Fragrance comparison

Bois des Iles vs Balahe

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

Updated 28 Oct 2026 2,428 ratings analysed

Bois des Iles

Chanel

4.341,907 votes

Rank #26,722 WoodyPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

44%scent match

Some overlap

5 wins

Balahe

Leonard

4.23521 votes

Rank #3,727 SweetPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Balahe takes 5 of 8 categories.

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

Bois des Iles3/8

Balahe5/8

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Bois des IlesChanel

BalaheLeonard

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.34/ 5 · 1,907 votes

Have 72%Had 28%Want 0%

4.23/ 5 · 521 votes

Have 62%Had 38%Want 0%

Category winnerBois des IlesRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

53%Love

36%Like

2%Ok

8%Dislike

0%Hate

1,907 votes

47%Love

40%Like

2%Ok

10%Dislike

0%Hate

521 votes

Category winnerBois des IlesMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate83

⏱ Longevity72

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate81

Category winners

LongevityBalahe

SillageBalahe

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value32

¤ Price value51

Category winnerBalaheBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

powdery92%

amber84%

aldehydic77%

iris69%

fresh61%

sweet100%

powdery92%

white floral84%

woody77%

musky69%

fruity61%

Scent match44%Some overlap · both powdery and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

AldehydesCorianderNeroliPeachBergamotMandarin Orange

Heart2-4 hrs

Ylang-YlangIrisOrris RootJasmineRoseLilacLily-of-the-Valley

Base6-8+ hrs

SandalwoodAmberBenzoinTonka BeanOpoponaxVanillaMuskVetiver

Top20-30 mins

PlumAldehydesClary SageCorianderAnisePineappleMandarin OrangeBergamot

Heart3-4 hrs

TuberoseOrchidOrris RootYlang-YlangIrisRoseJasmineOrange Blossom

Base8-10+ hrs

CivetOpoponaxVanillaSandalwoodMuskVetiver

Category winnerBalaheLongest dry-down: 8-10+ hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring89

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day79

Night100

Spring27

Summer19

Fall0

Winter100

Day37

Night100

Category winnerBois des IlesMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men3

Unisex56

Women41

Date 34%Work 32%Casual 23%Party 11%

Men2

Unisex44

Women55

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

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#26,722

PerfumerErnest Beaux

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#3,727

PerfumerDaniel Moliere

Launched—

Reviews50

Category winnerBalaheHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Chanel Bois des Iles greets you with a sparkling fizz of aldehydes and sweet mandarin orange before settling into warm woods. The opening is bright and crisp like vintage bath soap. Give it twenty minutes on skin. Soon, buttery sandalwood and powdery iris take over, creating an intimate, cozy warmth reminiscent of gin…

Reviews →

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 →

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, Bois des Iles or Balahe?

Balahe takes 5 of 8 categories. Bois des Iles is rated 4.34/5 from 1,907 votes; Balahe is rated 4.23/5 from 521 votes. Choose Bois des Iles for a woody and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Balahe for a sweet and powdery character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Bois des Iles or Balahe?

Balahe lasts longest (Balahe 72/100, Bois des Iles 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Bois des Iles or Balahe?

Balahe projects furthest (Balahe 62/100, Bois des Iles 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Bois des Iles and Balahe smell similar?

Some overlap: a 44% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share powdery and woody accords. Common notes include Aldehydes, Coriander, Bergamot and Mandarin Orange.

Is Bois des Iles or Balahe better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Bois des Iles and Balahe?

Bois des Iles has top notes of Aldehydes, Coriander, Neroli and Peach, heart notes of Ylang-Ylang, Iris, Orris Root and Jasmine, a base of Sandalwood, Amber, Benzoin and Tonka Bean. 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.