Fragrance comparison

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne vs Route Mandarine

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

Updated 29 Oct 2026 247 ratings analysed

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne

Jean Desprez

4.41179 votes

Rank #25,228 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

54%scent match

Some overlap

Route Mandarine

Manuel Canovas

4.1568 votes

Rank #13,169 Warm SpicyCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 7 categories split 3–3.

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne
Choose it for a amber and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in winter.
Route Mandarine
Choose it for a warm spicy and citrus character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne3/7

Route Mandarine3/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Bal à Versailles Eau de CologneJean Desprez

Route MandarineManuel Canovas

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.41/ 5 · 179 votes

Have 83%Had 17%Want 0%

4.15/ 5 · 68 votes

Have 48%Had 12%Want 40%

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

41%Love

44%Like

3%Ok

12%Dislike

0%Hate

68 votes

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

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity64

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate85

⏱ Longevity77

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityRoute Mandarine

SillageRoute Mandarine

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value63

Category winnerTieBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

woody92%

powdery84%

white floral77%

citrus69%

musky61%

warm spicy100%

citrus92%

amber84%

woody77%

white floral69%

rose61%

Scent match54%Some overlap · both amber, 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

Top20-30 mins

Madagascar ClovesOrangeCeylon CinnamonMadagascar Ylang-YlangItalian MandarinEgyptian PelargoniumLemonBergamot

Heart3-4 hrs

Bulgarian RosePatchouliSandalwoodOrange BlossomEgyptian JasmineTahitian VetiverLily-of-the-Valley

Base8-12 hrs

IncenseAmberSpanish LabdanumWhite MuskMadagascar Vanilla

InformationalShared notesOrange Blossom, Jasmine, Bergamot and Bulgarian Rose. Durations are only published for Route Mandarine, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring61

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring48

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day77

Night100

Category winnerBal à Versailles Eau de CologneMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men5

Unisex61

Women34

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Date 35%Casual 28%Party 20%Work 18%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#25,228

PerfumerJean Desprez

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#13,169

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews17

Category winnerRoute MandarineHigher 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 →

Route Mandarine by Manuel Canovas smells like a traditional winter pomander brought to life. You get an immediate burst of juicy Italian mandarin, bitter bergamot, and pungent Madagascar clove. Do not overspray this. The spice hits fast. Within twenty minutes, the bright citrus flash fades into a warm heart of Bulgari…

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 Route Mandarine?

No clear winner: the 7 categories split 3–3. Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne is rated 4.41/5 from 179 votes; Route Mandarine is rated 4.15/5 from 68 votes. Choose Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne for a amber and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in winter. Choose Route Mandarine for a warm spicy and citrus character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.

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

Route Mandarine lasts longest (Route Mandarine 77/100, Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne 64/100), based on community performance votes.

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

Route Mandarine projects furthest (Route Mandarine 65/100, Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne and Route Mandarine smell similar?

Some overlap: a 54% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, woody and citrus accords. Common notes include Orange Blossom, Jasmine, Bergamot and Bulgarian Rose.

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

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

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

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. Route Mandarine has top notes of Madagascar Cloves, Orange, Ceylon Cinnamon and Madagascar Ylang-Ylang, heart notes of Bulgarian Rose, Patchouli, Sandalwood and Orange Blossom, a base of Incense, Amber, Spanish Labdanum and White Musk.