Bal a Versailles (1962)

Bal à Versailles by Jean Desprez, launched in 1962, is a perfume that embodies opulence, sensuality, and an unmistakable air of aristocratic romance. The fragrance has its origins in an exclusive composition known as Débutante de Versailles, created for the New York-based cosmetics firm Daggett & Ramsdell as a tribute to elegant American and French debutantes—the young belles of society being presented for the first time. Crafted with more than 300 ingredients, Débutante captured such magic and depth that it was reintroduced to the public under a new name: Bal à Versailles.

The name itself is French, pronounced “bahl ah ver-sigh,” meaning “Ball at Versailles.” The reference conjures immediate imagery of candlelit opulence, powdered wigs, rustling silk gowns, and flirtatious glances exchanged behind lace fans. The Château de Versailles, with its gilded salons, mirrored halls, and manicured gardens, had long symbolized the height of French elegance and excess. Naming the perfume Bal à Versailles was a brilliant evocation of fantasy, beauty, and courtly glamour, channeling an imagined moment when a woman might enter the glittering Hall of Mirrors for a grand fête and captivate every eye with a scent as commanding as her presence.

The early 1960s, the time of the perfume’s debut, marked a transitional period in fashion and perfumery. While the tailored elegance of the 1950s still lingered, new influences were emerging—global travel, youth-driven culture, and a renewed fascination with historical romanticism. In fragrance, this translated into richer, more baroque compositions that embraced both the sensuality of orientals and the refinement of classic florals. Bal à Versailles straddled both worlds. It offered a heady, full-bodied scent with amber, civet, resins, spices, and floral notes wrapped in the powdered elegance of its era, and yet, it felt extravagant and timeless.

Women of the time would have approached Bal à Versailles as a signature fragrance for special occasions—a scent for opera nights, luxurious dinners, or intimate gatherings where one wanted to be unforgettable. The name alone suggested that wearing it could transport you to a world of chandeliers and whispered intrigues. And unlike many contemporary perfumes, Bal à Versailles was deeply complex. The sheer number of natural ingredients (some estimates suggest over 350) gave it a texture and evolution on the skin that felt deeply personal and alluring.

In the context of its contemporaries, Bal à Versailles stood out. While aldehydic florals like Chanel No. 5 still held strong, and crisp green chypres were gaining ground, Desprez’s masterpiece leaned confidently into the extravagant. It did not whisper—Bal à Versailles spoke in velvet tones, in brocade and candlelight. It was a reminder that romance and decadence could still be bottled, just as long as there was someone bold enough to wear it.

When Bal à Versailles was officially launched in 1962, Jean Desprez faced two major obstacles. The first was the nature of the fragrance itself: he had created a perfume so luxuriously complex and dependent on rare, costly materials that it risked becoming the most expensive perfume in the world. The second challenge was more practical yet equally frustrating—virtually every beautiful, poetic, or romantic name he could think of had already been registered by so-called “title authors,” whose sole business was selling these names to desperate perfumers. But fate intervened in 1959 at a grand debutante ball held at the Palace of Versailles. The opulence and beauty of the evening struck Desprez with inspiration. “Bal à Versailles”—“Ball at Versailles”—was perfect. To his amazement, the name was unclaimed. That settled the second problem.

The first problem—cost—remained unsolved. When it launched, Bal à Versailles retailed at $100 for an ounce and a quarter of parfum, making it the most expensive perfume on the market, even surpassing the reigning champion, Joy by Jean Patou. In today’s value (2025), that would amount to approximately $1,071.55 for the 1.25 ounce. Jean Desprez never intended for this to be a mass-market perfume. He kept distribution limited, in part due to the scarcity and cost of raw materials, but also by design. He never advertised. “Price is irrelevant,” he explained. “Cheap scent costs more because you must use more. It cannot hold or cling, because the ingredients that fix our perfume are even more expensive than those that give off the delicate fragrance.”

Desprez believed that composing a perfume was no different than creating haute cuisine. It required precision, experience, and impeccable ingredients. Just as a gourmand would savor foie gras or caviar, he believed women would gravitate toward truly luxurious fragrances. The perfume was not widely sold in the U.S. in its early years. In fact, it was easier to purchase it in Paris, often with traveler’s checks in boutiques designed for tourists. Most distribution was handled through select luxury retailers in Europe, North and South America, and even Japan.

In 1964, the Detroit Free Press offered a glimpse into the meticulous craftsmanship behind Bal à Versailles. At 13 rue Ernest Deloison in Neuilly, France, a team of a dozen skilled experts personally blended this legendary fragrance by hand. Their work involved carefully combining rare and costly extracts, including the richly floral tuberose, the intoxicating jasmine, the deep and velvety Bulgarian rose, the creamy and precious sandalwood, the warm animalic musk, and the elusive ambergris. This artisanal approach underscored the perfume’s reputation as a luxurious and complex masterpiece, crafted with both dedication and exquisite raw materials.

By 1964, it was revealed that Bal à Versailles was still blended entirely by hand by a team of just twelve experts at 13, rue Ernest Deloison in Neuilly, France. Jean Desprez himself oversaw every batch. At the time, the company was astonishingly small—just eighteen employees in total. Every step of the process, from tying ribbons around the bottles to pasting the hand-printed labels, was done manually with the same care that went into formulating the scent. The brand’s Parisian attorney, Suzanne Wolfe, noted Desprez’s artistic nature and deep connection to French cultural heritage, explaining how he drew constant inspiration from Versailles, its gardens, and even antique Sèvres porcelain, which he sometimes replicated on his packaging or even his Christmas cards.

Desprez brought his company to the United States in 1966, where it quickly found favor. Jacqueline Kennedy was reportedly a fan, having purchased her bottle in Paris, and Queen Elizabeth II accepted it as a gift. Within a decade, Bal à Versailles had become a leader among prestige perfumes, joining the ranks of Shalimar, Chanel No. 5, and Arpège. The perfume line expanded into multiple concentrations and ancillary products, including high-concentration parfum, cologne, parfum de toilette, bath oil, and even soap.

According to Jean Desprez’s son, Denis, the family philosophy for perfume creation remained rooted in tradition and excellence. “My father always said that creating a perfume is much like cooking… One is not trying to create something which will be successful for the moment, but rather a formula—a recipe—for a good fragrance, if not an excellent fragrance, if not an outstanding fragrance. My father found a way to do this, and Desprez perfumes are long-lasting.”

He also emphasized the importance of choosing names that would be universally recognized and appreciated. “Bal is understood in virtually all languages—the English ‘ball,’ the Italian ‘ballo’—and Versailles is a place of worldwide renown.” This universality, paired with the sheer richness of the composition, helped the perfume attain global status. By 1975, Desprez remarked that markets were strong nearly everywhere, especially in the Middle East. Finland was undergoing a surprising Bal à Versailles boom, and the fragrance was rumored to be smuggled into the Soviet Union. Desprez noted the difference in consumer behavior across countries: Americans were adventurous and curious, the Japanese conservative and collective in their choices, while Europeans showed quiet loyalty. In the end, Bal à Versailles was not just a fragrance. It was a statement—of artistry, sensuality, and timeless elegance—crafted with the kind of passion and perfectionism that is rarely seen in modern perfumery.

By 1977, Denis Desprez, son of the founder, shed further light on the incredible expense and quality of the ingredients used in Desprez perfumes. He revealed that Bal à Versailles contained approximately 260 natural ingredients, all of exceptional quality, each contributing significantly to the perfume’s cost and refinement. Among these, jasmine stood out as particularly valuable. At the time, jasmine essence cost around $3,100 per pound, a figure that would equate to over $17,034.90 in 2025 dollars when adjusted for inflation. The rarity and expense stem from the demanding cultivation and extraction process: only five and a half pounds of jasmine flowers could be harvested per acre, and an astonishing nine and a half pounds of delicate, handpicked flowers were required to produce just one pound of jasmine essence. These flowers had to be gathered at sunrise by a large labor force, adding to the cost and complexity of production.

Denis Desprez expressed concern over the dwindling availability of jasmine, particularly from southern France, which had been a traditional and prized source. Rising labor costs and rapid urban development were transforming vast flower farms into apartment complexes and villas, with many farmers tempted away from cultivation by the lure of real estate profits. Although some growers remained committed to preserving the time-honored tradition of flower farming, the landscape for sourcing natural jasmine was rapidly changing.

While jasmine cultivation efforts extended to Italy and North Africa, similar challenges of cost increases and shrinking farmland emerged in those regions. Desprez likened jasmine to wine, noting the variability of harvest quality across different years. To meet demand, perfumers began experimenting with jasmine cultivation in southern Africa; however, he predicted that the same economic and environmental pressures would eventually affect this new frontier as well.

Importantly, Desprez was skeptical of synthetic jasmines. Despite ongoing research into synthetic alternatives, he maintained that these could never fully replace natural jasmine. He explained that while synthetics might replicate about 95% of jasmine’s complex composition, the elusive remaining 5%—the subtle nuances that give jasmine its true character—remained beyond scientific grasp. Without this critical fraction, the scent might smell like jasmine superficially, but it would fail to interact properly with other fragrance components, diminishing the perfume’s overall harmony and depth.

Ultimately, Desprez emphasized the irreplaceable value of natural raw materials in perfumery. He believed that no synthetic could truly stand in for such precious ingredients as jasmine, rose, civet, musk, and orange blossom. This commitment to natural, high-quality materials was a defining characteristic of the Desprez brand and a cornerstone of Bal à Versailles’ enduring legacy.

 

Fragrance Composition:

So what does it smell like? Bal a Versailles by Jean Desprez is classified as an oriental (amber) fragrance for women, made up of at least 350 different ingredients, mostly natural. Although, no one --other than the creative geniuses at Parfums Jean Desprez know the entire formula for Bal Versailles, do we know that these are definitely in the opulent mixture:

• Top notes: aldehydes, Calabrian bergamot, Italian grapefruit, Paraguayan petitgrain, Sicilian mandarin orange, Guinea orange, tangerine, Tunisian neroli, West Indian lime, Amalfi lemon, lemongrass, Russian coriander, niaouli, South African blackcurrant buds absolute and leaves, Australian eucalyptus, cajeput, Hungarian clary sage,  ravensara, African tagetes, tea tree, thyme, Israeli basil, verbena, hyssop, English peppermint, Moroccan spearmint, Lebanese Farnesiana cassie, farnesol, Chinese cinnamon, Grasse rose de mai absolute 

• Middle notes: Bulgarian rose absolute, Moroccan geranium, geraniol, Grasse jasmine absolute, Egyptian jasmine, Grasse orange blossom absolute, Portuguese tuberose, Peruvian heliotrope, heliotropin, lilac, terpineol, lily of the valley, hydroxycitronellal, lyral, Florentine iris, ionone, amyl salicylate, Provencal lavender, West Indian bay, Indian carnation, Malabar black pepper, Moroccan cardamom, Jamaican nutmeg, Roman chamomile, fennel, marjoram, melissa, Tunisian myrtle, Comoros Island palmarosa, Persian galbanum, Russian pine, Mediterranean rosemary, spikenard, yarrow, Dutch juniper, ho leaf, ho wood, La Crau cypress 

• Base notes: Anatolian rose absolute, Nossi-Be ylang ylang absolute, Tuscan orris root, sweet clover, cassia, Saigon cinnamon, Chinese ginger, Zanzibar clove, eugenol, Omani frankincense, Sudanese myrrh, South American tolu balsam, Dutch valerian, Java vetiver, Tyrolean oakmoss absolute, opoponax, Lebanese cedarwood, Singapore patchouli, Peru balsam, resins, Brazilian rosewood, Mysore sandalwood, Tibetan musk, Indian musk ambrette, musk ketone, Abyssinian civet, Maltese cistus labdanum absolute, Madagascar vanilla absolute, vanillin, ambergris, Siamese benzoin, Venezuelan tonka bean, coumarin

1977/1978 Press materials describe it as: "Bal à Versailles is characterized by the extensive use of Grasse essences such as jasmine, rose, and orange blossom, complemented by Farnese cassia, patchouli, sandalwood, vetiver, and Oriental gums and resins. This classic and traditional perfume boasts excellent longevity while upholding the techniques of great French perfumery, including glass-stoppered bottles, four-color labels, hot-stamped gold, and lined cases with brocade and silk, as well as embossed packaging. With its wide range of derivatives—parfum, parfum du jour, parfum de toilette, Eau Bal à Versailles, and eau de cologne—and ancillary products such as toilet soaps, bath oils, and boudoir powder, Bal à Versailles is suitable for use on any occasion and at any time of the day."

Scent Profile:

Bal à Versailles by Jean Desprez is an exquisite oriental amber fragrance that unfolds like a grand sensory journey, each note revealing the artistry and unique character of its individual ingredients.

The opening is a vibrant symphony of brightness and freshness. The sparkling aldehydes create an ethereal, almost effervescent quality—think of the light catching on crystal chandeliers at a royal ball. These aldehydes act as enhancers, lifting and amplifying the natural citrus and floral notes to a radiant brilliance. From the sun-kissed groves of southern Italy, Calabrian bergamot emerges first, offering a zesty, slightly bitter citrus sharpness that is unmistakably refined—its freshness is brighter and more complex than many other bergamots, known for its rich aromatic oils. Joined closely by Italian grapefruit, with its tart yet subtly sweet bite, the citrus unfolds into a cascade of zest from Sicilian mandarin orange, Guinea orange, tangerine, and the more acidic West Indian lime and Amalfi lemon, each contributing nuanced layers of sweet, tangy, and tart elements. The lemongrass adds a green, slightly herbal citrus lift, accentuating the zestiness with its fresh, lemony herbal tones.

Within this citrus brightness, the green aromatic elements form a lush, vibrant backdrop. Paraguayan petitgrain, distilled from the leaves and twigs of the bitter orange tree, carries a fresh, slightly woody and floral green aroma that adds depth and complexity. The peppery, slightly citrusy Russian coriander spices the opening with an intriguing warmth, while Hungarian clary sage contributes a herby, slightly musky aromatic sharpness. The minty, camphoraceous notes of Moroccan spearmint, English peppermint, Australian eucalyptus, and the resinous niaouli combine to create a cooling, invigorating sensation. The lesser-known ravensara and African tagetes add exotic, medicinal, and floral undertones, while the herbal thyme, fragrant Israeli basil, fresh hyssop, and clean verbena provide a verdant bouquet reminiscent of a Mediterranean herb garden in full bloom.

Adding a delicate floral sweetness to the top are hints of Tunisian neroli, famous for its soft, honeyed-orange blossom scent prized for its brightness and delicacy, and Grasse rose de mai absolute, the pure essence of May rose from the renowned rose-growing region of Grasse in France, which brings a fresh, dewy floral nuance that perfectly balances the citrus and green notes. The subtle warmth of Chinese cinnamon and the soft, powdery floral aroma of Lebanese Farnesiana cassie, alongside the sweet, slightly musky farnesol, gently round out the opening accord.

The heart of Bal à Versailles is an opulent floral and spicy bouquet, lush and complex. The velvety richness of Bulgarian rose absolute—one of the most prized and intense rose varieties known for its deep, fruity, and slightly spicy facets—anchors the floral composition. Alongside it, Moroccan geranium and geraniol add a bright, green-floral aroma with a hint of citrus, enhancing the rose’s complexity. The brilliance of Grasse jasmine absolute and the smoother, creamier Egyptian jasmine create layers of indolic floral opulence, their intoxicating scents synonymous with luxury perfumery. The Grasse orange blossom absolute lends a radiant, honeyed floral sweetness that softens the composition. The lush, heady Portuguese tuberose exudes a narcotic, creamy floral scent that contrasts beautifully with the powdery, violet-like softness of Peruvian heliotrope and its synthetic companion heliotropin, which gives a warm, almond-vanilla sweetness.

Powdery and airy floral nuances continue with lilac, terpineol (a synthetic with lilac and floral notes), lily of the valley, and the fresh, clean hydroxycitronellal, a synthetic aldehyde contributing a soft floral-green aroma. The scent profile is further enriched by lyral, a synthetic floral compound evoking lily of the valley and lily-like notes, and Florentine iris and ionone, natural and synthetic iris components providing powdery, violet nuances with woody undertones. The balsamic and slightly floral amyl salicylate adds to the powdery, sweet sophistication, while Provencal lavender offers a fresh, herbaceous aromatic edge.

Spicy and green notes interlace through the florals: the aromatic West Indian bay leaf imparts a sharp, spicy freshness, while Indian carnation provides a warm, clove-like spiciness enhanced by Zanzibar clove bud oil in the base. Warm spices such as Malabar black pepper, Moroccan cardamom, and Jamaican nutmeg add depth and intrigue, balanced by the soothing herbal notes of Roman chamomile, fennel, marjoram, and melissa. The resinous and woody Tunisian myrtle, aromatic Comoros Island palmarosa, and sharp, piney Russian pine contribute a green, resinous freshness. Herbal nuances continue with Mediterranean rosemary, spikenard, yarrow, Dutch juniper, and the exotic woods ho leaf and ho wood, alongside the resinous La Crau cypress. A touch of bitter Persian galbanum adds an aromatic, green sharpness to the rich heart.

The base is a profound, sensual foundation of woods, resins, and musks, imparting warmth and longevity. The floral theme persists with Anatolian rose absolute, renowned for its deep, heady aroma, and the exotic, creamy Nossi-Be ylang ylang absolute from Madagascar, celebrated for its rich, fruity-floral scent with a slightly spicy edge. The powdery Tuscan orris root—one of the most prized and expensive perfumery ingredients—adds an elegant, violet-like softness and earthy richness, balanced by the soft sweetness of sweet clover.

Rich spices in the base such as cassia and Saigon cinnamon offer a sweeter, more delicate cinnamon note compared to the sharper Chinese cinnamon in the top notes. Chinese ginger introduces a fresh, spicy zest, while Zanzibar clove and eugenol (a phenolic compound responsible for the warm clove aroma) deepen the warmth and complexity. Sacred resins like Omani frankincense, Sudanese myrrh, South American tolu balsam, Peru balsam, and opoponax lend balsamic, resinous richness with incense-like facets, enhancing the fragrance’s mystical aura.

The woods are distinguished and luxurious: Lebanese cedarwood offers a dry, pencil-shavings aroma; Singapore patchouli is richer and earthier than other patchouli varieties, providing a warm, woody base; Java vetiver brings smoky, green, and rooty depth; Mysore sandalwood—prized for its creamy, soft, and long-lasting woody scent—adds luxurious smoothness; Brazilian rosewood contributes a spicy, floral-woody facet; and Tyrolean oakmoss absolute adds a dense, green mossy earthiness that grounds the fragrance.

Animalic musks such as Tibetan musk, Indian musk ambrette, musk ketone, and the rare, rich Abyssinian civet impart sensuality, warmth, and skin-like softness. The fragrant balsamic Maltese cistus labdanum absolute and the sweet, creamy Madagascar vanilla absolute, paired with the synthetic vanillin, enrich the base with gourmand, warm vanilla nuances. The smooth sweetness of Venezuelan tonka bean and coumarin (a synthetic molecule with a sweet, hay-like aroma) brings a cozy, comforting element. Lastly, the elusive and precious ambergris—a marine-scented natural substance—and Siamese benzoin, with its rich, sweet, vanilla-like balsam, tie together the opulent finish with glowing warmth and lingering radiance.

Together, these ingredients craft a rich, complex, and enveloping fragrance that balances fresh citrus and herbs with deep florals, warm spices, creamy woods, and sensual musks. The masterful blending of natural essences with carefully selected aroma chemicals like aldehydes, hydroxycitronellal, lyral, ionone, and vanillin amplifies and enhances the natural notes, providing lasting projection, depth, and refinement. Bal à Versailles remains a timeless masterpiece, a tribute to luxury, artistry, and the grandeur of the Palace of Versailles itself.

Bottles & Packaging:

 Jean Desprez was deeply involved in every detail of his perfume creations, including the aesthetics and production processes. Suzanne Wolfe, the company’s attorney, revealed that Desprez personally selected many of the perfume bottle labels from designs by the Riviera artist Leon Leyritz. Beyond the visual aspects, Desprez meticulously inspected each shipment of raw materials—such as jasmine, essential oils, sandalwood, and rose—sourced from various regions across the country. At the Paris laboratory, a dedicated team of about thirty employees assisted in producing Bal à Versailles, but Wolfe emphasized that Desprez himself crafted every batch of the perfume, underscoring his hands-on approach and commitment to quality.

The perfume’s signature disk-shaped bottle is fashioned as a footed decanter, with glass stoppers custom-made to fit each individual bottle, ensuring a perfect seal and luxurious presentation. These bottles undergo a rigorous hand-polishing process, with about 10% rejected due to defects, reflecting the uncompromising standards upheld by the company. Most bottles, except the smaller purse flacons, feature a detailed replica of the Fragonard painting La Coupe des Sens (The Cup of the Senses), housed at the Sevres Museum. Wolfe explained that the label’s imagery is drawn from a scene illustrating the five senses, which adorns a monumental Sevres porcelain bowl near the museum’s entrance. Moreover, Desprez chose box decorations inspired by 17th and 18th-century artwork displayed in the Palace of Versailles, linking the perfume’s packaging to French artistic heritage and royal grandeur.

In 1969, the Cincinnati Inquirer described the nearly 73-year-old Jean Desprez still actively overseeing every facet of his perfume’s creation with a small staff of 18 to 20 people. The packaging process was as painstaking as the perfume’s formulation itself, with every step performed by hand. Wolfe recounted how elderly women carefully folded boxes, tied delicate gold strings into bows, labeled bottles by hand, and filled them with perfume—all painstaking manual work that distinguished Parfums Jean Desprez as one of the last truly artisanal perfume houses. The labels were individually moistened and applied by hand in the laboratory, reflecting the company’s commitment to craftsmanship.

The purse flacon, designed as a replica of a classic smelling salt bottle, bore a label featuring a work by Alexandre Evariste Fragonard from the Sevres Museum and was packaged in a handmade box wrapped in gold and white silk brocade inspired by textiles from the Palace of Versailles. Wolfe noted the company’s strict quality control standards, with women handling the perfume instructed to be highly selective and reject any flawed packaging materials. About ten out of every hundred bottles were discarded due to imperfections, an expensive but necessary measure to ensure perfection. Each flacon was nestled in a box lined with gold satin and enveloped in white and gold silk brocade featuring a delicate leaf pattern. The bottle rested on a gold-leaf-adorned satin pillow, enhancing the overall impression of opulence. Even the final cellophane wrapper had to be flawlessly applied with tension and precision, and the box construction itself was a handcrafted process, reflecting the brand’s devotion to artistry and excellence in every detail.

In 1969, the limited edition "Janusette" Sevres bisque porcelain flacon was released in that year for the massive sum of $850, this was an extravagance not easily attainable for much of the public, as contrast, we would expect to pay its equivalent of $7,675.43 in 2025's money. Suzanne Wolfe commented that "I don't think he, (Monsieur Desprez, cares if he sells any," (referring to the new flacon design). "He had so much fun creating it. His main interest was in the challenge and artistry of the work. Bal a Versailles is world famous already. The Janusette was just one of his creative ideas," she said. She added that Desprez initially only wanted to make 30 of the bottles, but was convinced that 100 would be a more satisfactory output. Out of that 100, by 1975, only 10 bottles remained unsold. They sold out in the United States, Ireland, England, Spain, Japan and the Near East. Despite perfume costs rising, Desprez did not alter the original $850 price tag.

In 1977/1978, Bal à Versailles was available in the following:

• Parfum Presentations: Bottles (1 dram, 0.25 oz, 0.5 oz, 1 oz, 2 oz, 4 oz); Parfum Atomizer (0.33 oz)
• Related Products: Parfum du Jour splash bottles (1.25 oz, 2.50 oz, 4.50 oz, 9 oz); Parfum du Jour Atomizer (2 oz)
• Eau Bal à Versailles splash bottles (2 oz, 4 oz, 8 oz, 16 oz, 32 oz); Eau Bal à Versailles Atomizer (6 oz);
• Ancillary Products (Bath & Body): Toilet soap (box of 3 bars); Bath oil (box of 6 tubes of 0.33 oz); Body powder; Perfumed body lotion

Always A Luxury:

"I am often asked why Bal a Versailles is so expensive. We use about 250 different components - essences of jasmine, rose, orange, mimosa, patchouli, sandalwood, vetiver, blended with raw materials from animals - ambergris, civet, musk. Among the reasons are the concentration of the essential oils of rose and jasmine. It is expensive to manufacture. The essential oil of jasmine now costs about $1,800 a kilo," said Denis Desprez in 1977.(about $9,891.23 in 2025's money) "The bottle itself is very sophisticated, cut, polished, with a glass stopper (as many now use plastic). Then we use a case with brocade and satin, labels printed in four colors. This is the packaging of Bal a Versailles. This is very costly to do, because everything is handmade."

Made entirely by hand, apart from the machine dispensing a measured amount into containers. Everything from the mixing of essential oils in the laboratory to the production of the glass bottles. Denis Desprez said, "You see, fragrance becomes so much a part of the mystique of the woman, like a woman, it must be treated with care. We regard this perfume as something akin to a work of art. That is why we take such care with the choice of bottle and packaging. We continue to use hand-made ground glass stoppers for the bottles because the seal is better and it prevents oxidation by contact with the air."

"Dance Party at Versailles" as it is translated is expensive for the reason that it is formulated from only essential oils. Denis Desprez said in 1972 that no synthetics whatsoever are used. In this perfume, 350 ingredients are blended to create this exquisite scent. This essence is created from jasmine essential oil which alone at that time, sold for $85 an ounce (about $664.83 in 2025) and rose essential oil that is bought by the kilo or 32 ounces and cost approximately $2,500 (about .$19,553.83 in 2025). 

Parfums Jean Desprez was proud of the fact that it was the only French perfumery company that did not have an agent or even an office in the United States, but in doing it, it made it necessary for Denis Deprez himself to tour the country checking out the shops and the sales. "I come to the store as my own agent, because this way I can keep my distribution selective. My fragrances are at home only in such fine stores as this (Rich's). Because we feel that it is very exclusive and expensive at $100 an ounce (about $782.15 in 2025), it has to have the right audience. We are only in 140 stores in the US."

Sometimes, Marie-Celine accompanied him on promotional tours. Grenier advised women when choosing a new fragrance, do not smell a perfume directly from its bottle. Instead, she said that rubbing the fragrance on the wrists is better "because that warms the fragrance and helps the alcohol to evaporate, allowing the pure essences to linger on the skin."

Wolfe said that in 1962, Desprez formulated the perfume "that's changed women's lives" and "Bal a Versailles is a "seven day and seven night perfume" that Monsieur Desprez felt that it "is precious and should be treated like a jewel."  

"We want very exclusive distribution in the states so we limit our accounts," said Suzanne Wolfe in 1968. Wolfe, an American living in France, was the the company's Paris attorney at the time. She  came back to the states on a promotional tour for the fragrance. She said her move to Paris was "a dream, a fling. I went over originally to read for my doctorate. I was admitted to the bar in the District of Columbia. But I always wanted to study abroad. But I am divorced with three children, and I had to put French bread and wine on the table. I couldn't be an academic bum any longer. I practice like a French lawyer; I have my office in my home. It's terribly convenient with the children - then sometimes not." 

Wolfe, an American living in Paris, opened her law firm in Paris where she first represented Parfums Jean Desprez as their counsel. "I'm an attorney; I'm in private practice in Paris. This was just one of those things I happened to fall into." She explained that a perfumer has to conform to fair labeling laws, but the label and packaging also has to be something appealing to the consumer as well as legal. "I've been handling their work now for almost four years," said Wolfe. When she first signed on with the company, she asked was surprised to see that the company wasn't being represented in America. She asked Desprez why he wasn't exporting his "in" fragrance to the United States. She said to him, "They're such creative people. They said, 'Ah, you do it,' so I said, 'Well! All right!' So here I am."

However, she said she "does everything but paste labels on the bottles." Wolfe explained that Monsieur Desprez wanted to keep the perfume expensive so that it would remain exclusive. She confessed that it could not be produced much less expensively because everything was done by hand. There was no automation. She said that everything in the creation of the perfume was supervised by Desprez himself, who was at the time, 73 years old.

Denis Desprez said "Women usually don't know how to preserve their perfume. They do not seal the bottle carefully and leave it exposed to light and heat. Perfume lasts according to the user. It must be used very carefully and it is not advisable to keep the bottle open. Don't purchase a large bottle. If you do, oxidation can occur, changing the smell and making it rancid. Also the color is apt to darken. A one ounce bottle is a good size."

"You shouldn't buy a large bottle of perfume. Buy, at the maximum, the one ounce size," said Desprez in 1977. Adding that based on his calculations, one ounce of the perfume would last one year "if used efficiently." "I'm almost talking against my own interests. But I would say roughly that people just don't know how to use perfume." He mentioned that "Perfume should be kept in a cool place, out of the sunlight, and carefully sealed because heat, sunlight, and air are the three big enemies of fine perfume. After a bottle of perfume has been opened, a three to four days' supply should be put in an atomizer, and then the bottle should be sealed again. When the atomizer is empty, rinse it clean with alcohol, dry it, then pour another four day's supply into the atomizer. It takes lots of time I know, but it's the only way to make sure the perfume is conserved perfectly."

He then suggested that women should "Use it on the warm parts of the body, inside the clothes. One should never mix two perfumes. If you own clothes with which you used Shalimar last week, these clothes have to be used with Shalimar for life!"

"A woman wears what she pleases. Women use it primarily for themselves and the people around them but basically for themselves because there is some narcissism in every woman. That's the reason a woman should select her own fragrance. She won't make any mistake because the fragrance of her selection will be integrated with her personality. She shouldn't let anyone around her influence her choice," said Desprez.

Wolfe explained that the Bal a Versailles scent wasn't just available in perfume, but was also available as a toilet water, soap, bath powder and bath oil. She emphasized that parfum is the most concentrated form of fragrance and recommended that it be worn in the evening. She added that "Parfum de Toilette" is a light perfume appropriate for day wear. She also stressed that cologne is not as lasting as perfume, saying that "Cologne is formulated on a different base. It is light, refreshing and invigorating and can be used generously. All it's meant for is to splash on. The French use it as a friction. French men pour it on their heads in the evening.Remember, that parfum is intended to excite, cologne to please."

"Not every fragrance is right for every woman. It's not like buying soapsuds. Each woman should try to select the fragrance for her. " At the time, there was a trend towards a wardrobe of fragrances. "It used to be you had to have a definite signature, always reek of the same thing," said Wolfe. 

"Most stores have tester bottles open for customer's use. Try them out; but never more than three on one buying trip. After three, it's impossible to tell one fragrance from another. When you find one that you like, put it on and walk away from the counter. It will take an hour or so to see how the scent lasts or if it will change on your skin. A woman should sample a few fragrances and try them out on those whom she wishes to please. She should not be swayed by price," Wolfe added.

When testing, "Fragrance should never be smelled out of the bottle. You'll get the smell of alcohol. If you rub it on a warm part of the body so that the alcohol will evaporate, then it's possible to appreciate the fragrance," said Desprez. "Each perfume is different, so the mix of perfume with the skin may react in a bad way or good way. Some women can't even wear even an excellent perfume because of chemical reaction," said Desprez.

Wolfe suggested that women put perfume "On the warm spots, such as the bend of the elbows and the back of the knees. The scent lasts longer. Jean Desprez swears to this." Surround yourself with a fragrant aura, touch objects you wear or carry with your favorite perfume such as furs and leather objects, including handbags and shoes. 

Denis Desprez said that Bal a Versailles is usually worn by very sophisticated women, whose senses understood the subtle, and the complex, the perfect balance within Bal a Versailles. "It is her personality, her manner, the way she presents herself. A woman may be very well-dressed and wear lovely cologne, but if she has no personality, no spirit, then she in unappealing. However, I have found that most interesting women that I have met are also attractive and conscious of their appearance."

Bal a Versailles was always billed as a luxury product. I always find it fascinating to see the progression of the retail prices over the years. I have studied vintage newspaper advertisements to find the original retail prices and have deciphered the 2023 inflation calculator equivalents provided in parenthesis () to show you the contrast. 

In 1964, it retailed for $34.90 per 35 grams, roughly, 1.25 ounce, which is equivalent to $363.08 in 2025 according to an inflation calculator. Bal a Versailles was formally introduced to America in 1965, where surprisingly,  it managed to sell very well without any publicity or advertising of any kind, unlike other perfume companies who placed perfumery ads in magazines and newspapers.

Legendary Fort Worth philanthropist, Mrs. Nenetta Burton Carter chose Bal a Versailles as her personal signature perfume as mentioned in a Texas newspaper ad in 1967. She helped introduce the fragrance, which was still largely unknown to women in Texas, at a Dallas Neiman Marcus. By 1967, the price shot up to $75 an ounce ($732.82). A set of six vials of the rich bath oil cost $36 ($351.76). The good thing about bath oil is that it can be worn on the skin like parfum. 

It was reported in 1972, that only 65 stores in the USA sold Bal a Versailles. 1972 saw the price of Bal a Versailles go up once again, now it cost $85 an ounce ($664.83), within a year's time though, the price was $90 an ounce ($679.15).  A 2 oz Parfum de Toilette bottle retailed for $29 ($218.84).

Bal a Versailles remained a luxury product for decades. It was not sold anywhere at a discount. Denis Desprez said that he felt that Bal a Versailles would be considered a great classic perfume like Chanel No. 5, Shalimar and Arpege, "But we are not ready for that kind of turnover. Who can say what made Chanel No. 5 work for Chanel when the same house has not been able to score an equal success with anything else?" Bal a Versailles had avoided the problem of diverters who buy perfumes at a discount thus tarnishing their good name. No woman wants to find her favorite perfume for sale in a discount store after she pays $85 an ounce for it. 

These prices will continue to rise as dwindling supplies of expensive natural flower extracts force more companies to use synthetics to reduce production costs. This can often diminish the personality and character of the perfume. However, the high end perfume companies try to use as much natural essences as possible. In 1972, Desprez said that the jasmine essential oil alone sold for $85 ($664.83) an ounce, that was bought by the kilo or 32 ounces and cost approximately $2.500 ($19,553.83).

In 1974, son and heir to the brand, Denis Desprez explained that "the flower fields and gardens are vanishing. First in the south of France, then in the Balkans, and now in North Africa." It appeared that the farmers were switching to other cash crops that had quicker turnovers, because the labor involved in the careful picking of blossoms for drying and distillation. Desprez exasperatedly said that his "last delivery of Bulgarian rose wax cost $1,000 a pound ($6,898.39 in 2025) and jasmine is almost as expensive." 

Just a year later in 1975, the ounce of Parfum topped off at $100 ($617.02) a bottle. Denis Desprez gave us a run down of the actual costs of 2 pounds of some of the basic ingredients in essence form that made Bal a Versailles such a pricey product. The sensuous animalic notes including ambergris, derived from whales, was $1,100 ($6,787.17), while civet, extracted from secretions of Abyssinian civet cats was $2,000 ($12,340.31), but true musk, from Tibetan deer cost a whopping $10,800 ($66,637.66) for every two pounds. The precious florals of orange blossom $2,000 ($12,340.31), acacia farnesia $2,044 ($12,611.79), rose $5,500 ($33,935.84), and jasmine cost $6,200 ($38,254.95) per two pounds. The sweet and creamy fixative of sandalwood was imported from Mysore, India and cost $2000 ($12,340.31).

"Jasmine is a very delicate flower, to be treated so that it will become jasmine essential oil. It has to be cropped, picked up at the early sunrise, and that is only two hours available in the day to have jasmine flowers picked, so that's one thing. The second thing is that jasmine used to be grown in the south of France, near Grasse. But very unfortunately, the estates there have gone up in price to build hotels and apartment buildings and things like that, so the owners of those fields had rather sell them out to contractors," explained Denis Desprez. Because the French jasmine was disappearing, a move was made to develop growing it on the Italian peninsula and also on Sicily. "But the same thing happened in Italy, that happened in Grasse. So then the culture moved from the southern part of Europe down to the northern part of Africa, and jasmine is now grown in Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco. I was told by industrialists in Grasse that perhaps in 10 years time, jasmine might become a museum piece, not the flower itself, but the oil."

The perfume proved to be a success even with it's rising price tag. Soon we heard of notable people from musician Barry White's wife Goldean, who enjoyed the cologne, to actresses like Liza Minelli and Elizabeth Taylor, and former first women like Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and the shah of Iran's wife, Farah Diba.

In 1979, one ounce of Parfum retailed at $125 ($588.33). In 1980, the 1 oz bottle of Parfum cost $130 ($537.15). The 6 oz bottle of Eau de Toilette retailed for $45 ($185.94), 2 oz eau de Cologne cost just $8.00 ($33.06) and the 4 oz Eau de Cologne at $13.25 ($54.75).

In 1981, the four ounce bottle of parfum could be had via special order only. It cost $425 ($1,570.38). In 1982, the 1 oz Parfum retailed for $150 ($511.34). This price stayed faithful even in 1987. 

By 1982, the company had 60 employees who produced 300,000 bottles of perfume each year, Desprez said.

Big Secrets, 1983:

"Bal a Versailles Jean Desprez $158 per ounce ($519.34). Once hailed as the world's most expensive perfume, Bal a Versailles now undersells several of its competitors. There seems to be little argument as to the main components of Bal a Versailles' floral bouquet. They are jasmine, ylang ylang, patchouli and vanilla."

While in Dallas on a promotional tour to promote the newest women's fragrance, Scheherazade, to be released in 1983, Desprez said, "Up until seven or eight years ago, Bal a Versailles was the most expensive perfume on the market. Now many in the industry have priced their perfumes the same or higher. But ours is a completely natural bouquet combining 260 ingredients." At that time, the United states was the largest market for the $150 per ounce  Bal a Versailles. "Perfumes can be made with synthetic or natural raw materials or a combination of both. But even though the synthetics are 99 percent accurate, they cannot achieve that last percent. And when blending synthetics, the relationship between the ingredients in not predictable."

It seems that major department stores may have stopped carrying Bal a Versailles in the early to mid 1990s. This is when the brand was bought by another company, see the explanations below.

Fate of the Fragrance:

Bal a Versailles has suffered from reformulations throughout the years as well as been owned by different companies.

After the death of Jean Desprez at the age of 73, his son Denis Desprez, who worked for the company for 25 years, took over as managing director of the company and preserved the glorious French tradition of the company. Eschewing quantity and respecting the high quality of his perfumes, he respectfully carried on his father's personal mantra: Perfume is a work of art!. Denis' sister, Marie-Celine Grenier worked in the laboratory creating perfumes.

The Parfums Jean Desprez company was sold several times over the years. Irwin Alfin acquired the United States distributorship of Bal a Versailles in 1976. The fragrance was sold at only 120 store accounts in the USA. "It is the crown jewels of perfume. It is the most expensive collection of ingredients in the world. Everything is natural. I am not sure that can be said about any others." He said that "France is still the fashion capital. It's the same with fragrance. The American market tends toward the convenience of synthetics. The French companies have been willing to pay premiums to buy the finest ingredients," said Alfin. 

Alfin's plan for Bal a Versailles was to maintain the exclusivity - to a point. He intended to expand the accounts to about 200 and warehouse the product in the States so it will be available in abundance at times other than Christmas. Alfin said that Bal a Versailles was introduced in France in 1941 to mark an actual coming out ball at the palace, It was marketed in the USA first in 1966 and in doing so, attracted a clientele of affluent women and luminaries. Alfin was also marketing Desprez's men's fragrance, 40 Love, which is a light citrus scent. "It's been around for about ten years but with the popularity of tennis today, it has to be successful."

In the 1970s and 1980s, it was owned by Alfin Fragrances Inc. You can tell these early boxes by their sunflower yellow shade. The parfum flacons were housed in luxurious satin coffrets covered in the leaf pattern. Also, the Parfum de Toilette spray canisters repeated this pattern.

In 1994, Parfums Jean Desprez, S.A. was acquired by "Inter Parfums Paris" which had licenses. On March 19, 1996, the Company sold the trademarks of the Bal `a Versailles and Revolution' a Versailles lines. The aggregate sales price was $4.95 million which included $1.8 million of inventory at cost, to the American company "Parlux Fragrances Inc." It seems that some of the Bal a Versailles products were then housed in either the yellow boxes, possibly old store stock, with a modified look and some in dark blue boxes. The parfum flacons were still housed in the satin covered coffrets.

Parlux then licensed the Bal a Versailles fragrance to Genesis International Marketing Corp of Miami in 1998, and then, it was eventually sold to Genesis International Marketing Corporation in 2001, who renewed the Bal a Versailles trademark under their name. The Genesis boxes were at first a white color and then morphed into the shiny gold foil boxes we are familiar with today.

Genesis licensed the Bal a Versailles perfume to an investment company, SEI Corporation in 2009, which has been in the process of relaunching Bal a Versailles, playing up the hype that it was the late Michael Jackson's favorite fragrance, amongst other celebrities on its website, perhaps to engage new customers, but also reminding us that Jean Desprez was a fragrant genius.

The company was hosting some sort of evaluation of two different formulas for their new Bal a Versailles perfume, these two formulas were dubbed 'Platine' (a modern fruity floral) and 'Gold' (a gourmand oriental). Interested parties had to contact the website owners and purchase one of the evaluation bottles in order to give it a review. I was tempted to do this myself, but at the moment I don't have the extra funds to throw away just for a review, especially since they are large bottles, I might not even like the scent.

DeeHowe at botoblog has mentioned that she received the 'Platine' version and it is...fruity with notes of pink pepper.

The Bal a Versailles trademark was renewed in 2014 by Genesis, so I am expecting one of the new, reformulated versions to be introduced soon, which I can be sure it will be completely devoid of oakmoss in accordance to IFRA regulations. Though I am keeping my fingers crossed and hoping that it resembles the original in some form as it is one of my personal favorites.

I recently was contacted by a reader who was concerned about counterfeit Bal a Versailles. As far as I know, Bal a Versailles has not been counterfeited. It is not as popular as say, Chanel or Gucci, therefore counterfeiters will not be producing what they would consider a low demand product. Counterfeiters want quick turnovers, so they will go after the most prolific brands you'd find at the mall. Any Bal a Versailles you see online, is probably the most recent formulation, unless it is in original, vintage packaging. It is important to know which is the original vintage version and which is the newer incarnation.  

Furthermore, it is imperative that people understand the fundamentals of these recent reformulations and why they had to happen. Many of the ingredients in the original formula are now restricted and some may be outright banned, as many are deemed harmful or allergens, so it is no longer possible for the company to continue using the original formulation. The most significant change in formula happened around 2010 when many of the ingredients were banned and restricted. The company had to find substitute ingredients, and while many of these substitutes are acceptable in terms of scent, there are those who do not have a substitute that can recreate the odor exactly, therefore the scent will not be the same as people remember. A good way to tell a reformulation is the long list of ingredients listed on the box starts to get longer than before. 

HAPPI, 1996:

"Parlux To Market Bal a Versailles Scent. Parlux Fragrances has signed a letter of intent with two subsidiaries of Jean Philippe Fragrances to acquire the trademarks of Parfums Jean Desprez Paris, makers of the Bal a Versailles women's fragrance."

The Parfum came in various sizes:

• 0.125 oz mini splash
• 0.25 mini splash
• 0.25 oz purse spray
• 0.50 oz
• 1 oz

The 2 oz Parfum comes in a bottle similar to the Parfum de Toilette. 

In 1970, Bal a Versailles - Le Parfum du Jour by Jean Desprez was introduced, a lighter interpretation of Bal a Versailles, intended to be worn during the daytime. It was equal to the modern eau de parfum concentration. It was sold as a "Day-Time Perfume, created to harmonize fragrance with occasion and outfit." The earliest newspaper ad I found for this was 1970 and the last time I saw it advertised as "Le Parfum du Jour" was 1977. The bottle is acid marked with "Jean Desprez Made in France" on the base.  

Jardin des arts, Issues 194-199, 1971:

"BAL à VERSAILLES - Le Parfum du Jour by Jean Desprez, a marvel of distinction, of freshness, which does not exclude exceptional tenacity. Par excellence the perfume of the refined woman."

Le Parfum du Jour was available in the following sizes:

• 0.17 oz (5ml) splash bottle (mini)
• 0.50 oz (15ml) splash bottle stands 4.5" tall.
• 1 oz (30ml) splash bottle stands 5.5" tall.
• 1.7 oz (50ml) splash
• 2 oz (60ml) splash bottle stands 7" tall.

The Parfum de Toilette Deluxe is housed inside of a luxurious crystal bottle and dates from the 1970s and into the 1990s. It is molded with "Jean Desprez Made in France" on the base and came in several sizes:

• 9 oz. crystal flacon stands 8.5" tall 
• 4.5 oz. crystal flacon stands 7.5" tall
• 2.5 oz. crystal flacon stands 6" tall 
• 1.5 oz. crystal flacon stands 5.25"

The Parfum de Toilette Spray came in metal canisters, with the leaf pattern and the Fragonard image:

• 2 oz Natural Spray

Eau Bal a Versailles Spray Luxe, a refillable aerosol spray, introduced in 1972:

• 5.5  oz

The Eau de Toilette Natural Spray came in various sizes:

• 5.5 oz Eau de Toilette Refillable Natural Spray
• 3.3 oz 

The Eau de Toilette Spray also came in in the clear, disk bottle, with the lyre cap:

• 1.7 oz 
• 3.4 oz 

The Eau de Toilette Splash came in the clear, disk bottle with the lyre cap:

• 1.7 oz 

The Eau de Cologne splash came in various sizes:

• 16 oz.
• 8 oz. stands 
• 4 oz. stands 7" tall
• 1.9 oz stands
• 5" tall
• 4.75" tall
• 3.75" tall

The Eau de Cologne spray can be found housed in a white opaline glass bottle as well as a white tin canister with the gold leaf design and Fragonard painting image, this came in various sizes:

• 3 oz
• 1 oz  stands 4 1/2" tall

Bath & Body Products:

• 1 Cake 
• 2 Cakes of Soap with Dish
• 0.33oz Bath Oil  
• 5 oz Bath Powder w/Puff 
• 5 oz Bath Powder Refill
• 6.7 oz Body Cream
• 5.8 oz Body Lotion (lyre cap)
• 8 oz Body Lotion 
• 5.8 oz Bath Gel (lyre cap)

The Perfumed Medallion was introduced in 1982.

Texas Monthly - May 1982:

"Bal a Versailles by Jean Desprez. A beautiful effusion of fragrance and florals. Perfume, 1 oz., $150; the Limoges pendant, a fragranced medallion, refillable, $65."