Fragrance comparison

Narcisse Noir (2021) vs Bal à Versailles

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

Updated 17 Oct 2026 2,296 ratings analysed

Narcisse Noir (2021)

Caron

3.6540 votes

Rank #21,421 White FloralWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

37%scent match

Some overlap

5 wins

Bal à Versailles

Jean Desprez

4.152,256 votes

Rank #23,353 AmberPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Bal à Versailles takes 5 of 7 categories.

Narcisse Noir (2021)
Choose it for a white floral and woody character. Wins on versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.
Bal à Versailles
Choose it for a amber and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Narcisse Noir (2021)2/7

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: Narcisse Noir (2021)
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Narcisse Noir (2021)

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Narcisse Noir (2021)Caron

Bal à VersaillesJean Desprez

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.65/ 5 · 40 votes

Have 23%Had 5%Want 72%

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

45%Love

15%Like

10%Ok

20%Dislike

10%Hate

40 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

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage54

♥ 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%

woody88%

citrus77%

aromatic65%

powdery53%

musky42%

amber100%

powdery92%

woody84%

animalic77%

musky69%

balsamic61%

Scent match37%Some overlap · both woody, powdery and musky

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-30 mins

NeroliPetitgrain

Heart2-4 hrs

JasmineOrange BlossomRose

Base6-8+ hrs

SandalwoodVetiverMusk

Top

RoseBulgarian RoseOrange BlossomJasmineRosemaryNeroliMandarin OrangeBergamot

Heart

LeatherYlang-YlangSandalwoodOrris RootPatchouliLilacVetiverLily-of-the-Valley

Base

CivetResinsTolu BalsamAmberBenzoinVanillaMuskCedar

InformationalShared notesNeroli, Jasmine, Orange Blossom and Rose. Durations are only published for Narcisse Noir (2021), so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring90

Summer70

Fall100

Winter80

Day69

Night100

Spring31

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNarcisse Noir (2021)Most year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex22

Women78

Work 33%Date 28%Casual 25%Party 14%

Men4

Unisex47

Women49

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#21,421

PerfumerJean Jacques

Launched—

Reviews9

Overall rank#23,353

PerfumerJean Desprez

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerNarcisse Noir (2021)Higher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Caron Narcisse Noir (2021) turns classic French perfumery inside out by replacing heavy vintage animalics with luminous woods and crisp florals. It is bright. The opening snaps with bitter petitgrain and zesty neroli before blooming into a sunny heart of orange blossom and jasmine. You will not find actual narcissus f…

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, Narcisse Noir (2021) or Bal à Versailles?

Bal à Versailles takes 5 of 7 categories. Narcisse Noir (2021) is rated 3.65/5 from 40 votes; Bal à Versailles is rated 4.15/5 from 2,256 votes. Choose Narcisse Noir (2021) for a white floral and woody character. Wins on versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening 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, Narcisse Noir (2021) or Bal à Versailles?

Bal à Versailles lasts longest (Bal à Versailles 76/100, Narcisse Noir (2021) 68/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Narcisse Noir (2021) or Bal à Versailles?

Bal à Versailles projects furthest (Bal à Versailles 66/100, Narcisse Noir (2021) 54/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Narcisse Noir (2021) and Bal à Versailles smell similar?

Some overlap: a 37% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, powdery and musky accords. Common notes include Neroli, Jasmine, Orange Blossom and Rose.

Is Narcisse Noir (2021) or Bal à Versailles better for summer or winter?

For summer, Narcisse Noir (2021) is the stronger pick. For winter, Bal à Versailles is the stronger pick. Narcisse Noir (2021) suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Narcisse Noir (2021) and Bal à Versailles?

Narcisse Noir (2021) has top notes of Neroli and Petitgrain, heart notes of Jasmine, Orange Blossom and Rose, a base of Sandalwood, Vetiver 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.