Fragrance comparison

Chanel No 5 Parfum vs Ivoire de Balmain

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

Updated 28 Oct 2026 14,548 ratings analysed

Chanel No 5 Parfum

Chanel

3.6813,441 votes

Rank #31,349 PowderyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

25%scent match

Clearly different

5 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 5 of 7 categories.

Chanel No 5 Parfum
Choose it for a powdery and woody character. Wins on longevity. 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 No 5 Parfum1/7

Ivoire de Balmain5/7

Ratings & consensus: Ivoire de Balmain
Community sentiment: Ivoire de Balmain
Longevity: Chanel No 5 Parfum
Sillage & projection: Tie
Value for money: Ivoire de Balmain
Versatility: Ivoire de Balmain
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 No 5 ParfumChanel

Ivoire de BalmainPierre Balmain

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.68/ 5 · 13,441 votes

Have 67%Had 33%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

38%Love

28%Like

2%Ok

31%Dislike

2%Hate

13,441 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

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate67

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityChanel No 5 Parfum

SillageTie

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value38

¤ Price value50

Category winnerIvoire de BalmainBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

powdery100%

woody92%

aldehydic84%

iris77%

fresh69%

white floral61%

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

herbal84%

woody77%

floral69%

green61%

Scent match25%Clearly different · both woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

AldehydesYlang-YlangNeroliBergamotLemon

Heart2-4 hrs

IrisJasmineRoseOrris RootLily-of-the-Valley

Base8-12 hrs

CivetMuskSandalwoodAmberMossVanillaVetiverPatchouli

Top

AldehydesChamomileGalbanumMarigoldAsafoetidaArtemisiaBergamotLemon

Heart

Orris RootNarcissusCarnationNutmegTurkish RosePepperYlang-YlangIris

Base

OakmossVetiverSandalwoodIncensePatchouliLabdanumMuskTonka Bean

InformationalShared notesAldehydes, Ylang-Ylang, Bergamot and Lemon. Durations are only published for Chanel No 5 Parfum, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring52

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day58

Night100

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter68

Day–

Night–

Category winnerIvoire de BalmainMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex17

Women81

Date 42%Work 24%Casual 18%Party 16%

Men3

Unisex37

Women60

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#31,349

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 No 5 Parfum is the original, ultra-concentrated pure perfume extract created in 1921. It opens with an unmistakable burst of sparkling aldehydes, bright lemon, and sunny ylang-ylang. The initial sharpness softens within minutes. A velvety heart of powdery iris, rich Grasse jasmine, and May rose rises to take ov…

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 No 5 Parfum or Ivoire de Balmain?

Ivoire de Balmain takes 5 of 7 categories. Chanel No 5 Parfum is rated 3.68/5 from 13,441 votes; Ivoire de Balmain is rated 4.13/5 from 1,107 votes. Choose Chanel No 5 Parfum for a powdery and woody character. Wins on longevity. 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 No 5 Parfum or Ivoire de Balmain?

Chanel No 5 Parfum lasts longest (Chanel No 5 Parfum 75/100, Ivoire de Balmain 71/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Chanel No 5 Parfum or Ivoire de Balmain?

Projection is very close: Chanel No 5 Parfum 64/100, Ivoire de Balmain 64/100 for sillage.

Do Chanel No 5 Parfum and Ivoire de Balmain smell similar?

Clearly different: a 25% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody accords. Common notes include Aldehydes, Ylang-Ylang, Bergamot and Lemon.

Is Chanel No 5 Parfum or Ivoire de Balmain better for summer or winter?

For summer, Chanel No 5 Parfum is the stronger pick. For winter, Chanel No 5 Parfum is the stronger pick. Chanel No 5 Parfum suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Chanel No 5 Parfum and Ivoire de Balmain?

Chanel No 5 Parfum has top notes of Aldehydes, Ylang-Ylang, Neroli and Bergamot, heart notes of Iris, Jasmine, Rose and Orris Root, a base of Civet, Musk, Sandalwood and Amber. 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.