Fragrance comparison

Balahe vs Must de Cartier

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 20 Oct 2026 3,396 ratings analysed

Balahe

Leonard

4.23521 votes

Rank #4,195 SweetPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

36%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Must de Cartier

Cartier

4.142,875 votes

Rank #205 WoodyPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Must de Cartier takes 4 of 7 categories.

Balahe
Choose it for a sweet and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in winter, evening wear.
Must de Cartier
Choose it for a woody and powdery character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter.

Balahe3/7

Must de Cartier4/7

Ratings & consensus: Balahe
Community sentiment: Balahe
Longevity: Must de Cartier
Sillage & projection: Must de Cartier
Value for money: Must de Cartier
Versatility: Balahe
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Must de Cartier

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

BalaheLeonard

Must de CartierCartier

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.23/ 5 · 521 votes

Have 62%Had 38%Want 0%

4.14/ 5 · 2,875 votes

Have 64%Had 36%Want 0%

Category winnerBalaheRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

47%Love

40%Like

2%Ok

10%Dislike

0%Hate

521 votes

45%Love

42%Like

1%Ok

10%Dislike

1%Hate

2,497 votes

Category winnerBalaheMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity72

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate81

⏱ Longevity79

〰 Sillage69

♥ Love / hate81

Category winners

LongevityMust de Cartier

SillageMust de Cartier

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value51

¤ Price value58

Category winnerMust de CartierBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

sweet100%

powdery92%

white floral84%

woody77%

musky69%

fruity61%

woody100%

powdery92%

amber84%

aromatic77%

vanilla69%

green61%

Scent match36%Some overlap · both powdery and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top20-30 mins

PlumAldehydesClary SageCorianderAnisePineappleMandarin OrangeBergamot

Heart3-4 hrs

TuberoseOrchidOrris RootYlang-YlangIrisRoseJasmineOrange Blossom

Base8-10+ hrs

CivetOpoponaxVanillaSandalwoodMuskVetiver

Top

GalbanumBrazilian RosewoodAldehydesBergamotLemonGreen MandarinPeachPineapple

Heart

LeatherCarnationVetiverOrris RootYlang-YlangMuskYellow NarcissusNeroli

Base

AmberVanillaSandalwoodTonka BeanCivet

InformationalShared notesAldehydes, Pineapple, Bergamot and Orris Root. Durations are only published for Balahe, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring27

Summer19

Fall0

Winter100

Day37

Night100

Spring27

Summer17

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerBalaheMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex44

Women55

Date 41%Party 33%Casual 15%Work 10%

Men5

Unisex48

Women46

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#4,195

PerfumerDaniel Moliere

Launched—

Reviews50

Overall rank#205

PerfumerJean-Jacques Diener, Nathalie Feisthauer

Launched—

Reviews295

Category winnerMust de CartierHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Balahe by Leonard is a decadent 1983 oriental floral that refuses to whisper. Dark, syrupy plum immediately collides with sharp aldehydes and spicy coriander in the opening. Give it five minutes. Once that initial solvent burst settles, a lush heart of creamy tuberose, powdery iris, and warm ylang-ylang unfolds across…

Reviews →

Must de Cartier opens with a sharp shock of bitter galbanum and crisp aldehydes before softening into rich amber, leather, and creamy vanilla. Launched in 1981, this oriental composition pairs raw green herbal bite with deep balsamic resin. It wears best during cold winter evenings and formal indoor events where its d…

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Balahe or Must de Cartier?

Must de Cartier takes 4 of 7 categories. Balahe is rated 4.23/5 from 521 votes; Must de Cartier is rated 4.14/5 from 2,875 votes. Choose Balahe for a sweet and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Must de Cartier for a woody and powdery character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Balahe or Must de Cartier?

Must de Cartier lasts longest (Must de Cartier 79/100, Balahe 72/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Balahe or Must de Cartier?

Must de Cartier projects furthest (Must de Cartier 69/100, Balahe 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Balahe and Must de Cartier smell similar?

Some overlap: a 36% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share powdery and woody accords. Common notes include Aldehydes, Pineapple, Bergamot and Orris Root.

Is Balahe or Must de Cartier better for summer or winter?

For summer, Balahe is the stronger pick. For winter, Balahe is the stronger pick. Balahe suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Balahe and Must de Cartier?

Balahe has top notes of Plum, Aldehydes, Clary Sage and Coriander, heart notes of Tuberose, Orchid, Orris Root and Ylang-Ylang, a base of Civet, Opoponax, Vanilla and Sandalwood. Must de Cartier has top notes of Galbanum, Brazilian Rosewood, Aldehydes and Bergamot, heart notes of Leather, Carnation, Vetiver and Orris Root, a base of Amber, Vanilla, Sandalwood and Tonka Bean.