Fragrance comparison

Lily of the Valley vs Bal à Versailles

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

Updated 8 Nov 2026 2,336 ratings analysed

Lily of the Valley

Parfums Quartana

3.6480 votes

Rank #17,729 White FloralFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

22%scent match

Clearly different

5 wins

Bal à Versailles

Jean Desprez

4.152,256 votes

Rank #25,203 AmberPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Bal à Versailles takes 5 of 7 categories.

Lily of the Valley
Choose it for a white floral and floral character. Wins on versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Bal à Versailles
Choose it for a amber and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Lily of the Valley2/7

Bal à Versailles5/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Lily of the ValleyParfums Quartana

Bal à VersaillesJean Desprez

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.64/ 5 · 80 votes

Have 39%Had 9%Want 52%

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

26%Love

33%Like

20%Ok

21%Dislike

0%Hate

80 votes

47%Love

36%Like

3%Ok

13%Dislike

1%Hate

2,256 votes

Category winnerBal à VersaillesMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate66

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityBal à Versailles

SillageBal à Versailles

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value42

¤ Price value60

Category winnerBal à VersaillesBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

white floral100%

floral92%

woody84%

aromatic77%

citrus69%

green61%

amber100%

powdery92%

woody84%

animalic77%

musky69%

balsamic61%

Scent match22%Clearly different · both woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

Flower PetalsLeatherLily-of-the-ValleyDew DropVetiverSandalwoodCassisLabdanumBergamotNeroliOrange BlossomRose

No top / heart / base split published

Top

RoseBulgarian RoseOrange BlossomJasmineRosemaryNeroliMandarin OrangeBergamot

Heart

LeatherYlang-YlangSandalwoodOrris RootPatchouliLilacVetiverLily-of-the-Valley

Base

CivetResinsTolu BalsamAmberBenzoinVanillaMuskCedar

InformationalShared notesLeather, Lily-of-the-Valley, Vetiver and Sandalwood. Durations are only published for Lily of the Valley, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer55

Fall45

Winter18

Day100

Night33

Spring31

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerLily of the ValleyMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men7

Unisex38

Women55

Men4

Unisex47

Women49

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#17,729

PerfumerNathalie Benareau

Launched—

Reviews20

Overall rank#25,203

PerfumerJean Desprez

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerLily of the ValleyHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Lily of the Valley by Parfums Quartana approaches its title flower with an unexpected, crisp edge. Instead of a straightforward spring soliflore, this scent opens with dewy bergamot and neroli, creating a bright citrus and green splash that feels fresh from the shower. As it settles, lily-of-the-valley blossoms alongs…

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, Lily of the Valley or Bal à Versailles?

Bal à Versailles takes 5 of 7 categories. Lily of the Valley is rated 3.64/5 from 80 votes; Bal à Versailles is rated 4.15/5 from 2,256 votes. Choose Lily of the Valley for a white floral and floral character. Wins on versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Bal à Versailles for a amber and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Lily of the Valley or Bal à Versailles?

Bal à Versailles lasts longest (Bal à Versailles 76/100, Lily of the Valley 70/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Lily of the Valley or Bal à Versailles?

Bal à Versailles projects furthest (Bal à Versailles 66/100, Lily of the Valley 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Lily of the Valley and Bal à Versailles smell similar?

Clearly different: a 22% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody accords. Common notes include Leather, Lily-of-the-Valley, Vetiver and Sandalwood.

Is Lily of the Valley or Bal à Versailles better for summer or winter?

For summer, Lily of the Valley is the stronger pick. For winter, Bal à Versailles is the stronger pick. Lily of the Valley suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Lily of the Valley and Bal à Versailles?

Lily of the Valley features Flower Petals, Leather, Lily-of-the-Valley, Dew Drop 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.