Fragrance comparison

Chanel No 5 Parfum vs Bal à Versailles

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

Updated 28 Oct 2026 15,697 ratings analysed

Chanel No 5 Parfum

Chanel

3.6813,441 votes

Rank #31,349 PowderyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

46%scent match

Some overlap

6 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 6 of 7 categories.

Chanel No 5 Parfum
Choose it for a powdery and woody character. Wins on versatility. Best in winter, evening wear.
Bal à Versailles
Choose it for a amber and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Chanel No 5 Parfum1/7

Bal à Versailles6/7

Ratings & consensus: Bal à Versailles
Community sentiment: Bal à Versailles
Longevity: Bal à Versailles
Sillage & projection: Bal à Versailles
Value for money: Bal à Versailles
Versatility: Chanel No 5 Parfum
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

Chanel No 5 ParfumChanel

Bal à VersaillesJean Desprez

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.68/ 5 · 13,441 votes

Have 67%Had 33%Want 0%

4.15/ 5 · 2,256 votes

Have 73%Had 27%Want 0%

Category winnerBal à VersaillesRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

38%Love

28%Like

2%Ok

31%Dislike

2%Hate

13,441 votes

47%Love

36%Like

3%Ok

13%Dislike

1%Hate

2,256 votes

Category winnerBal à VersaillesMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate67

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityBal à Versailles

SillageBal à Versailles

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value38

¤ Price value60

Category winnerBal à VersaillesBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

powdery100%

woody92%

aldehydic84%

iris77%

fresh69%

white floral61%

amber100%

powdery92%

woody84%

animalic77%

musky69%

balsamic61%

Scent match46%Some overlap · both powdery and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

AldehydesYlang-YlangNeroliBergamotLemon

Heart2-4 hrs

IrisJasmineRoseOrris RootLily-of-the-Valley

Base8-12 hrs

CivetMuskSandalwoodAmberMossVanillaVetiverPatchouli

Top

RoseBulgarian RoseOrange BlossomJasmineRosemaryNeroliMandarin OrangeBergamot

Heart

LeatherYlang-YlangSandalwoodOrris RootPatchouliLilacVetiverLily-of-the-Valley

Base

CivetResinsTolu BalsamAmberBenzoinVanillaMuskCedar

InformationalShared notesYlang-Ylang, Neroli, Bergamot and Jasmine. Durations are only published for Chanel No 5 Parfum, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring52

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day58

Night100

Spring31

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerChanel No 5 ParfumMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex17

Women81

Date 42%Work 24%Casual 18%Party 16%

Men4

Unisex47

Women49

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#31,349

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 No 5 Parfum is the original, ultra-concentrated pure perfume extract created in 1921. It opens with an unmistakable burst of sparkling aldehydes, bright lemon, and sunny ylang-ylang. The initial sharpness softens within minutes. A velvety heart of powdery iris, rich Grasse jasmine, and May rose rises to take ov…

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, Chanel No 5 Parfum or Bal à Versailles?

Bal à Versailles takes 6 of 7 categories. Chanel No 5 Parfum is rated 3.68/5 from 13,441 votes; Bal à Versailles is rated 4.15/5 from 2,256 votes. Choose Chanel No 5 Parfum for a powdery and woody character. Wins on versatility. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Bal à Versailles for a amber and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Chanel No 5 Parfum or Bal à Versailles?

They last about the same: Bal à Versailles 76/100, Chanel No 5 Parfum 75/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Chanel No 5 Parfum or Bal à Versailles?

Projection is very close: Bal à Versailles 66/100, Chanel No 5 Parfum 64/100 for sillage.

Do Chanel No 5 Parfum and Bal à Versailles smell similar?

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

Is Chanel No 5 Parfum or Bal à Versailles better for summer or winter?

For summer, Chanel No 5 Parfum is the stronger pick. For winter, Chanel No 5 Parfum is the stronger pick. Chanel No 5 Parfum suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Chanel No 5 Parfum and Bal à Versailles?

Chanel No 5 Parfum has top notes of Aldehydes, Ylang-Ylang, Neroli and Bergamot, heart notes of Iris, Jasmine, Rose and Orris Root, a base of Civet, Musk, Sandalwood and Amber. 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.