Fragrance comparison

Cartago vs Ivoire de Balmain

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 1,108 ratings analysed

1 wins

Cartago

Max Deville · 1988

5.001 votes

Rank #24,129 White FloralRose

Full profile Similar & dupes

17%scent match

Clearly different

Ivoire de Balmain

Pierre Balmain

4.131,107 votes

Rank #26,448 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Cartago takes 1 of 1 categories.

Cartago
Choose it for a white floral and rose character. Wins on fragranxe ranking.
Ivoire de Balmain
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Best in spring.

Cartago1/1

Ivoire de Balmain0/1

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

CartagoMax Deville

Ivoire de BalmainPierre Balmain

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

5.00/ 5 · 1 votes

Have 33%Had 33%Want 33%

4.13/ 5 · 1,107 votes

Have 68%Had 32%Want 0%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

100%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

1 vote · 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

⏱ LongevityN/A

〰 SillageN/A

♥ Love / hate100

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityNo data

SillageNo data

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price valueN/A

¤ Price value50

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

white floral84%

rose77%

woody53%

fresh46%

powdery30%

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

herbal84%

woody77%

floral69%

green61%

Scent match17%Clearly different · both woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

BergamotMandarin OrangeLemonLavenderSage

Heart

RoseJasmineLily-of-the-ValleyIrisGeraniumCinnamonGingerCardamom

Base

LabdanumAmberPatchouliMusk

Top

AldehydesChamomileGalbanumMarigoldAsafoetidaArtemisiaBergamotLemon

Heart

Orris RootNarcissusCarnationNutmegTurkish RosePepperYlang-YlangIris

Base

OakmossVetiverSandalwoodIncensePatchouliLabdanumMuskTonka Bean

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Lemon, Rose and Iris. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

No season votes yet

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter68

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Not enough votes yet

Men3

Unisex37

Women60

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#24,129

PerfumerNot listed

Launched1988

Reviews5

Overall rank#26,448

PerfumerFrancis Camail, Michel Hy

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerCartagoHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Cartago reads as a soft floral amber with peach and lilac up top, a rosy white-floral heart, and a warm base of amber, patchouli, labdanum and musk. It feels more classic than modern, with a bouquet-like character and only mild sweetness. If you enjoy traditional floral perfumes with a warm, slightly powdery finish, t…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Cartago or Ivoire de Balmain?

Cartago takes 1 of 1 categories. Cartago is rated 5.00/5 from 1 votes; Ivoire de Balmain is rated 4.13/5 from 1,107 votes. Choose Cartago for a white floral and rose character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Choose Ivoire de Balmain for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Best in spring.

Do Cartago and Ivoire de Balmain smell similar?

Clearly different: a 17% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Lemon, Rose and Iris.

What are the notes in Cartago and Ivoire de Balmain?

Cartago has top notes of Bergamot, Mandarin Orange, Lemon and Lavender, heart notes of Rose, Jasmine, Lily-of-the-Valley and Iris, a base of Labdanum, Amber, Patchouli and Musk. 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.