Fragrance comparison

Balahe vs Raffinee

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

Updated 20 Oct 2026 840 ratings analysed

Balahe

Leonard

4.23521 votes

Rank #4,195 SweetPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

45%scent match

Some overlap

5 wins

Raffinee

Houbigant

4.04319 votes

Rank #25,885 Warm SpicyFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Raffinee takes 5 of 8 categories.

Balahe
Choose it for a sweet and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.
Raffinee
Choose it for a warm spicy and floral character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Balahe3/8

Raffinee5/8

Ratings & consensus: Balahe
Community sentiment: Balahe
Longevity: Raffinee
Sillage & projection: Raffinee
Value for money: Raffinee
Versatility: Raffinee
Note pyramid (duration): Raffinee
Fragranxe ranking: Balahe

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

BalaheLeonard

RaffineeHoubigant

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.23/ 5 · 521 votes

Have 62%Had 38%Want 0%

4.04/ 5 · 319 votes

Have 59%Had 41%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

40%Love

42%Like

2%Ok

15%Dislike

2%Hate

319 votes

Category winnerBalaheMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity72

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate81

⏱ Longevity78

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate76

Category winners

LongevityRaffinee

SillageRaffinee

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value51

¤ Price value59

Category winnerRaffineeBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

sweet100%

powdery92%

white floral84%

woody77%

musky69%

fruity61%

warm spicy100%

floral92%

aromatic84%

woody77%

powdery69%

sweet61%

Scent match45%Some overlap · both sweet, 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

Top15-30 mins

CarnationPlumClary SageOrange BlossomBergamotRoseJasmineLemon

Heart2-4 hrs

Orris RootTonka BeanMimosaTuberoseYlang-YlangHiacynthOrchidOsmanthus

Base8-12 hrs

SpicesCinnamonIncenseSandalwoodVanillaMuskCypressVetiver

Category winnerRaffineeLongest dry-down: 8-12 hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring27

Summer19

Fall0

Winter100

Day37

Night100

Spring35

Summer19

Fall0

Winter100

Day32

Night100

Category winnerRaffineeMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex44

Women55

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

Men3

Unisex20

Women77

Date 38%Party 36%Casual 15%Work 11%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#4,195

PerfumerDaniel Moliere

Launched—

Reviews50

Overall rank#25,885

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerBalaheHigher 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 →

Raffinee by Houbigant is an unapologetic powerhouse from 1982 that captures the bold theatrical spirit of early eighties perfumery. The spray opens with a punchy burst of dark stewed plum, sharp clary sage, and clove-like carnation. You get a brief alcoholic sting for two minutes before the dense oils grip the skin. O…

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 Raffinee?

Raffinee takes 5 of 8 categories. Balahe is rated 4.23/5 from 521 votes; Raffinee is rated 4.04/5 from 319 votes. Choose Balahe for a sweet and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Raffinee for a warm spicy and floral character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Balahe or Raffinee?

Raffinee lasts longest (Raffinee 78/100, Balahe 72/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Balahe or Raffinee?

Raffinee projects furthest (Raffinee 68/100, Balahe 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Balahe and Raffinee smell similar?

Some overlap: a 45% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet, powdery and woody accords. Common notes include Plum, Clary Sage, Bergamot and Tuberose.

Is Balahe or Raffinee better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Balahe and Raffinee?

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. Raffinee has top notes of Carnation, Plum, Clary Sage and Orange Blossom, heart notes of Orris Root, Tonka Bean, Mimosa and Tuberose, a base of Spices, Cinnamon, Incense and Sandalwood.