Fragrance comparison

CH Africa vs Ivoire de Balmain

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

Updated 12 Oct 2026 1,250 ratings analysed

CH Africa

Carolina Herrera

3.99143 votes

Rank #15,495 SmokyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

3%scent match

Clearly different

6 wins

Ivoire de Balmain

Pierre Balmain

4.131,107 votes

Rank #23,646 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Ivoire de Balmain takes 6 of 7 categories.

CH Africa
Choose it for a smoky and warm spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Ivoire de Balmain
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring.

CH Africa1/7

Ivoire de Balmain6/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

CH AfricaCarolina Herrera

Ivoire de BalmainPierre Balmain

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.99/ 5 · 143 votes

Have 25%Had 15%Want 60%

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

32%Love

48%Like

8%Ok

12%Dislike

1%Hate

143 votes

42%Love

43%Like

2%Ok

13%Dislike

0%Hate

1,107 votes

Category winnerIvoire de BalmainMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate75

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityIvoire de Balmain

SillageIvoire de Balmain

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value43

¤ Price value50

Category winnerIvoire de BalmainBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family

smoky100%

warm spicy92%

citrus84%

powdery77%

cinnamon69%

violet61%

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

herbal84%

woody77%

floral69%

green61%

Scent match3%Clearly different

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

OrangeViolet

Heart2-4 hrs

Rooibos TeaCinnamonIris

Base5-7 hrs

IncenseVanilla

Top

AldehydesChamomileGalbanumMarigoldAsafoetidaArtemisiaBergamotLemon

Heart

Orris RootNarcissusCarnationNutmegTurkish RosePepperYlang-YlangIris

Base

OakmossVetiverSandalwoodIncensePatchouliLabdanumMuskTonka Bean

InformationalShared notesIris and Incense. Durations are only published for CH Africa, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter56

Day100

Night50

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter68

Day–

Night–

Category winnerIvoire de BalmainMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men7

Unisex11

Women82

Casual 37%Work 31%Date 21%Party 11%

Men3

Unisex37

Women60

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#15,495

PerfumerOlivier Cresp

Launched—

Reviews6

Overall rank#23,646

PerfumerFrancis Camail, Michel Hy

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerCH AfricaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Carolina Herrera CH Africa brings an unusual, evocative spin to the spiced citrus family. The first spray delivers a flash of juicy African tiger orange backed by crisp violet petals, cutting cleanly through the air before settling into a warm, aromatic heart. Earthy rooibos tea and spicy cinnamon take center stage du…

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, CH Africa or Ivoire de Balmain?

Ivoire de Balmain takes 6 of 7 categories. CH Africa is rated 3.99/5 from 143 votes; Ivoire de Balmain is rated 4.13/5 from 1,107 votes. Choose CH Africa for a smoky and warm spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Ivoire de Balmain for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, CH Africa or Ivoire de Balmain?

Ivoire de Balmain lasts longest (Ivoire de Balmain 71/100, CH Africa 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, CH Africa or Ivoire de Balmain?

Projection is very close: Ivoire de Balmain 64/100, CH Africa 63/100 for sillage.

Do CH Africa and Ivoire de Balmain smell similar?

Clearly different: a 3% scent match on Fragranxe. They share few main accords. Common notes include Iris and Incense.

Is CH Africa or Ivoire de Balmain better for summer or winter?

For summer, CH Africa is the stronger pick. For winter, Ivoire de Balmain is the stronger pick. CH Africa suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in CH Africa and Ivoire de Balmain?

CH Africa has top notes of Orange and Violet, heart notes of Rooibos Tea, Cinnamon and Iris, a base of Incense and Vanilla. 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.