Fragrance comparison

Jicky vs Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne

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

Updated 5 Nov 2026 2,943 ratings analysed

Jicky

Guerlain

4.152,764 votes

Rank #2,506 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

28%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne

Jean Desprez

4.41179 votes

Rank #25,826 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne takes 4 of 7 categories.

Jicky
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, 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.

Jicky2/7

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne4/7

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: Tie
Value for money: Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne
Versatility: Jicky
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Jicky

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

JickyGuerlain

Bal à Versailles Eau de CologneJean Desprez

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.15/ 5 · 2,764 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

47%Love

36%Like

3%Ok

12%Dislike

2%Hate

2,764 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

⏱ Longevity62

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity64

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate85

Category winners

LongevityBal à Versailles Eau de Cologne

SillageTie

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value51

¤ Price value63

Category winnerBal à Versailles Eau de CologneBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

citrus84%

lavender77%

vanilla69%

woody61%

amber100%

woody92%

powdery84%

white floral77%

citrus69%

musky61%

Scent match28%Clearly different · both citrus and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top30 to 45 minutes

RosemaryBergamotLemonMandarin Orange

Heart2 to 3 hours

LavenderTonka BeanOrris RootBasilJasmineEthylvanillin

Base3 to 5 hours

VanillaLeatherSpicesBenzoinSandalwoodAmberBrazilian Rosewood

Top

Orange BlossomJasmineCassiaNeroliBergamotBulgarian RoseLemonMandarin Orange

Heart

Ylang-YlangSandalwoodVetiverOrris RootLeatherLily-of-the-ValleyLilacPatchouli

Base

CivetAmberTolu BalsamMuskResinsBenzoinVanilaCedar

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Lemon, Mandarin Orange and Orris Root. Durations are only published for Jicky, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring95

Summer67

Fall100

Winter66

Day100

Night46

Spring61

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerJickyMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men8

Unisex61

Women32

Men5

Unisex61

Women34

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#2,506

PerfumerAime Guerlain

Launched—

Reviews203

Overall rank#25,826

PerfumerJean Desprez

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerJickyHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Jicky by Guerlain presents a brisk, herbal opening of rosemary, lemon, and bergamot that quickly greets the senses. Rather than staying a simple, clean cologne, the scent introduces a core of dry lavender and powdery orris root, paired against sweet tonka bean and ethylvanillin. As the top freshness settles, a darker …

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Jicky or Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne?

Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne takes 4 of 7 categories. Jicky is rated 4.15/5 from 2,764 votes; Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne is rated 4.41/5 from 179 votes. Choose Jicky for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, 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, Jicky or Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne?

They last about the same: Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne 64/100, Jicky 62/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Jicky or Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne?

Projection is very close: Jicky 58/100, Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne 58/100 for sillage.

Do Jicky and Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne smell similar?

Clearly different: a 28% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus and woody accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Lemon, Mandarin Orange and Orris Root.

Is Jicky or Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Jicky and Bal à Versailles Eau de Cologne?

Jicky has top notes of Rosemary, Bergamot, Lemon and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Lavender, Tonka Bean, Orris Root and Basil, a base of Vanilla, Leather, Spices and Benzoin. 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.