Fragrance comparison

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne vs Quelques Fleurs Jardin Secret

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

Updated 9 Oct 2026 384 ratings analysed

5 wins

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne

Jean Desprez

4.41179 votes

Rank #23,768 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

49%scent match

Some overlap

Quelques Fleurs Jardin Secret

Houbigant

3.98205 votes

Rank #26,239 CitrusFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne takes 5 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.
Quelques Fleurs Jardin Secret
Choose it for a citrus and floral character. Wins on versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne5/7

Quelques Fleurs Jardin Secret1/7

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: Quelques Fleurs Jardin Secret
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

Quelques Fleurs Jardin SecretHoubigant

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.41/ 5 · 179 votes

Have 83%Had 17%Want 0%

3.98/ 5 · 205 votes

Have 37%Had 14%Want 49%

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

36%Love

40%Like

11%Ok

13%Dislike

0%Hate

205 votes

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

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity64

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate85

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityBal à Versailles Eau de Cologne

SillageTie

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value63

¤ Price value34

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%

floral92%

white floral84%

powdery77%

musky69%

yellow floral61%

Scent match49%Some overlap · both citrus, powdery and white floral

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

Top20-30 mins

NeroliBergamotYellow Mandarin

Heart3-4 hrs

Orris RootMagnoliaNarcissusOrange BlossomYlang-YlangJasmineRose

Base6-8 hrs

Ambrette (Musk Mallow)White MuskMuskSandalwood

InformationalShared notesOrange Blossom, Jasmine, Neroli and Bergamot. Durations are only published for Quelques Fleurs Jardin Secret, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring61

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer79

Fall0

Winter16

Day100

Night32

Category winnerQuelques Fleurs Jardin SecretMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men5

Unisex61

Women34

Men0

Unisex15

Women85

Work 39%Casual 34%Date 19%Party 8%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#23,768

PerfumerJean Desprez

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#26,239

PerfumerLuca Maffei

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 →

Houbigant Quelques Fleurs Jardin Secret begins with a vivid burst of yellow mandarin, crisp bergamot, and sunlit neroli. It feels immediate and bright. The sharp citrus fizz mellows within twenty minutes into a luminous heart of magnolia, creamy jasmine, and earthy orris root. It does not smell like a vintage museum p…

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 Quelques Fleurs Jardin Secret?

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne takes 5 of 7 categories. Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne is rated 4.41/5 from 179 votes; Quelques Fleurs Jardin Secret is rated 3.98/5 from 205 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 Quelques Fleurs Jardin Secret for a citrus and floral character. Wins on versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne or Quelques Fleurs Jardin Secret?

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne lasts longest (Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne 64/100, Quelques Fleurs Jardin Secret 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne or Quelques Fleurs Jardin Secret?

Projection is very close: Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne 58/100, Quelques Fleurs Jardin Secret 58/100 for sillage.

Do Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne and Quelques Fleurs Jardin Secret smell similar?

Some overlap: a 49% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, powdery and white floral accords. Common notes include Orange Blossom, Jasmine, Neroli and Bergamot.

Is Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne or Quelques Fleurs Jardin Secret better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne and Quelques Fleurs Jardin Secret?

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. Quelques Fleurs Jardin Secret has top notes of Neroli, Bergamot and Yellow Mandarin, heart notes of Orris Root, Magnolia, Narcissus and Orange Blossom, a base of Ambrette (Musk Mallow), White Musk, Musk and Sandalwood.