Fragrance comparison

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne vs Reflection Man

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 9,324 ratings analysed

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne

Jean Desprez

4.41179 votes

Rank #26,946 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

46%scent match

Some overlap

5 wins

Reflection Man

Amouage

4.399,145 votes

Rank #25,751 WoodyWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Reflection Man takes 5 of 7 categories.

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne
Choose it for a amber and woody character. Wins on community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter.
Reflection Man
Choose it for a woody and white floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring.

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne2/7

Reflection Man5/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Bal à Versailles Eau de CologneJean Desprez

Reflection ManAmouage

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.41/ 5 · 179 votes

Have 83%Had 17%Want 0%

4.39/ 5 · 9,145 votes

Have 81%Had 19%Want 0%

Category winnerReflection ManRating 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

61%Love

25%Like

6%Ok

6%Dislike

1%Hate

9,145 votes

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

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity64

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate85

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate85

Category winners

LongevityReflection Man

SillageReflection Man

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value63

¤ Price value33

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%

woody100%

white floral92%

aromatic84%

powdery77%

fresh spicy69%

iris61%

Scent match46%Some overlap · both woody, white floral 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

Top

RosemaryPink PepperPetitgrain

Heart

JasmineNeroliOrris RootYlang-Ylang

Base

SandalwoodCedarVetiverPatchouli

InformationalShared notesJasmine, Neroli, Ylang-Ylang and Sandalwood. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring61

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer83

Fall0

Winter43

Day–

Night–

Category winnerReflection ManMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men5

Unisex61

Women34

Men74

Unisex23

Women3

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#26,946

PerfumerJean Desprez

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#25,751

PerfumerLucas Sieuzac

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerReflection ManHigher 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 →

Amouage Reflection Man redefines the clean, floral category for men by balancing cold metallic facets with warm, comforting wood. A refreshing spray of rosemary and petitgrain yields to a rich heart of jasmine and powdery orris root. The base settles into a smooth cedarwood and sandalwood combination, making it an exc…

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 Reflection Man?

Reflection Man takes 5 of 7 categories. Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne is rated 4.41/5 from 179 votes; Reflection Man is rated 4.39/5 from 9,145 votes. Choose Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne for a amber and woody character. Wins on community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter. Choose Reflection Man for a woody and white floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring.

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

Reflection Man lasts longest (Reflection Man 75/100, Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne 64/100), based on community performance votes.

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

Reflection Man projects furthest (Reflection Man 63/100, Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne and Reflection Man smell similar?

Some overlap: a 46% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, white floral and powdery accords. Common notes include Jasmine, Neroli, Ylang-Ylang and Sandalwood.

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

For summer, Reflection Man is the stronger pick. For winter, Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne is the stronger pick. Based on community season votes.

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

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. Reflection Man has top notes of Rosemary, Pink Pepper and Petitgrain, heart notes of Jasmine, Neroli, Orris Root and Ylang-Ylang, a base of Sandalwood, Cedar, Vetiver and Patchouli.