Fragrance comparison

Bois des Iles vs Bal à Versailles

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

Updated 28 Oct 2026 4,163 ratings analysed

Bois des Iles

Chanel

4.341,907 votes

Rank #26,722 WoodyPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

59%scent match

Closely related

4 wins

Bal à Versailles

Jean Desprez

4.152,256 votes

Rank #24,043 AmberPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Bal à Versailles takes 4 of 7 categories.

Bois des Iles
Choose it for a woody and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in winter, evening wear.
Bal à Versailles
Choose it for a amber and powdery character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter.

Bois des Iles3/7

Bal à Versailles4/7

Ratings & consensus: Bois des Iles
Community sentiment: Bois des Iles
Longevity: Bal à Versailles
Sillage & projection: Bal à Versailles
Value for money: Bal à Versailles
Versatility: Bois des Iles
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Bal à Versailles

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Bois des IlesChanel

Bal à VersaillesJean Desprez

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.34/ 5 · 1,907 votes

Have 72%Had 28%Want 0%

4.15/ 5 · 2,256 votes

Have 73%Had 27%Want 0%

Category winnerBois des IlesRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

53%Love

36%Like

2%Ok

8%Dislike

0%Hate

1,907 votes

47%Love

36%Like

3%Ok

13%Dislike

1%Hate

2,256 votes

Category winnerBois des IlesMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate83

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityBal à Versailles

SillageBal à Versailles

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value32

¤ Price value60

Category winnerBal à VersaillesBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

powdery92%

amber84%

aldehydic77%

iris69%

fresh61%

amber100%

powdery92%

woody84%

animalic77%

musky69%

balsamic61%

Scent match59%Closely related · both woody, powdery and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top15-30 mins

AldehydesCorianderNeroliPeachBergamotMandarin Orange

Heart2-4 hrs

Ylang-YlangIrisOrris RootJasmineRoseLilacLily-of-the-Valley

Base6-8+ hrs

SandalwoodAmberBenzoinTonka BeanOpoponaxVanillaMuskVetiver

Top

RoseBulgarian RoseOrange BlossomJasmineRosemaryNeroliMandarin OrangeBergamot

Heart

LeatherYlang-YlangSandalwoodOrris RootPatchouliLilacVetiverLily-of-the-Valley

Base

CivetResinsTolu BalsamAmberBenzoinVanillaMuskCedar

InformationalShared notesNeroli, Bergamot, Mandarin Orange and Ylang-Ylang. Durations are only published for Bois des Iles, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring89

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day79

Night100

Spring31

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerBois des IlesMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men3

Unisex56

Women41

Date 34%Work 32%Casual 23%Party 11%

Men4

Unisex47

Women49

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#26,722

PerfumerErnest Beaux

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#24,043

PerfumerJean Desprez

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerBal à VersaillesHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Chanel Bois des Iles greets you with a sparkling fizz of aldehydes and sweet mandarin orange before settling into warm woods. The opening is bright and crisp like vintage bath soap. Give it twenty minutes on skin. Soon, buttery sandalwood and powdery iris take over, creating an intimate, cozy warmth reminiscent of gin…

Reviews →

Bal a Versailles opens with a dense puff of orange blossom and powdery rose before shifting into a heavy, lived-in leather. This vintage classic suits collectors who crave dramatic, animalic warmth rather than modern clean scents. Wear it on cold winter nights when you want a rich envelope of resins and civet to cling…

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, Bois des Iles or Bal à Versailles?

Bal à Versailles takes 4 of 7 categories. Bois des Iles is rated 4.34/5 from 1,907 votes; Bal à Versailles is rated 4.15/5 from 2,256 votes. Choose Bois des Iles for a woody and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Bal à Versailles for a amber and powdery character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Bois des Iles or Bal à Versailles?

Bal à Versailles lasts longest (Bal à Versailles 76/100, Bois des Iles 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Bois des Iles or Bal à Versailles?

Bal à Versailles projects furthest (Bal à Versailles 66/100, Bois des Iles 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Bois des Iles and Bal à Versailles smell similar?

Closely related: a 59% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, powdery and amber accords. Common notes include Neroli, Bergamot, Mandarin Orange and Ylang-Ylang.

Is Bois des Iles or Bal à Versailles better for summer or winter?

For summer, Bois des Iles is the stronger pick. For winter, Bois des Iles is the stronger pick. Bois des Iles suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Bois des Iles and Bal à Versailles?

Bois des Iles has top notes of Aldehydes, Coriander, Neroli and Peach, heart notes of Ylang-Ylang, Iris, Orris Root and Jasmine, a base of Sandalwood, Amber, Benzoin and Tonka Bean. Bal à Versailles has top notes of Rose, Bulgarian Rose, Orange Blossom and Jasmine, heart notes of Leather, Ylang-Ylang, Sandalwood and Orris Root, a base of Civet, Resins, Tolu Balsam and Amber.