Fragrance comparison

Bois des Iles vs Ivoire de Balmain

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

Updated 28 Oct 2026 3,014 ratings analysed

Bois des Iles

Chanel

4.341,907 votes

Rank #26,722 WoodyPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

23%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

Ivoire de Balmain

Pierre Balmain

4.131,107 votes

Rank #24,719 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Ivoire de Balmain takes 4 of 7 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.
Ivoire de Balmain
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring.

Bois des Iles3/7

Ivoire de Balmain4/7

Ratings & consensus: Bois des Iles
Community sentiment: Bois des Iles
Longevity: Ivoire de Balmain
Sillage & projection: Ivoire de Balmain
Value for money: Ivoire de Balmain
Versatility: Bois des Iles
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Ivoire de Balmain

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Bois des IlesChanel

Ivoire de BalmainPierre Balmain

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.34/ 5 · 1,907 votes

Have 72%Had 28%Want 0%

4.13/ 5 · 1,107 votes

Have 68%Had 32%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

42%Love

43%Like

2%Ok

13%Dislike

0%Hate

1,107 votes

Category winnerBois des IlesMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate83

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityIvoire de Balmain

SillageIvoire de Balmain

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value32

¤ Price value50

Category winnerIvoire de BalmainBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

powdery92%

amber84%

aldehydic77%

iris69%

fresh61%

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

herbal84%

woody77%

floral69%

green61%

Scent match23%Clearly different · both 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

Top

AldehydesChamomileGalbanumMarigoldAsafoetidaArtemisiaBergamotLemon

Heart

Orris RootNarcissusCarnationNutmegTurkish RosePepperYlang-YlangIris

Base

OakmossVetiverSandalwoodIncensePatchouliLabdanumMuskTonka Bean

InformationalShared notesAldehydes, Bergamot, Ylang-Ylang and Iris. Durations are only published for Bois des Iles, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring89

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day79

Night100

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter68

Day–

Night–

Category winnerBois des IlesMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men3

Unisex56

Women41

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

Men3

Unisex37

Women60

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#26,722

PerfumerErnest Beaux

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#24,719

PerfumerFrancis Camail, Michel Hy

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerIvoire de BalmainHigher 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 →

Ivoire de Balmain stands as a definitive green chypre. It opens with a sharp, herbal punch of galbanum and marigold before settling into a sophisticated, mossy floral core. This is a scent for those who appreciate traditional, crisp structure. It feels most at home during cool spring mornings, providing an immediate s…

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 Ivoire de Balmain?

Ivoire de Balmain takes 4 of 7 categories. Bois des Iles is rated 4.34/5 from 1,907 votes; Ivoire de Balmain is rated 4.13/5 from 1,107 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 Ivoire de Balmain for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Bois des Iles or Ivoire de Balmain?

Ivoire de Balmain lasts longest (Ivoire de Balmain 71/100, Bois des Iles 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Bois des Iles or Ivoire de Balmain?

Ivoire de Balmain projects furthest (Ivoire de Balmain 64/100, Bois des Iles 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Bois des Iles and Ivoire de Balmain smell similar?

Clearly different: a 23% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody accords. Common notes include Aldehydes, Bergamot, Ylang-Ylang and Iris.

Is Bois des Iles or Ivoire de Balmain better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Bois des Iles and Ivoire de Balmain?

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. Ivoire de Balmain has top notes of Aldehydes, Chamomile, Galbanum and Marigold, heart notes of Orris Root, Narcissus, Carnation and Nutmeg, a base of Oakmoss, Vetiver, Sandalwood and Incense.