Jean Desprez, Bal à Versailles, 30 ml. or 1 oz. Flacon, Parfum Extrait, 1962, 1968, Paris, France ..

The creator of Bal a Versailles, is the great-grandson of F Millot who created "Crepe de Chine." Jean Desprez was a top class perfumer by profession and a world class “trend setter” by nature. He employed Paul Mergier to design the packaging for his products, and Leon Leyritz to design the bottles.

Powdery, sweet, sumptuous, perfumey, and most definitely vintage .. Bal à Versailles is like the wallpaper in the palace at Versailles, with so much imagery, color and ornate finery in the details, it's hard to immediately discern what's going on.

Launched in 1962, Bal à Versailles starts off brightly with classic nots of bergamot and mandarin, and moves quickly into sweetness, powderiness and duskiness, which derives from the indolic jasmine, and neroli with a hint, already at the beginning, of the subtly spicy and creamy base of sandalwood, cedarwood and Tolu balsam.

Although honey isn't listed in the notes anywhere, and maybe I'm smelling it from one facet of the orange blossom, I could've sworn its animalic sweetness was a part of this perfume, in character if nothing else. It is sensuous and mysterious in its dark richness.

The perfume is supposed to recall decadent ballroom soirees past at Versailles, with powdered ladies exuding aristocratic perspiration, combining flowers and musk. You can almost smell the smoke from dying out beeswax candles, what one reviewer described as chalky or incensey. An hour or two into it, and Bal à Versailles is a mellow, powdery-gentle and comforting skin scent. Warm and richly textured, Bal à Versailles is a timeless indulgence, appealing to the most discriminating tastes of today.

"Using only the finest ingredients, Bal à Versailles opens with a complex medley of Italian Bergamot, Italian Lemon, Tunisian Neroli, Ylang Ylang and Cassie Absolute. The heart of this classic floriental is based on rare and precious essences of Jasmin Absolute, Rose Absolute, Opoponax and Orris Specialties. To this are added exotic woods and spices of Vetiver, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Vanilla Absolute, Mousse de Chene Absolute, Cistus and Incense.

Jean Desprez used the purest, most expensive natural ingredients .. more than 300 of them-when he composed his masterpiece Bal à Versailles in 1962. For the past decades, this original formula has been held in safekeeping by the perfumers in France. They have collected and blended the original ingredients, and the result is a Bal à Versailles is as majestic as when Jean Desprez first created it.

Some of the lovers of Desprez’ fragrance Bal à Versailles who used it or still use it are Michael Jackson, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, Joan Collins, Elizabeth Taylor, Olivia de Havilland, Arlene Francis, Jackie Kennedy Onassis, and Britt Ekland.

Top notes are Rosemary, Bergamot, Lemon, Mandarin, Neroli, Orange Blossom, Cassia, Jasmine, and Bulgarian Rose
Heart notes are Sandalwood, Patchouli, Vetiver, Rose de Mai, Lily of the Valley, Lilac, Orris, Ylang Ylang, and Leather
Base notes are Cedarwood, Vanilla, Benzoin, Melilot, Tolu Balsam, and Resins

Offered here is an beautiful ounce edition of the classic feminine perfume in is lovely silk lined brocade box. Every woman should have a bottle of this enigmatic fragrance! Perfect condition ..