FRAGRANXE
Fragrance comparison

Hien Le No1 vs Bal à Versailles

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

Updated 2,307 ratings analysed
Clearly different
Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 7 categories split 3–3.

  • Hien Le No1

    Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on community sentiment, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

  • Bal à Versailles

    Choose it for a amber and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Hien Le No13/7
Bal à Versailles3/7
Ratings & consensus
Bal à Versailles
Community sentiment
Hien Le No1
Longevity
Bal à Versailles
Sillage & projection
Hien Le No1
Value for money
Tie
Versatility
Hien Le No1
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
Hien Le No1Verduu
Bal à VersaillesJean Desprez
Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split
4.06/ 5 · 51 votes
Have 47%Had 19%Want 34%
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
33%Love
51%Like
6%Ok
8%Dislike
2%Hate

51 votes

47%Love
36%Like
3%Ok
13%Dislike
1%Hate

2,256 votes

Category winnerHien Le No1Most positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores
⏱ Longevity63
〰 Sillage67
♥ Love / hate76
⏱ Longevity76
〰 Sillage66
♥ Love / hate79
Category winners

LongevityBal à Versailles

SillageHien Le No1

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it
¤ Price value60
¤ Price value60
Category winnerTieBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both
aromatic100%
woody83%
citrus65%
fresh spicy48%
earthy30%
amber100%
powdery92%
woody84%
animalic77%
musky69%
balsamic61%
Scent match25%Clearly different · both woody

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared
Top20-30 mins
RosemaryLemonGreen MandarinOrange BlossomMint
Heart2-4 hrs
ThymeMagnoliaSandalwoodMangoLily-of-the-Valley
Base6-8 hrs
VetiverCedarGuaiac WoodMuskPatchouliAmber
Top
RoseBulgarian RoseOrange BlossomJasmineRosemaryNeroliMandarin OrangeBergamot
Heart
LeatherYlang-YlangSandalwoodOrris RootPatchouliLilacVetiverLily-of-the-Valley
Base
CivetResinsTolu BalsamAmberBenzoinVanillaMuskCedar
InformationalShared notesRosemary, Orange Blossom, Sandalwood and Lily-of-the-Valley. Durations are only published for Hien Le No1, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season
Spring100
Summer67
Fall57
Winter24
Day100
Night24
Spring31
Summer0
Fall0
Winter100
Day–
Night–
Category winnerHien Le No1Most year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes
Men58
Unisex42
Women0
Casual 40%Work 36%Date 16%Party 8%
Men4
Unisex47
Women49
InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#33,128

PerfumerMark Buxton

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#23,145

PerfumerJean Desprez

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerBal à VersaillesHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Hien Le No1 opens with an invigorating slap of crushed mint, sharp green mandarin, and sour lemon peel. The initial solvent burst flashes off within three minutes, revealing an aromatic core of garden thyme and dry rosemary. It smells remarkably clean. You get crisp white tennis apparel dried under warm California sun…

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, Hien Le No1 or Bal à Versailles?

No clear winner: the 7 categories split 3–3. Hien Le No1 is rated 4.06/5 from 51 votes; Bal à Versailles is rated 4.15/5 from 2,256 votes. Choose Hien Le No1 for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on community sentiment, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Bal à Versailles for a amber and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Hien Le No1 or Bal à Versailles?

Bal à Versailles lasts longest (Bal à Versailles 76/100, Hien Le No1 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Hien Le No1 or Bal à Versailles?

Projection is very close: Hien Le No1 67/100, Bal à Versailles 66/100 for sillage.

Do Hien Le No1 and Bal à Versailles smell similar?

Clearly different: a 25% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody accords. Common notes include Rosemary, Orange Blossom, Sandalwood and Lily-of-the-Valley.

Is Hien Le No1 or Bal à Versailles better for summer or winter?

For summer, Hien Le No1 is the stronger pick. For winter, Bal à Versailles is the stronger pick. Hien Le No1 suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Hien Le No1 and Bal à Versailles?

Hien Le No1 has top notes of Rosemary, Lemon, Green Mandarin and Orange Blossom, heart notes of Thyme, Magnolia, Sandalwood and Mango, a base of Vetiver, Cedar, Guaiac Wood 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.

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