Fragrance comparison

Real vs Bal à Versailles

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 2,318 ratings analysed

Real

American Eagle · 2006

4.5062 votes

Rank #30,604 CitrusWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

28%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

Bal à Versailles

Jean Desprez

4.152,256 votes

Rank #25,912 AmberPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Bal à Versailles takes 4 of 5 categories.

Real
Choose it for a citrus and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Bal à Versailles
Choose it for a amber and powdery character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter.

Real1/5

Bal à Versailles4/5

Ratings & consensus: Real
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Bal à Versailles
Sillage & projection: Bal à Versailles
Value for money: Bal à Versailles
Versatility: Not scored
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

RealAmerican Eagle

Bal à VersaillesJean Desprez

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.50/ 5 · 62 votes

Have 19%Had 54%Want 28%

4.15/ 5 · 2,256 votes

Have 73%Had 27%Want 0%

Category winnerRealRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

64%Love

29%Like

0%Ok

7%Dislike

0%Hate

14 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

⏱ Longevity55

〰 Sillage53

♥ Love / hate88

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityBal à Versailles

SillageBal à Versailles

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value58

¤ Price value60

Category winnerBal à VersaillesBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus92%

woody69%

warm spicy53%

amber100%

powdery92%

woody84%

animalic77%

musky69%

balsamic61%

Scent match28%Clearly different · both woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Green LeavesWatery NotesMandarin OrangeLemonBergamotSea Notes

Heart

CardamomRoseOrange BlossomLily-of-the-Valley

Base

AmberVetiverSandalwoodMossResinsPatchouli

Top

RoseBulgarian RoseOrange BlossomJasmineRosemaryNeroliMandarin OrangeBergamot

Heart

LeatherYlang-YlangSandalwoodOrris RootPatchouliLilacVetiverLily-of-the-Valley

Base

CivetResinsTolu BalsamAmberBenzoinVanillaMuskCedar

InformationalShared notesMandarin Orange, Bergamot, Rose 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 season

Spring67

Summer33

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night75

Spring31

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Men4

Unisex47

Women49

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#30,604

PerfumerNot listed

Launched2006

Reviews0

Overall rank#25,912

PerfumerJean Desprez

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerBal à VersaillesHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Real by American Eagle is an approachable woody spicy fragrance for men. It opens with a crisp, refreshing blend of green leaves and citrus notes before moving into a warm heart of cardamom and rose. The base of sandalwood and amber provides a clean, reliable finish that is perfect for daily office or casual wear thro…

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, Real or Bal à Versailles?

Bal à Versailles takes 4 of 5 categories. Real is rated 4.50/5 from 62 votes; Bal à Versailles is rated 4.15/5 from 2,256 votes. Choose Real for a citrus and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Bal à Versailles for a amber and powdery character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Real or Bal à Versailles?

Bal à Versailles lasts longest (Bal à Versailles 76/100, Real 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Real or Bal à Versailles?

Bal à Versailles projects furthest (Bal à Versailles 66/100, Real 53/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Real and Bal à Versailles smell similar?

Clearly different: a 28% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody accords. Common notes include Mandarin Orange, Bergamot, Rose and Orange Blossom.

Is Real or Bal à Versailles better for summer or winter?

Real suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Real and Bal à Versailles?

Real has top notes of Green Leaves, Watery Notes, Mandarin Orange and Lemon, heart notes of Cardamom, Rose, Orange Blossom and Lily-of-the-Valley, a base of Amber, Vetiver, Sandalwood and Moss. 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.