Fragrance comparison

Chanel N°5 (Vintage) vs Ivoire de Balmain

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

Updated 28 Oct 2026 1,311 ratings analysed

Chanel N°5 (Vintage)

Chanel

3.91204 votes

Rank #31,127 AldehydicPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

26%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.

Chanel N°5 (Vintage)
Choose it for a aldehydic and powdery character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in winter, evening wear.
Ivoire de Balmain
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in spring.

Chanel N°5 (Vintage)3/7

Ivoire de Balmain4/7

Ratings & consensus: Ivoire de Balmain
Community sentiment: Ivoire de Balmain
Longevity: Chanel N°5 (Vintage)
Sillage & projection: Chanel N°5 (Vintage)
Value for money: Ivoire de Balmain
Versatility: Chanel N°5 (Vintage)
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

Chanel N°5 (Vintage)Chanel

Ivoire de BalmainPierre Balmain

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.91/ 5 · 204 votes

Have 73%Had 27%Want 0%

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

51%Love

19%Like

3%Ok

24%Dislike

3%Hate

204 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

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate73

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityChanel N°5 (Vintage)

SillageChanel N°5 (Vintage)

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 · outlined = shared by both

aldehydic100%

powdery92%

woody84%

fresh77%

white floral69%

iris61%

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

herbal84%

woody77%

floral69%

green61%

Scent match26%Clearly different · both woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-40 mins

AldehydesYlang-YlangNeroliLemonBergamot

Heart3-5 hrs

RoseIrisJasmineOrris RootLily-of-the-Valley

Base8-14 hrs

CivetAmberSandalwoodMuskVanillaOakmossPatchouliVetiver

Top

AldehydesChamomileGalbanumMarigoldAsafoetidaArtemisiaBergamotLemon

Heart

Orris RootNarcissusCarnationNutmegTurkish RosePepperYlang-YlangIris

Base

OakmossVetiverSandalwoodIncensePatchouliLabdanumMuskTonka Bean

InformationalShared notesAldehydes, Ylang-Ylang, Lemon and Bergamot. Durations are only published for Chanel N°5 (Vintage), so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring69

Summer54

Fall92

Winter100

Day74

Night100

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter68

Day–

Night–

Category winnerChanel N°5 (Vintage)Most year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex31

Women67

Date 34%Party 27%Work 22%Casual 17%

Men3

Unisex37

Women60

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#31,127

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 N°5 (Vintage) hits the nose with an icy, effervescent snap of fatty aldehydes, sharp bergamot, and golden ylang-ylang. The first spray is intense. It crackles with crisp citrus and soapy brightness before softening into velvety Grasse jasmine, powdery iris, and lush May rose. Beneath the clean floral bouquet si…

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, Chanel N°5 (Vintage) or Ivoire de Balmain?

Ivoire de Balmain takes 4 of 7 categories. Chanel N°5 (Vintage) is rated 3.91/5 from 204 votes; Ivoire de Balmain is rated 4.13/5 from 1,107 votes. Choose Chanel N°5 (Vintage) for a aldehydic and powdery character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Ivoire de Balmain for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Chanel N°5 (Vintage) or Ivoire de Balmain?

Chanel N°5 (Vintage) lasts longest (Chanel N°5 (Vintage) 76/100, Ivoire de Balmain 71/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Chanel N°5 (Vintage) or Ivoire de Balmain?

Chanel N°5 (Vintage) projects furthest (Chanel N°5 (Vintage) 67/100, Ivoire de Balmain 64/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Chanel N°5 (Vintage) and Ivoire de Balmain smell similar?

Clearly different: a 26% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody accords. Common notes include Aldehydes, Ylang-Ylang, Lemon and Bergamot.

Is Chanel N°5 (Vintage) or Ivoire de Balmain better for summer or winter?

For summer, Chanel N°5 (Vintage) is the stronger pick. For winter, Chanel N°5 (Vintage) is the stronger pick. Chanel N°5 (Vintage) suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Chanel N°5 (Vintage) and Ivoire de Balmain?

Chanel N°5 (Vintage) has top notes of Aldehydes, Ylang-Ylang, Neroli and Lemon, heart notes of Rose, Iris, Jasmine and Orris Root, a base of Civet, Amber, Sandalwood 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.