Fragrance comparison

Bois des Iles vs Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne

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

Updated 28 Oct 2026 2,086 ratings analysed

Bois des Iles

Chanel

4.341,907 votes

Rank #26,722 WoodyPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

56%scent match

Closely related

6 wins

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne

Jean Desprez

4.41179 votes

Rank #25,173 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne takes 6 of 7 categories.

Bois des Iles
Choose it for a woody and powdery character. Wins on versatility. Best in winter, evening wear.
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.

Bois des Iles1/7

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne6/7

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: Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne
Value for money: Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne
Versatility: Bois des Iles
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

Bois des IlesChanel

Bal à Versailles Eau de CologneJean Desprez

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.34/ 5 · 1,907 votes

Have 72%Had 28%Want 0%

4.41/ 5 · 179 votes

Have 83%Had 17%Want 0%

Category winnerBal à Versailles Eau de CologneRating 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

58%Love

34%Like

3%Ok

4%Dislike

2%Hate

179 votes

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

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate83

⏱ Longevity64

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate85

Category winners

LongevityBal à Versailles Eau de Cologne

SillageBal à Versailles Eau de Cologne

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value32

¤ Price value63

Category winnerBal à Versailles Eau de CologneBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

powdery92%

amber84%

aldehydic77%

iris69%

fresh61%

amber100%

woody92%

powdery84%

white floral77%

citrus69%

musky61%

Scent match56%Closely related · both woody, amber and powdery

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

Orange BlossomJasmineCassiaNeroliBergamotBulgarian RoseLemonMandarin Orange

Heart

Ylang-YlangSandalwoodVetiverOrris RootLeatherLily-of-the-ValleyLilacPatchouli

Base

CivetAmberTolu BalsamMuskResinsBenzoinVanilaCedar

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

Spring61

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%

Men5

Unisex61

Women34

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#26,722

PerfumerErnest Beaux

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#25,173

PerfumerJean Desprez

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerBal à Versailles Eau de CologneHigher 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 →

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 →

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 Eau de Cologne?

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne takes 6 of 7 categories. Bois des Iles is rated 4.34/5 from 1,907 votes; Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne is rated 4.41/5 from 179 votes. Choose Bois des Iles for a woody and powdery character. Wins on versatility. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne for a amber and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

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

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne lasts longest (Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne 64/100, Bois des Iles 61/100), based on community performance votes.

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

Projection is very close: Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne 58/100, Bois des Iles 56/100 for sillage.

Do Bois des Iles and Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne smell similar?

Closely related: a 56% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, amber and powdery accords. Common notes include Neroli, Bergamot, Mandarin Orange and Ylang-Ylang.

Is Bois des Iles or Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne 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 Eau de Cologne?

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 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.