Fragrance comparison

Cuir de Russie Eau de Parfum vs Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 1,090 ratings analysed

Cuir de Russie Eau de Parfum

Chanel

4.11911 votes

Rank #28,064 LeatherSmoky

Full profile Similar & dupes

32%scent match

Clearly different

5 wins

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne

Jean Desprez

4.41179 votes

Rank #25,299 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne takes 5 of 7 categories.

Cuir de Russie Eau de Parfum
Choose it for a leather and smoky character. Wins on longevity and versatility. Best in winter, daytime wear.
Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne
Choose it for a amber and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in winter.

Cuir de Russie Eau de Parfum2/7

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne5/7

Ratings & consensus: Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne
Community sentiment: Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne
Longevity: Cuir de Russie Eau de Parfum
Sillage & projection: Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne
Value for money: Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne
Versatility: Cuir de Russie Eau de Parfum
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

Cuir de Russie Eau de ParfumChanel

Bal à Versailles Eau de CologneJean Desprez

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.11/ 5 · 911 votes

Have 76%Had 24%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

48%Love

29%Like

10%Ok

10%Dislike

2%Hate

911 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

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate78

⏱ Longevity64

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate85

Category winners

LongevityCuir de Russie Eau de Parfum

SillageBal à Versailles Eau de Cologne

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value33

¤ Price value63

Category winnerBal à Versailles Eau de CologneBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

leather100%

smoky92%

white floral84%

yellow floral77%

woody69%

sweet61%

amber100%

woody92%

powdery84%

white floral77%

citrus69%

musky61%

Scent match32%Clearly different · both white floral and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

Orange BlossomMandarin OrangeBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

Ylang-YlangJasmineTobaccoRose

Base6-8+ hrs

LeatherBirchResins

Top

Orange BlossomJasmineCassiaNeroliBergamotBulgarian RoseLemonMandarin Orange

Heart

Ylang-YlangSandalwoodVetiverOrris RootLeatherLily-of-the-ValleyLilacPatchouli

Base

CivetAmberTolu BalsamMuskResinsBenzoinVanilaCedar

InformationalShared notesOrange Blossom, Mandarin Orange, Bergamot and Ylang-Ylang. Durations are only published for Cuir de Russie Eau de Parfum, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring64

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day100

Night91

Spring61

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerCuir de Russie Eau de ParfumMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men13

Unisex59

Women28

Men5

Unisex61

Women34

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#28,064

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#25,299

PerfumerJean Desprez

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerBal à Versailles Eau de CologneHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Chanel Cuir de Russie Eau de Parfum delivers a bold contrast between crisp citrus and dark, smoky leather. The first spray hits hard. A bright flash of bergamot and mandarin quickly yields to authentic Russian leather soaked in birch tar. Sweet pipe tobacco and warm resins slowly cushion the smoky bite. It never turns…

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, Cuir de Russie Eau de Parfum or Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne?

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne takes 5 of 7 categories. Cuir de Russie Eau de Parfum is rated 4.11/5 from 911 votes; Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne is rated 4.41/5 from 179 votes. Choose Cuir de Russie Eau de Parfum for a leather and smoky character. Wins on longevity and versatility. Best in winter, daytime wear. Choose Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne for a amber and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Cuir de Russie Eau de Parfum or Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne?

They last about the same: Cuir de Russie Eau de Parfum 66/100, Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne 64/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Cuir de Russie Eau de Parfum or Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne?

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne projects furthest (Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne 58/100, Cuir de Russie Eau de Parfum 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Cuir de Russie Eau de Parfum and Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne smell similar?

Clearly different: a 32% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share white floral and woody accords. Common notes include Orange Blossom, Mandarin Orange, Bergamot and Ylang-Ylang.

Is Cuir de Russie Eau de Parfum or Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne better for summer or winter?

For summer, Cuir de Russie Eau de Parfum is the stronger pick. For winter, Cuir de Russie Eau de Parfum is the stronger pick. Cuir de Russie Eau de Parfum suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Cuir de Russie Eau de Parfum and Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne?

Cuir de Russie Eau de Parfum has top notes of Orange Blossom, Mandarin Orange and Bergamot, heart notes of Ylang-Ylang, Jasmine, Tobacco and Rose, a base of Leather, Birch and Resins. 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.