/L vs Bal à Versailles
Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.
33%scent match
Clearly different
Quick verdict
Which one should you pick?
Bal à Versailles takes 3 of 5 categories.
/LChoose it for a aromatic and smoky character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear.
Bal à VersaillesChoose it for a amber and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.
/L2/5
Bal à Versailles3/5
- Ratings & consensus
- Bal à Versailles
- Community sentiment
- Not scored
- Longevity
- Bal à Versailles
- Sillage & projection
- Bal à Versailles
- Value for money
- /L
- Versatility
- Not scored
- Note pyramid (duration)
- Not scored
- Fragranxe ranking
- /L
Head-to-head breakdown
Every category side by side, with the winner called out.
Fragrance
/LNasengoldBal à VersaillesJean DesprezWinner
Ratings & consensus
Average rating and ownership split3.70/ 5 · 107 votes
Have 40%Had 32%Want 28%
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 hate30%Love
40%Like
15%Ok
10%Dislike
5%Hate
20 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
Category winners
LongevityBal à Versailles
SillageBal à Versailles
Value for money
How fairly priced voters find itCategory winner/LBest value score
Main accords
Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by botharomatic100%
smoky92%
woody84%
amber77%
citrus69%
fresh spicy61%
amber100%
powdery92%
woody84%
animalic77%
musky69%
balsamic61%
Scent match33%Clearly different · both amber and woody
Note pyramid (duration)
Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = sharedTop
elemiBergamotMandarin OrangeGingerCardamomThyme
Heart
VioletMagnoliaLily-of-the-ValleyOrange BlossomOrris Root
Base
SmokeOlibanumSuedeVetiverSandalwoodAmberCedar
Top
RoseBulgarian RoseOrange BlossomJasmineRosemaryNeroliMandarin OrangeBergamot
Heart
LeatherYlang-YlangSandalwoodOrris RootPatchouliLilacVetiverLily-of-the-Valley
Base
CivetResinsTolu BalsamAmberBenzoinVanillaMuskCedar
InformationalShared notesBergamot, Mandarin Orange, Lily-of-the-Valley and Orange Blossom. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.
Seasons & time of day
Relative to each fragrance's best seasonSpring89
Summer100
Fall100
Winter78
Day100
Night71
Spring31
Summer0
Fall0
Winter100
Day–
Night–
Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round
Who wears it
Gender appeal votesInformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored
Ranking & credits
Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launchOverall rank#7,764
PerfumerChristian Plesch
Launched—
Reviews52
Overall rank#25,912
PerfumerJean Desprez
Launched—
Reviews0
Category winner/LHigher overall rank
In a nutshell
Description & review snapshotNasengold /L reads as an aromatic, smoky citrus with a dry woody base and a soft powdery edge. The opening looks bright and spicy on paper, then settles into incense, suede, vetiver and sandalwood, giving it a textured, slightly smoky finish. It appears best suited to someone who likes unisex scents with freshness up …
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.
Guided comparison
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Common questions
Straight answers from the data above.
Which is better, /L or Bal à Versailles?
Bal à Versailles takes 3 of 5 categories. /L is rated 3.70/5 from 107 votes; Bal à Versailles is rated 4.15/5 from 2,256 votes. Choose /L for a aromatic and smoky character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear. Choose Bal à Versailles for a amber and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.
Which lasts longer, /L or Bal à Versailles?
They last about the same: Bal à Versailles 76/100, /L 75/100 for longevity in community votes.
Which projects more, /L or Bal à Versailles?
Bal à Versailles projects furthest (Bal à Versailles 66/100, /L 63/100), based on community performance votes.
Do /L and Bal à Versailles smell similar?
Clearly different: a 33% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber and woody accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Mandarin Orange, Lily-of-the-Valley and Orange Blossom.
Is /L or Bal à Versailles better for summer or winter?
/L suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.
What are the notes in /L and Bal à Versailles?
/L has top notes of elemi, Bergamot, Mandarin Orange and Ginger, heart notes of Violet, Magnolia, Lily-of-the-Valley and Orange Blossom, a base of Smoke, Olibanum, Suede and Vetiver. 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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