Fragrance comparison

Compass vs Ivoire de Balmain

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 1,110 ratings analysed

Compass

Shirley May

3.673 votes

Rank #67,951 Fresh SpicyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

36%scent match

Some overlap

3 wins

Ivoire de Balmain

Pierre Balmain

4.131,107 votes

Rank #26,630 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Ivoire de Balmain takes 3 of 3 categories.

Compass
Choose it for a fresh spicy and warm spicy character. Best in spring, day or night wear.
Ivoire de Balmain
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Compass0/3

Ivoire de Balmain3/3

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

CompassShirley May

Ivoire de BalmainPierre Balmain

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.67/ 5 · 3 votes

Have 20%Had 20%Want 60%

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

33%Love

33%Like

0%Ok

33%Dislike

0%Hate

3 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

⏱ Longevity50

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate67

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityIvoire de Balmain

SillageIvoire de Balmain

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

fresh spicy100%

warm spicy90%

aromatic80%

citrus70%

musky60%

amber50%

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

herbal84%

woody77%

floral69%

green61%

Scent match36%Some overlap · both fresh spicy and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

PepperMandarin OrangeBergamotCardamom

Heart

CinnamonCorianderNutmeg

Base

MuskTonka BeanAmberVetiver

Top

AldehydesChamomileGalbanumMarigoldAsafoetidaArtemisiaBergamotLemon

Heart

Orris RootNarcissusCarnationNutmegTurkish RosePepperYlang-YlangIris

Base

OakmossVetiverSandalwoodIncensePatchouliLabdanumMuskTonka Bean

InformationalShared notesPepper, Bergamot, Nutmeg and Musk. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer100

Fall100

Winter0

Day100

Night100

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#67,951

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#26,630

PerfumerFrancis Camail, Michel Hy

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerIvoire de BalmainHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Shirley May Compass targets the classic masculine lane with a hit of fresh energy that transitions quickly into dry spice. It kicks off with a bright splash of mandarin orange and bergamot, backed by a sharp kick of black pepper and cardamom. The initial brightness fades within ten minutes as the middle notes of nutme…

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, Compass or Ivoire de Balmain?

Ivoire de Balmain takes 3 of 3 categories. Compass is rated 3.67/5 from 3 votes; Ivoire de Balmain is rated 4.13/5 from 1,107 votes. Choose Compass for a fresh spicy and warm spicy character. Best in spring, day or night wear. Choose Ivoire de Balmain for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Compass or Ivoire de Balmain?

Ivoire de Balmain lasts longest (Ivoire de Balmain 71/100, Compass 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Compass or Ivoire de Balmain?

Ivoire de Balmain projects furthest (Ivoire de Balmain 64/100, Compass 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Compass and Ivoire de Balmain smell similar?

Some overlap: a 36% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fresh spicy and aromatic accords. Common notes include Pepper, Bergamot, Nutmeg and Musk.

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

Compass suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Compass and Ivoire de Balmain?

Compass has top notes of Pepper, Mandarin Orange, Bergamot and Cardamom, heart notes of Cinnamon, Coriander and Nutmeg, a base of Musk, Tonka Bean, Amber and Vetiver. 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.