Fragrance comparison

Desirable vs Bal à Versailles

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 2,269 ratings analysed

Desirable

Amado

3.3513 votes

Rank #24,597 CitrusPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

37%scent match

Some overlap

3 wins

Bal à Versailles

Jean Desprez

4.152,256 votes

Rank #25,912 AmberPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Bal à Versailles takes 3 of 5 categories.

Desirable
Choose it for a citrus and powdery character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.
Bal à Versailles
Choose it for a amber and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter.

Desirable2/5

Bal à Versailles3/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

DesirableAmado

Bal à VersaillesJean Desprez

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.35/ 5 · 13 votes

Have 25%Had 0%Want 75%

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

25%Love

25%Like

25%Ok

0%Dislike

25%Hate

4 votes · too few to score

47%Love

36%Like

3%Ok

13%Dislike

1%Hate

2,256 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity77

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate65

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityDesirable

SillageBal à Versailles

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value0

¤ Price value60

Category winnerBal à VersaillesBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

powdery92%

floral84%

woody77%

white floral69%

vanilla61%

amber100%

powdery92%

woody84%

animalic77%

musky69%

balsamic61%

Scent match37%Some overlap · both powdery and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Mandarin OrangeNeroliCinnamonStar Anise

Heart

RoseEgyptian JasmineOrris RootPeony

Base

CedarSandalwoodVanillaMuskAmberTonka Bean

Top

RoseBulgarian RoseOrange BlossomJasmineRosemaryNeroliMandarin OrangeBergamot

Heart

LeatherYlang-YlangSandalwoodOrris RootPatchouliLilacVetiverLily-of-the-Valley

Base

CivetResinsTolu BalsamAmberBenzoinVanillaMuskCedar

InformationalShared notesMandarin Orange, Neroli, Rose and Egyptian Jasmine. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring25

Summer0

Fall50

Winter100

Day25

Night100

Spring31

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men50

Unisex0

Women50

Men4

Unisex47

Women49

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#24,597

PerfumerChristian Provenzano

Launched—

Reviews13

Overall rank#25,912

PerfumerJean Desprez

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerDesirableHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Desirable by Amado is a bright citrus and neroli opening dusted with cinnamon and star anise, quickly turning powdery and floral. Rose, jasmine and orris give it a soft, cosmetic texture, then the dry-down settles into vanilla, tonka and ambered woods. It suits people who like elegant, slightly spicy florals with a s…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Desirable or Bal à Versailles?

Bal à Versailles takes 3 of 5 categories. Desirable is rated 3.35/5 from 13 votes; Bal à Versailles is rated 4.15/5 from 2,256 votes. Choose Desirable for a citrus and powdery character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Bal à Versailles for a amber and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Desirable or Bal à Versailles?

They last about the same: Desirable 77/100, Bal à Versailles 76/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Desirable or Bal à Versailles?

Bal à Versailles projects furthest (Bal à Versailles 66/100, Desirable 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Desirable and Bal à Versailles smell similar?

Some overlap: a 37% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share powdery and woody accords. Common notes include Mandarin Orange, Neroli, Rose and Egyptian Jasmine.

Is Desirable or Bal à Versailles better for summer or winter?

Desirable suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Desirable and Bal à Versailles?

Desirable has top notes of Mandarin Orange, Neroli, Cinnamon and Star Anise, heart notes of Rose, Egyptian Jasmine, Orris Root and Peony, a base of Cedar, Sandalwood, Vanilla and Musk. 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.