Fragrance comparison

Carnelian vs Ivoire de Balmain

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

Updated 15 Oct 2026 1,119 ratings analysed

3 wins

Carnelian

Vartan Perfumes

4.3312 votes

Rank #45,883 Warm SpicyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

22%scent match

Clearly different

Ivoire de Balmain

Pierre Balmain

4.131,107 votes

Rank #23,781 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Carnelian takes 3 of 5 categories.

Carnelian
Choose it for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.
Ivoire de Balmain
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Carnelian3/5

Ivoire de Balmain2/5

Ratings & consensus: Ivoire de Balmain
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Carnelian
Sillage & projection: Carnelian
Value for money: Carnelian
Versatility: Not scored
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

CarnelianVartan Perfumes

Ivoire de BalmainPierre Balmain

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.33/ 5 · 12 votes

Have 19%Had 0%Want 81%

4.13/ 5 · 1,107 votes

Have 68%Had 32%Want 0%

Category winnerIvoire de BalmainRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

58%Love

33%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

8%Hate

12 votes · too few to score

42%Love

43%Like

2%Ok

13%Dislike

0%Hate

1,107 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity74

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate83

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityCarnelian

SillageCarnelian

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value100

¤ Price value50

Category winnerCarnelianBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

amber91%

cinnamon83%

aromatic74%

floral65%

vanilla56%

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

herbal84%

woody77%

floral69%

green61%

Scent match22%Clearly different · both aromatic and floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

CinnamonBlack Pepper

Heart2-4 hrs

CarnationWhite TobaccoVetiver

Base6-8+ hrs

AmberVanillaTonka Bean

Top

AldehydesChamomileGalbanumMarigoldAsafoetidaArtemisiaBergamotLemon

Heart

Orris RootNarcissusCarnationNutmegTurkish RosePepperYlang-YlangIris

Base

OakmossVetiverSandalwoodIncensePatchouliLabdanumMuskTonka Bean

InformationalShared notesCarnation, Vetiver and Tonka Bean. Durations are only published for Carnelian, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring20

Summer20

Fall100

Winter100

Day44

Night100

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter68

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

Date 35%Casual 28%Party 23%Work 15%

Men3

Unisex37

Women60

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#45,883

PerfumerKristen Vartan

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#23,781

PerfumerFrancis Camail, Michel Hy

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerIvoire de BalmainHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Carnelian by Vartan Perfumes hits the skin with a vibrant rush of fiery cinnamon and cracked black pepper. The initial kick is dry and bristly, but it calms within minutes into a clove-like carnation heart wrapped in pale, leafy white tobacco. As the hours tick by, golden amber, creamy vanilla, and roasted tonka bean …

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, Carnelian or Ivoire de Balmain?

Carnelian takes 3 of 5 categories. Carnelian is rated 4.33/5 from 12 votes; Ivoire de Balmain is rated 4.13/5 from 1,107 votes. Choose Carnelian for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Ivoire de Balmain for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Carnelian or Ivoire de Balmain?

Carnelian lasts longest (Carnelian 74/100, Ivoire de Balmain 71/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Carnelian or Ivoire de Balmain?

Projection is very close: Carnelian 66/100, Ivoire de Balmain 64/100 for sillage.

Do Carnelian and Ivoire de Balmain smell similar?

Clearly different: a 22% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic and floral accords. Common notes include Carnation, Vetiver and Tonka Bean.

Is Carnelian or Ivoire de Balmain better for summer or winter?

Carnelian suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Carnelian and Ivoire de Balmain?

Carnelian has top notes of Cinnamon and Black Pepper, heart notes of Carnation, White Tobacco and Vetiver, a base of Amber, Vanilla 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.