Fragrance comparison

Balalaika vs C'est Magique

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

Updated 9 Oct 2026 38 ratings analysed

3 wins

Balalaika

Lucien Lelong

3.8635 votes

Rank #20,387 PowderyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

38%scent match

Some overlap

C'est Magique

Kesling

4.003 votes

Rank #21,724 WoodyFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Balalaika takes 3 of 3 categories.

Balalaika
Choose it for a powdery and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.
C'est Magique
Choose it for a woody and fruity character. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Balalaika3/3

C'est Magique0/3

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

BalalaikaLucien Lelong

C'est MagiqueKesling

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.86/ 5 · 35 votes

Have 37%Had 11%Want 52%

4.00/ 5 · 3 votes

Have 34%Had 8%Want 58%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

35%Love

39%Like

4%Ok

22%Dislike

0%Hate

23 votes · too few to score

33%Love

33%Like

33%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

3 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityBalalaika

SillageBalalaika

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

powdery100%

woody92%

musky84%

violet77%

white floral69%

citrus61%

woody100%

fruity92%

citrus84%

sweet77%

floral69%

white floral61%

Scent match38%Some overlap · both woody, citrus and white floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Mandarin Orange

Heart

VioletGardeniaPalisander Rosewood

Base

MuskWoody NotesVanilla

Top

LemonGreen NotesPlumMandarin OrangeBergamotPineappleFruity Notes

Heart

GardeniaFreesiaYlang-YlangJasmineRoseVioletLily-of-the-Valley

Base

Palisander RosewoodPrecious WoodsMusk

InformationalShared notesMandarin Orange, Violet, Gardenia and Palisander Rosewood. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer100

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night–

Spring50

Summer50

Fall100

Winter0

Day100

Night50

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex25

Women75

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#20,387

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews8

Overall rank#21,724

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews7

Category winnerBalalaikaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Balalaika by Lucien Lelong is a vintage floral woody musk launched in 1939 that centers on violet and gardenia. It opens with bright mandarin orange before settling into a warm, powdery base of musk, vanilla, and woods. This fragrance suits those who enjoy classic, skin-hugging scents that feel intimate and refined fo…

Reviews →

C'est Magique is a bright, fruity floral blend from 1997. It opens with a vibrant burst of lemon, mandarin, and pineapple, eventually settling into a gardenia and ylang-ylang heart. On the skin, the fragrance relies on palisander rosewood and musk to provide a grounded, woodsy finish suitable for casual daytime wear 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, Balalaika or C'est Magique?

Balalaika takes 3 of 3 categories. Balalaika is rated 3.86/5 from 35 votes; C'est Magique is rated 4.00/5 from 3 votes. Choose Balalaika for a powdery and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose C'est Magique for a woody and fruity character. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Balalaika or C'est Magique?

Balalaika lasts longest (Balalaika 73/100, C'est Magique 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Balalaika or C'est Magique?

Projection is very close: Balalaika 58/100, C'est Magique 56/100 for sillage.

Do Balalaika and C'est Magique smell similar?

Some overlap: a 38% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, citrus and white floral accords. Common notes include Mandarin Orange, Violet, Gardenia and Palisander Rosewood.

Is Balalaika or C'est Magique better for summer or winter?

Balalaika suits daytime wear; C'est Magique suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Balalaika and C'est Magique?

Balalaika has top notes of Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Violet, Gardenia and Palisander Rosewood, a base of Musk, Woody Notes and Vanilla. C'est Magique has top notes of Lemon, Green Notes, Plum and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Gardenia, Freesia, Ylang-Ylang and Jasmine, a base of Palisander Rosewood, Precious Woods and Musk.