillin. As the top freshness settles, a darker …

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne or Jicky?

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne takes 4 of 7 categories. Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne is rated 4.41/5 from 179 votes; Jicky is rated 4.15/5 from 2,764 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 Jicky for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne or Jicky?

They last about the same: Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne 64/100, Jicky 62/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne or Jicky?

Projection is very close: Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne 58/100, Jicky 58/100 for sillage.

Do Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne and Jicky smell similar?

Clearly different: a 28% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and citrus accords. Common notes include Jasmine, Bergamot, Lemon and Mandarin Orange.

Is Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne or Jicky better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne and Jicky?

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. Jicky has top notes of Rosemary, Bergamot, Lemon and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Lavender, Tonka Bean, Orris Root and Basil, a base of Vanilla, Leather, Spices and Benzoin.