Bal à Versailles (1962)
by Jean Desprez

Jean Despres Bal a Versailles and Miller Harris L'Air de Rien Comparison

Left arm: Jean Desprez Bal a Versailles EDC
Right arm: Miller Harris L'Air de Rien EDP

An article I read recently compared BaV concentrations in both parfum and EDT with L'AdR. L'AdR comes only in EDP, but I know from past experience that it is short lived, and not entirely incomparable to an EDT or EDC.

BaV starts with a blast of civet and very soapy aldehydes (much like the scent of Ivory soap). It has a slight sourness that I sometimes smell in these types of aldehydes, but it is not unpleasant on my skin. The civet doesn't last long, but the soapyness continues through the mid development. Now (about an hour later), I still smell the soap, but also powder, leather, and a bit of another animalic note which reminds me of the animal-cage smell in Dzing! (the note is castoreum). The article said "bar of soap in a horse stable". I would have to agree with this sentiment!

L'AdR starts much sweeter with a slightly dirty amber accord. No civet, but the "dirty" smell is a similar leather and horse barn smell (castoreum). There is no soapyness or sourness, but there is a bit of powder at this stage. It is also retaining its sweetness pretty well, something that is a challenge with my skin. Incidentally, the BaV is quite dry in comparison, at least for me.

I completely understand how a comparison can be made between these two, but I see it mostly in the middle and early part of the drydown. I have a slight preference for the Miller Harris since it forgoes the "dated" aldehydic notes and stays sweet on my skin. However, the BaV is also a very interesting fragrance, and I can imagine exploring its different concentrations.

Heavenly. Rich and complex, and the drydown is so light but also so full of civet and incense - how'd they DO that??? The only reason this doesn't share a five star rating with my beloved Opium is a weird top note that gave me a sense memory of my elementary school art room, full of slightly open plastic bottles of paint and wooden tables baking in the sun. But in only lasts a moment and then I'm a very happy person.

Adding to my review of this sent out yesterday:

It made it extremely sick when I wore it as opposed to having just a drop on my hand for review purposes. Very, very sick. & this is from someone who can shower in "Le Baiser du Dragon".
Very disapointed.

I found old classics agree with me these days better than many new scents. I bought a mini of this one with high hopes, and I'm still not sure what to make of it yet. I really like the dry-down's animalic notes. Not nuts at this point about the flowery opening, which smells like little old ladies to me. It might grow on me. I think it's worth a few more wearings to decide.

renperd's review made me laugh because Bal a Versailles is like a coquette. The opening (for me) is powdery cinnamon/clove and florals. As it starts to dry down a rich woodiness emerges that's velvety soft and still overlay-ed with spice. Unlike others, I can't call Bal a Versailles a warm scent because throughout it always seems to remain cool, refined and aloof. It teases you by pulling you in just enough, but never allowing you to get close enough to really figure it out. B a V is as hard to pin down as Mitsouko because of the way it keeps playing and changing on my skin as time passes. It's never overly sweet, but just perfect in it's balance. This is one of those scents that I can suddenly be hit with a craving for, like a slice of pizza, or some other satisfying food. The far dry down is a soft, faintly sweet and powdery leather that can be swoon inducing.

Many have talked about how animalic this is, but I don't get much of that at all. For me, what makes this a romantic and seductive scent is the sense of mystery it evokes. If you don't care for powdery notes, you may not like Bal a Versailles. But then again, this may be the one that makes you make an exception to that rule.

This Bal has been sending my olfactory bulb into a flat spin ever since I first sprayed it from a blind bought 100ml bottle. It pushes me away, draws me back closer, leaves me cold, makes me sniff my arm again and again. I want to like it so badly, and sometimes I do, but in the end it's just too damn dry. Interesting with the civet, flowers, sandalwood and all, but dry as bone. Perhaps I'll try it one more time tomorrow.