Fragrance comparison

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne vs Vera Wang Anniversary

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

Updated 15 Oct 2026 261 ratings analysed

4 wins

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne

Jean Desprez

4.41179 votes

Rank #24,117 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

51%scent match

Some overlap

Vera Wang Anniversary

Vera Wang

3.9682 votes

Rank #29,724 White FloralCitrus

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.
Vera Wang Anniversary
Choose it for a white floral and citrus character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne4/7

Vera Wang Anniversary3/7

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: Vera Wang Anniversary
Value for money: Vera Wang Anniversary
Versatility: Vera Wang Anniversary
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

Vera Wang AnniversaryVera Wang

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.41/ 5 · 179 votes

Have 83%Had 17%Want 0%

3.96/ 5 · 82 votes

Have 38%Had 16%Want 46%

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

23%Love

63%Like

2%Ok

9%Dislike

2%Hate

82 votes

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

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity64

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate85

⏱ Longevity62

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate74

Category winners

LongevityBal à Versailles Eau de Cologne

SillageVera Wang Anniversary

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value63

¤ Price value75

Category winnerVera Wang AnniversaryBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

woody92%

powdery84%

white floral77%

citrus69%

musky61%

white floral100%

citrus92%

powdery84%

musky77%

aquatic69%

animalic61%

Scent match51%Some overlap · both white floral, powdery 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

Top15-30 mins

Sicilian BergamotMandarin OrangeWater NotesApple Leaf

Heart2-4 hrs

GardeniaOrange BlossomRose

Base5-7+ hrs

MuskAmberCedarOrris Root

InformationalShared notesOrange Blossom, Bergamot, Bulgarian Rose and Mandarin Orange. Durations are only published for Vera Wang Anniversary, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring61

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer74

Fall49

Winter32

Day100

Night31

Category winnerVera Wang AnniversaryMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men5

Unisex61

Women34

Men0

Unisex8

Women92

Work 37%Casual 34%Date 21%Party 8%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#24,117

PerfumerJean Desprez

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#29,724

PerfumerNot listed

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 →

Vera Wang Anniversary opens with a bright splash of Sicilian bergamot and crisp apple leaf. Water notes immediately soften the citrus bite. It feels clean. You get a dewy morning glow rather than sharp laundry soap. Soon, lush gardenia and creamy orange blossom step forward to claim center stage. They never feel thick…

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 Vera Wang Anniversary?

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; Vera Wang Anniversary is rated 3.96/5 from 82 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 Vera Wang Anniversary for a white floral and citrus character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne or Vera Wang Anniversary?

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

Which projects more, Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne or Vera Wang Anniversary?

Vera Wang Anniversary projects furthest (Vera Wang Anniversary 66/100, Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne and Vera Wang Anniversary smell similar?

Some overlap: a 51% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share white floral, powdery and citrus accords. Common notes include Orange Blossom, Bergamot, Bulgarian Rose and Mandarin Orange.

Is Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne or Vera Wang Anniversary better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne and Vera Wang Anniversary?

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. Vera Wang Anniversary has top notes of Sicilian Bergamot, Mandarin Orange, Water Notes and Apple Leaf, heart notes of Gardenia, Orange Blossom and Rose, a base of Musk, Amber, Cedar and Orris Root.