Bal a Versailles by Jean Desprez c1962

Bal a Versailles by Jean Desprez: launched in 1962.

As a tribute to the elegant American and French debutantes, the newborn belles of the ball, perfumer Jean Desprez created Debutante de Versailles, a limited edition fragrance exclusively created for New York cosmetics firm Daggett & Ramsdell. This opulent composition, made up of over 300 ingredients, was to become the legendary Bal a Versailles perfume in 1962, when it was offered to the public for the first time. The crystal bottles for Bal a Versailles featured an image of the famous Fragonard painting, Bal a Versailles on the label.

Jean Desprez said that in launching the fragrance, he faced two difficulties. The first was that this new blend demanded such precious ingredients that it looked like being the most expensive in the world. The second difficulty was that every possible name had long been registered by "title authors" of imagination, who then sell their tags to desperate perfumers. "It was the famous debutante ball in the Palace of Versailles, back in 1959 that gave me the name I had been waiting for," admitted Jean Desprez. He said that no one else had registered "Bal a Versailles," so that solved the second problem.

The first problem remained unsolved. It was at the time, at $39.90 per 1.25 ounces, the most expensive perfume in the world, just topping Jean Patou's classic, Joy, who for years, held the coveted title. According to an inflation calculator,  Desprez's new perfume would cost $393.61 per one and a quarter ounce today in 2023's money.

Desprez intentionally made the perfume hard to find. He confessed that it was due to the cost and rarity of some ingredients and to demand from abroad. He added that to keep down sales, he has never advertised. "Anyway, price is irrelevant," he said. "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. Actually, composing a perfume is quite a bit like cooking. And just as gourmets will go for caviar and goose liver, women will always go for a special perfume."

The perfume was not readily available in the United States, one generally bought the perfume in Paris, only with traveler's checks in shops specialized for tourists. The perfume was mainly exported and available in luxury shops in North and South America, and even in Japan.

In 1964, it was revealed that the fragrance was "blended by hand" by a dozen experts at 13, rue Ernest Deloison in Neuilly, France. In 1969, it was said that Jean Desprez, the master perfumer himself, insisted on supervising the careful blending of every batch of the fragrance produced. At that time, there were only 18 people in the entire Desprez company, including employees who helped to tie ribbons on bottles and paste the paper labels on by hand. The packaging was designed with the same care given as the formulation of the perfume. Jean Desprez had only one assistant to work with him. "That's typical of the French, they are among the most artistic, creative people in the world. But they insist on doing things their way," explained Suzanne Wolfe. As company lawyer, she also doubled as a traveling representative.

The Desprez company was brought to the US in 1966 and grew successfully. Bal a Versailles was introduced to the White House by Jacqueline Kennedy who purchased hers from a retailer in Paris and has been worn by the late Queen Elizabeth II who accepted it as a gift. Bal A Versailles became a leader among perfumes and within ten years, it began to follow the successful footsteps of Shalimar, Chanel No. 5 and Arpege. Bal a Versailles was available in a high concentration perfume, cologne, parfum de toilette, bath oil and soap. 

"My father always said that creating a perfume is much like cooking. Both appeal to the senses. One must approach the creation of a fragrance like fine cuisine 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," said Denis Desprez.

"One should look for a name that will be internationally understood. For example, when my father created Crepe de Chine in 1928, that was a very popular fabric of the time. However, one would not name a modern fragrances 'Nylon." Denis Desprez said that "Bal" is understood in virtually all languages (the English "ball," the Italian "ballo") and Versailles is a place of world-wide renown."

In 1975, Desprez said "The market is excellent most places, tremendous in the Middle East, and suddenly Finland  is having a Bal a Versailles boom. I think a lot of it possibly is being smuggled into Russia, one of the few areas where it is not officially welcomed. The American capacity for accepting new things is like none other. There is a curiosity to know about anything. Yet it may be a temporary interest if their curiosity does not lend them to something better. I contrast theirs with the Japanese, who have no imagination for perfume. They are easy to interest but accept only what is good for all Japanese. As individuals a product may not mean anything to them unless it is the thing for all to use. One the other hand, the American is very selective and very loyal to perfume."

 

 

Fragrance Composition:

So what does it smell like? It 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, Israeli basil, Calabrian bergamot, South African blackcurrant buds absolute and leaves, cajeput, Chinese cinnamon, clary sage, Russian coriander, eucalyptus, Lebanese Farnesiana cassie, grapefruit, Grasse rose absolute, hyssop, Italian lemon, lemongrass, West Indian lime, Sicilian mandarin orange, niaouli, Guinea orange, peppermint, Paraguayan petitgrain, ravensara, sage, spearmint, tagetes, tangerine, tea tree, thyme, Tunisian neroli, verbena

• Middle notes: bay, Malabar black pepper, Bulgarian rose absolute, Moroccan cardamom, Roman chamomile, La Crau cypress, fennel, Moroccan geranium, ho leaf, ho wood, Persian galbanum, hyssop, Grasse jasmine absolute, Dutch juniper, Provencal lavender, lilac, lily of the valley, marjoram, Egyptian jasmine, May rose absolute, melissa, Tunisian myrtle, nutmeg, Grasse orange blossom absolute, Comoros Island palmarosa, Russian pine, Dutch rosemary, spikenard, Indian tuberose, yarrow, Florentine iris, Indian carnation

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

Detroit Free Press, 1964:

"At 13 rue Ernest Deloison, in Neuilly, a dozen experts blend the perfume by hand, out of rare and costly extracts of tuberose, jasmine, Bulgarian rose, sandalwood, musk and ambergris."

"We used about 260 ingredients in Bal a Versailles," said Denis Desprez in 1977. He went on to explain that the ingredients used in the Desprez perfumes were of the highest quality and therefore, themselves, cost a fortune. He said that jasmine costs $3,100 per pound, this price, according to an inflation calculator would be $16,310.19 in 2023 money. It is expensive because only five and a half pounds could be grown on an acre, and it takes nine and a half pounds of flowers to produce one pound of jasmine essence. The flowers have to be handpicked at sunrise, which requires a large workforce. However, Desprez was concerned because at the time, jasmine, traditionally grown in southern France, was becoming harder and harder to come by. 

The cost of labor went up and real estate developments had begun to take over the land that was once used for flower farms. Acres of fields reserved for flowers for decades were being plowed over to make way for apartment buildings. "It is more profitable to build villas than to grow flowers," sighed Desprez. "Some of the flower farmers are lured by the high prices offered by the building industry. Others, sentimental traditionists, will continue to grow flowers for the parfumeurs as their forefathers have been doing for generations," said Desprez.

Though jasmine was successfully grown in Italy and north Africa, problems of rising costs and disappearing fields arose in those places as well. "There are many kinds of jasmine and, like wine, there are good years and not such good years," said Desprez. Perfumers began to experiment growing jasmine in southern Africa, although Desprez predicted that in another decade or two, the same problems would arise there too. He mentioned that synthetic jasmines are under study, but he had little hope for them to replace the real thing.

"We have to rely on natural products," he said. "Synthetics can't provide a substitute for jasmine - nor for rose, civet, musk, orange blossom. They try to duplicate jasmine, and they get about 95% of the composition. The remaining 5% they are unable to discover. But that's the 5% that makes jasmine, jasmine. If there is only 1% of the formula missing, it will smell like jasmine to you and me, but it won't react properly with other fragrances."

Bottles & Packaging:

"Jean Desprez has personally selected many of the perfume bottle labels from designs created by Leon Leyritz of the Riviera," said Suzanne Wolfe. "In addition, he checks each of the shipments arriving from various parts of the country such as jasmine, oils, sandalwood and rose." She revealed that a group of thirty employees at the laboratory, in the perfume section in Paris, assisted Desprez in the production of Bal a Versailles. "He makes all the perfume himself," said Wolfe.  

The disk shaped bottle used for the Parfum is in a footed decanter shape. All glass stoppers are made to fit only one bottle. She said that the bottles are hand polished. The elegant bottle is handmade and has to be so perfect that approximately 10% of the bottles are rejected because of defects. 

On each of the bottles, except the purse flacon, there is a replica of the Fragonard painting, "La Coupe des Sens" at the Sevres Museum. Suzanne Wolfe, attorney for Parfums Jean Desprez explained that the labels are derived from a scene that illustrates the five senses that ornaments an enormous Sevres bowl, placed near the entrance of the Museum of Sevres porcelain, in Paris. Desprez added, "the drawing and decoration on the boxes are reproductions of 17th and 18th century documents shown in the Palace of Versailles. 

The Cincinnati Inquirer, 1969:

"At 73, Jean Desprez, working with a small staff of 18 or 20, still "supervises or makes every batch of perfume bearing his name. The packaging is designed with the same care given formulation of the perfume."

The packaging, too, was done by hand, everything from the folding of boxes to the tying of gold string. "It's all hand done, and these little old ladies are there tying gold bows, sticking labels on, filling bottles, all by hand," explained Wolfe. She confessed that in short, Parfums Jean Desprez was one of the last stands of individual operation. 

The labels were licked individually by the workers at the laboratory and pasted to the bottles. She said that the purse flacon was a replica of a smelling salt bottle, with a picture of a work by Alexandre Evariste Fragonard from the Sevres Museum as a label, and it's packaged in a hand crafted box covered in a pure silk gold and white brocade design from the Palace of Versailles.

"The women who handle the perfume are instructed to be selective when choosing packaging materials and reject unmercifully the defective ones - about ten bottles in every one hundred are rejected and this is in itself an expensive process," said Wolfe. The flacons are held in boxes lined with gold satin and covered in white and gold silk brocade in a leaf pattern. The brocade encasement for the bottle is gold leaf on a satin pillow. The quality control goes as far as the cellophane wrapper that must be perfectly tense and the box that has to be built by hand. 

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 $7,348.89 in 2023'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.

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. "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 and rose essential oil that is bought by the kilo or 32 ounces and cost approximately $2,500. 

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 ($100 an ounce), 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 and 1/4 ounce, which is equivalent to $347.63 in 2023 according to an inflation calculator. Bal a Versailles was 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 ($701.65). A set of six vials of the rich bath oil cost $36 ($336.79). 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 ($636.55), within a year's time though, the price was $90 an ounce ($650.26).  A 2 oz Parfum de Toilette bottle retailed for $29 ($209.53).

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 ($636.55) an ounce, that was bought by the kilo or 32 ounces and cost approximately $2.500 ($18,721.96).

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 ($6,604.91 in 2023) and jasmine is almost as expensive." 

Just a year later in 1975, the ounce of Parfum topped off at $100 ($590.77) 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 ($6,498.42), while civet, extracted from secretions of Abyssinian civet cats was $2,000 ($11,815.32), but true musk, from Tibetan deer cost a whopping $10,800 ($63,802.71) for every two pounds.  The precious florals of orange blossom $2,000 ($11,815.32), acacia farnesia $2,044 ($12,075.25), rose $5,500 ($32,492.12), and jasmine cost $6,200 ($36,627.48) per two pounds. The sweet and creamy fixative of sandalwood was imported from Mysore, India and cost $2000 ($11,815.32).

"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 ($563.30). In 1980, the 1 oz bottle of Parfum cost $130 ($514.30). The 6 oz bottle of Eau de Toilette retailed for $45 ($178.03), 2 oz eau de Cologne cost just $8.00 ($31.65) and the 4 oz Eau de Cologne at $13.25 ($53.41).

In 1981, the four ounce bottle of parfum could be had via special order only. It cost $425 ($1,680.4). In 1982, the 1 oz Parfum retailed for $150 ($489.59). 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. 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."