Fragrance comparison

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne vs N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition

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

Updated 29 Oct 2026 357 ratings analysed

6 wins

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne

Jean Desprez

4.41179 votes

Rank #25,228 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

41%scent match

Some overlap

N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition

Chanel

4.16178 votes

Rank #33,890 CitrusAldehydic

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.
N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition
Choose it for a citrus and aldehydic character. Wins on versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne6/7

N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition1/7

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: N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition
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

N°5 L’EAU – Limited EditionChanel

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.41/ 5 · 179 votes

Have 83%Had 17%Want 0%

4.16/ 5 · 178 votes

Have 57%Had 6%Want 37%

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

44%Love

37%Like

10%Ok

7%Dislike

2%Hate

178 votes

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

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity64

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate85

⏱ Longevity55

〰 Sillage45

♥ Love / hate79

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 value30

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%

citrus100%

aldehydic88%

fresh77%

woody65%

powdery53%

sweet42%

Scent match41%Some overlap · both citrus, woody and powdery

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

Top15-30 mins

AldehydesLimeLemonOrangeBergamotMandarin OrangeNeroli

Heart2-3 hrs

Ylang-YlangMay RoseJasmine

Base4-6 hrs

White MuskOrris RootCedarVanila

InformationalShared notesJasmine, Neroli, Bergamot and Lemon. Durations are only published for N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring61

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer100

Fall51

Winter35

Day100

Night26

Category winnerN°5 L’EAU – Limited EditionMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men5

Unisex61

Women34

Men1

Unisex17

Women82

Casual 41%Work 37%Date 16%Party 7%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#25,228

PerfumerJean Desprez

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#33,890

PerfumerOlivier Polge

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 →

Chanel N°5 L'EAU Limited Edition strips away the heavy powder of the original 1921 formula in favor of sheer sunshine. A burst of sharp lemon, juicy mandarin orange, and bubbly aldehydes hits first with immediate sparkle. It smells like a chilled glass of citrus tonic water poured over fresh white flower petals. Withi…

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 N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition?

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; N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition is rated 4.16/5 from 178 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 N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition for a citrus and aldehydic character. Wins on versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne or N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition?

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne lasts longest (Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne 64/100, N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne or N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition?

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne projects furthest (Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne 58/100, N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition 45/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne and N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition smell similar?

Some overlap: a 41% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, woody and powdery accords. Common notes include Jasmine, Neroli, Bergamot and Lemon.

Is Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne or N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition better for summer or winter?

For summer, N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition is the stronger pick. For winter, Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne is the stronger pick. N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne and N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition?

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. N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition has top notes of Aldehydes, Lime, Lemon and Orange, heart notes of Ylang-Ylang, May Rose and Jasmine, a base of White Musk, Orris Root, Cedar and Vanila.