Fragrance comparison

H2Eau Musk Noir vs Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 256 ratings analysed

H2Eau Musk Noir

Clean

3.8277 votes

Rank #39,658 PowderyMusky

Full profile Similar & dupes

50%scent match

Some overlap

6 wins

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne

Jean Desprez

4.41179 votes

Rank #25,572 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

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

H2Eau Musk Noir
Choose it for a powdery and musky character. Wins on versatility. Best in spring, daytime 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.

H2Eau Musk Noir1/7

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: H2Eau Musk Noir
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

H2Eau Musk NoirClean

Bal à Versailles Eau de CologneJean Desprez

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.82/ 5 · 77 votes

Have 38%Had 12%Want 50%

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

27%Love

36%Like

29%Ok

6%Dislike

1%Hate

77 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

⏱ Longevity54

〰 Sillage41

♥ Love / hate70

⏱ 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 value57

¤ Price value63

Category winnerBal à Versailles Eau de CologneBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

powdery100%

musky91%

woody83%

violet74%

white floral65%

vanilla56%

amber100%

woody92%

powdery84%

white floral77%

citrus69%

musky61%

Scent match50%Some overlap · both powdery, woody and musky

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15 to 30 minutes

Mandarin OrangeOrange Blossom

Heart1 to 2 hours

VioletLily

Base3 to 5 hours

MuskVanilaSandalwoodPatchouli

Top

Orange BlossomJasmineCassiaNeroliBergamotBulgarian RoseLemonMandarin Orange

Heart

Ylang-YlangSandalwoodVetiverOrris RootLeatherLily-of-the-ValleyLilacPatchouli

Base

CivetAmberTolu BalsamMuskResinsBenzoinVanilaCedar

InformationalShared notesMandarin Orange, Orange Blossom, Musk and Vanila. Durations are only published for H2Eau Musk Noir, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer93

Fall100

Winter41

Day100

Night76

Spring61

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerH2Eau Musk NoirMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex51

Women49

Men5

Unisex61

Women34

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#39,658

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#25,572

PerfumerJean Desprez

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerBal à Versailles Eau de CologneHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

H2Eau Musk Noir by Clean offers a soft, skin-hugging fragrance built around clean musk, gentle floral petals, and a creamy woody base. The opening brings a mild burst of juicy mandarin orange and light orange blossom, providing a refreshing citrus greeting without any harsh sharp bite. Soon after, gentle violet and pa…

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, H2Eau Musk Noir or Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne?

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne takes 6 of 7 categories. H2Eau Musk Noir is rated 3.82/5 from 77 votes; Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne is rated 4.41/5 from 179 votes. Choose H2Eau Musk Noir for a powdery and musky character. Wins on versatility. Best in spring, daytime 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, H2Eau Musk Noir or Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne?

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne lasts longest (Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne 64/100, H2Eau Musk Noir 54/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, H2Eau Musk Noir or Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne?

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne projects furthest (Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne 58/100, H2Eau Musk Noir 41/100), based on community performance votes.

Do H2Eau Musk Noir and Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne smell similar?

Some overlap: a 50% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share powdery, woody and musky accords. Common notes include Mandarin Orange, Orange Blossom, Musk and Vanila.

Is H2Eau Musk Noir or Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne better for summer or winter?

For summer, H2Eau Musk Noir is the stronger pick. For winter, Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne is the stronger pick. H2Eau Musk Noir suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in H2Eau Musk Noir and Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne?

H2Eau Musk Noir has top notes of Mandarin Orange and Orange Blossom, heart notes of Violet and Lily, a base of Musk, Vanila, Sandalwood and Patchouli. 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.