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Les Merveilles

Bal de Roses Keiko Mecheri 2012

7.7 / 10 108 Ratings

A popular perfume by Keiko Mecheri for women, released in 2012. The scent is floral-powdery. It is still in production.
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Main accords

Floral

Powdery

Spicy

Sweet

Oriental

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes

Damask rose

Petitgrain

Heart Notes

Bulgarian rose

Taif rose

Base Notes

White musk Amber

Amber

Indian sandalwood

Tonka bean Vanilla

Vanilla

Benzoin

Ratings

Scent

7.7108 Ratings

Longevity

7.589 Ratings

Sillage

6.890 Ratings

Bottle

7.989 Ratings

Value for money

6.914 Ratings

Submitted by Kankuro · last update on 11/28/2025.

Source-backed & verified

Interesting Facts

Initially part of the "Bespoke Collection", this scent was inducted into the "Les Merveilles" range in 2016.

The fragrance is part of the Les Merveilles collection.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

Innuendo / Creation-I (Parfum) by Roja Parfums

Innuendo Parfum

La Fille de Berlin Eau de Parfum

Reviews

8 in-depth fragrance descriptions

10/27/2013

8Scent 7.5Longevity 7.5Sillage

Flavorite
240 Reviews

Flavorite

Unexpectedly Sumptuous and Out of This World

This sample has been sitting in my sample case for a year. I am not really interested in Rose dominant fragrances, so...that is my excuse. I was totally blown away by how untraditional and non-rose Forward Bal de Roses turned out to be. It is really very rich, complex and well-rounded and a perfect Winter Rose fragrance, in fact. Initially that Oud got right up in my nose and made me say "Whoa!". The intensity of the top moves smoothly into a more gentle powdery floral center of sensuous Ylang, Jasmine and something spicy. Bal de Roses is not a linear true to life interpretation or ode to the flower, this is a seduction tool and a-not-so-innocent or clean powdery spicy thick floral composition of decent sillage (just under 15 cm radius) and respectable longevity (8 hours) for the KM Line. For me, this is evening wear, little black dress and all. As it ends, the base becomes a warm slightly sweet liqueur of soft oud powder and although it says "white musk" this doesn't smell very clean, balmy, even soapy or what I associate with white musk, in general...it's a bit more untamed and kinky than most of my white musks. I can recommend sampling this one, even if you're not typically a rose fragrance lover...this is really an oddly named sultry spicy floriental with some rose in the background, to my nose. You may like this if you like KM's Canyon Dreams, Tauer's L'air Du Desert Marocain, Shalimar or Le Labo's Rose 31 (minus Le Labo's woody cedar note in the base, which is absent here). This is a full-bodied Rose petal decorated spiced fireball from another galaxy.

07/08/2012

8Scent 10Longevity 10Sillage

Sherapop
1240 Reviews

Sherapop

Perhaps inspired by Bal à Versailles?

Keiko Mecheri BAL DE ROSES really took me by surprise. Given the name, I was expecting something more along the lines of some of the other rose perfumes of this house, which really focus on the rose note. Instead, I find BAL DE ROSES to be primarily an oriental perfume, and although I would not say that it smells like BAL A VERSAILLES, it does remind me of it in spirit and texture. This composition no doubt contains only a fraction of the ingredients contained within even the reformulated version of BAL A VERSAILLES, yet the overall effect seems similar to me.

I'm sure that the name is going to set up some dashed expectations for this perfume, and it may receive lower evaluations as a result, but I generally think that the naming of a perfume and its quality are two completely distinct issues. In this case, the perfume is really quite nice, for what it is: a fairly heavy oud oriental. The oud is strong and has a quasi-leather quality to it, according to my nose. Like CUIR FAUVE, another member of the Bespoke series, this perfume offers a fairly strong dose of oud, so that should be good news for oud lovers. I would say that the rose and jasmine embellish the oud, rather than the other way around. The ylang seems to be contributing to the oriental quality. The overall lightness of the florality--relative to the leatherish oud--makes this a good choice for gents, and I do think that this composition is completely unisex, even leaning ever-so-slightly to the masculine side.

I would have guessed that saffron and amber are present in this perfume as well, but they are not listed among the notes. Nonetheless, there is a richness to the overall composition which reminds me of some saffron-rose and dark floral amber perfumes as well. Whatever the notes may actually be, this is a beautiful creation which I recommend for testing by all amateurs of all things dark and oriental.

For those who in the past have found the perfumes of this house to be too subtle and demure: your prayers have been answered. BAL DE ROSES has big sillage and excellent longevity and is not shy in the least. I actually find this eau de parfum to be closer to parfum concentration.

11/01/2019

9.5Scent 8Longevity 7Sillage

MadameLegras
22 Reviews

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MadameLegras

Top Review 24

It just has to be now…

It just has to be now that I write a comment about this wonderful fragrance, even though when reading the other great comments here, I always think I should rather refrain and leave this space to the poets and storytellers…

My comments usually contain small personal memories and my subjective feelings about the fragrance experience. I can't identify individual notes as well as many commentators here do so wonderfully.

Well, I have no memories associated with this fragrance, as I only got to know it recently. But my feelings after the first sniff were already “WOW”.

I was searching for “my” rose fragrance and received a sample of Bal de Roses as a bonus while at the souk. The very first encounter was simply beautiful:

The opening is something special and reminds me of fine exclusive rose soap. Then the scent becomes darker and gains depth, the rose is still present. However, for me, it is not a rose fragrance in the conventional sense; the rose does not dominate the scene. It is perceivable as a dark rose, but it behaves subtly in the background. This fragrance is also not floral for me; rather, it is carried by a wonderful powderiness and warmth. It is not sweet, but lovely, not intrusive, but memorable, not room-filling, but close to the skin and long-lasting. As it develops further, it only becomes softer, darker, and a bit woodier, but it does not change anymore.

It is truly not an exciting development or a fragrance fireworks, but it doesn't have to be that for me. For me, a fragrance should fundamentally maintain its original direction. Small detours are nice and interesting and can exist, but I prefer a certain straightforwardness, and that is definitely given here.

Bal de Roses is independent of the seasons; it fits in spring, summer, autumn, and winter, though I probably wouldn't choose it in really high heat. It is practical for me, suitable for daytime in the office or during leisure time, and also in the evening - as long as no big event is on the agenda - always a good choice.

This fragrance surrounds me so beautifully, it caresses me, it warms me, it suits me, I simply feel wonderful with it.

Fortunately, I was able to first acquire a decant at the souk and then finally the bottle, and I am very happy about that!

11/25/2013

7Scent 7.5Longevity 5Sillage

Turandot
841 Reviews

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Turandot

Top Review 18

Challenging start with a desire for more

Bal de Roses makes it hard for me. The scent makes it hard for me to like it, but I also can't bring myself to dislike it.

So I have to try to approach it from an angle: I only love floral scents when they are not too flowery or cloying. Neither is the case here. The rose does not play the main role according to my nose; rather, Ylang Ylang is muted by the dark tone of the tuberose. These are already plus points for Bal de Roses, especially since a clear recognizability is achieved. This is not just another floral scent hitting the market. The perfume is by no means interchangeable.

As it develops further, a powdery note becomes distinctly recognizable, reminding me of iris but appearing darker. One could also describe this as very soft woody notes, and I suspect that oud is used here in a form that does not come across as medicinal or rough, as is often the case unfortunately. I see that as a positive aspect as well.

Nevertheless, Bal de Roses leaves me somewhat perplexed at this stage, as I miss a common thread; I wish something more would come. However, I can't say what that should be. The scent, in my feeling, lacks a foundation on which it could rest. I want to give it the benefit of the doubt that my problem recognizing musk might play a role here. In any case, the great opening tempts me to have an expectation that is ultimately not fulfilled.

In summary, Bal de Roses is an interesting scent that cannot be easily classified as hop or top, and that is again a reason for plus points for me. A small but remains, and therefore I definitely want to recommend Bal de Roses for my own tests. I myself will surely revisit the sample more often in the near future, and who knows, perhaps the beautiful aspects of this perfume will prevail. For now, I will stick with 70%.

07/26/2023

9Scent 8Longevity 7Sillage

Pluto
353 Reviews

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Pluto

Top Review 25

A Pretty Name,

Bal de Roses, I thought back then. Aha, by Keiko Mecheri. The brand is well represented for me, Cuir Fauve is in my collection, I was tempted to buy Vetiver Velours and I liked some other fragrances by Mecheri as well.

Bal de Roses starts with tonka and rose, sweet without becoming cloyingly sweet, ambered and resinous, I think of rose petals candied with tonka and vanilla, warm spicy scent clouds rise to my nose. And Mr. Pluto is also sniffing quite enthusiastically. After a while, it becomes delicately soapy, with a slight hint of green, a bit like the rose soap from Fragonard that we have in our guest bathroom. The scent lingers for many hours, remaining consistent from top to base, not a bit obstinate or bulky, until it fades after many hours. I don’t mind the linearity of the scent, I’m just in love with it. Bal de Roses doesn’t project far, just about arm's length, it stays rather close to the body, at least with moderate application. The fragrance develops more intensely with warmth, it’s wearable year-round, but please not at 30 degrees, rather below that. I would sign off on it being a ladies' fragrance, everyone should wear what they like, but honestly, if a lumberjack type were to wear it, I would be a bit irritated.

Of course, in the meantime, a bottle has moved in, and now I’ve been wearing the scent for several days in a row, thank goodness it’s under 30 degrees in the Rhineland. And my passion still lies with the cool, herbal, spicy, green chypres. But slowly my collection is changing, also thanks to the samples from dear perfumi who want to convert me - and occasionally succeed.

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