Fragrance comparison

Balahe vs Ruffles

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

Updated 20 Oct 2026 695 ratings analysed

4 wins

Balahe

Leonard

4.23521 votes

Rank #4,195 SweetPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

63%scent match

Closely related

Ruffles

Oscar de la Renta

4.12174 votes

Rank #6,496 SweetWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Balahe takes 4 of 7 categories.

Balahe
Choose it for a sweet and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear.
Ruffles
Choose it for a sweet and white floral character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and versatility. Best in spring.

Balahe4/7

Ruffles3/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

BalaheLeonard

RufflesOscar de la Renta

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.23/ 5 · 521 votes

Have 62%Had 38%Want 0%

4.12/ 5 · 174 votes

Have 39%Had 29%Want 32%

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

43%Love

42%Like

1%Ok

14%Dislike

1%Hate

174 votes

Category winnerBalaheMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity72

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate81

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityBalahe

SillageRuffles

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value51

¤ Price value58

Category winnerRufflesBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

sweet100%

powdery92%

white floral84%

woody77%

musky69%

fruity61%

sweet100%

white floral92%

floral84%

powdery77%

woody69%

animalic61%

Scent match63%Closely related · both sweet, white floral and powdery

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

AldehydesFruity NotesOrange BlossomGreen NotesBergamot

Heart

TuberoseYlang-YlangCarnationOrchidIrisJasmineRoseLily-of-the-Valley

Base

HoneyCaramelCivetVanillaSandalwoodCedarMusk

InformationalShared notesAldehydes, Bergamot, Tuberose and Orchid. 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

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter88

Day–

Night–

Category winnerRufflesMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex44

Women55

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

Men0

Unisex12

Women88

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#4,195

PerfumerDaniel Moliere

Launched—

Reviews50

Overall rank#6,496

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews34

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 →

Oscar de la Renta Ruffles opens with sharp aldehydes, orange blossom, and bergamot before softening into a sweet tuberose and honey heart. Base notes of civet, sandalwood, and caramel provide an 80s warmth that clings to wool coats during cold spring mornings. It suits lovers of vintage florientals looking for bold fl…

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 Ruffles?

Balahe takes 4 of 7 categories. Balahe is rated 4.23/5 from 521 votes; Ruffles is rated 4.12/5 from 174 votes. Choose Balahe for a sweet and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Ruffles for a sweet and white floral character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and versatility. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Balahe or Ruffles?

Balahe lasts longest (Balahe 72/100, Ruffles 69/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Balahe or Ruffles?

Projection is very close: Ruffles 63/100, Balahe 62/100 for sillage.

Do Balahe and Ruffles smell similar?

Closely related: a 63% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet, white floral and powdery accords. Common notes include Aldehydes, Bergamot, Tuberose and Orchid.

Is Balahe or Ruffles 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 Ruffles?

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. Ruffles has top notes of Aldehydes, Fruity Notes, Orange Blossom and Green Notes, heart notes of Tuberose, Ylang-Ylang, Carnation and Orchid, a base of Honey, Caramel, Civet and Vanilla.