Fragrance comparison

Cryptic vs Ivoire de Balmain

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 1,174 ratings analysed

4 wins

Cryptic

Phuong Dang

3.4867 votes

Rank #16,539 RosePowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

15%scent match

Clearly different

Ivoire de Balmain

Pierre Balmain

4.131,107 votes

Rank #26,604 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Cryptic takes 4 of 7 categories.

Cryptic
Choose it for a rose and powdery character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in spring, daytime 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.

Cryptic4/7

Ivoire de Balmain3/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

CrypticPhuong Dang

Ivoire de BalmainPierre Balmain

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.48/ 5 · 67 votes

Have 21%Had 16%Want 63%

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

23%Love

19%Like

3%Ok

52%Dislike

3%Hate

31 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

⏱ Longevity77

〰 Sillage71

♥ Love / hate66

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityCryptic

SillageCryptic

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value48

¤ Price value50

Category winnerIvoire de BalmainBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

rose100%

powdery91%

floral83%

musky74%

fresh65%

soft spicy56%

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

herbal84%

woody77%

floral69%

green61%

Scent match15%Clearly different · both floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

CarrotAldehydesMagnoliaSuede

Heart

Turkish RoseMoroccan RoseRoseIrisPeony

Base

MuskOakmossAmberCastoreumOak

Top

AldehydesChamomileGalbanumMarigoldAsafoetidaArtemisiaBergamotLemon

Heart

Orris RootNarcissusCarnationNutmegTurkish RosePepperYlang-YlangIris

Base

OakmossVetiverSandalwoodIncensePatchouliLabdanumMuskTonka Bean

InformationalShared notesAldehydes, Rose, Iris 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

Summer80

Fall80

Winter60

Day100

Night50

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter68

Day–

Night–

Category winnerCrypticMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex33

Women67

Men3

Unisex37

Women60

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#16,539

PerfumerBertrand Duchaufour

Launched—

Reviews13

Overall rank#26,604

PerfumerFrancis Camail, Michel Hy

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerCrypticHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Cryptic by Phuong Dang is a polarizing floral aldehyde fragrance that challenges the wearer with an unusual opening of crisp carrot and suede. As it dries down, the scent shifts into a rose-heavy heart supported by dusty iris and oakmoss. This complex, earthy composition suits cool spring days and those who enjoy dari…

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, Cryptic or Ivoire de Balmain?

Cryptic takes 4 of 7 categories. Cryptic is rated 3.48/5 from 67 votes; Ivoire de Balmain is rated 4.13/5 from 1,107 votes. Choose Cryptic for a rose and powdery character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in spring, daytime 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, Cryptic or Ivoire de Balmain?

Cryptic lasts longest (Cryptic 77/100, Ivoire de Balmain 71/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Cryptic or Ivoire de Balmain?

Cryptic projects furthest (Cryptic 71/100, Ivoire de Balmain 64/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Cryptic and Ivoire de Balmain smell similar?

Clearly different: a 15% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share floral accords. Common notes include Aldehydes, Rose, Iris and Musk.

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

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

What are the notes in Cryptic and Ivoire de Balmain?

Cryptic has top notes of Carrot, Aldehydes, Magnolia and Suede, heart notes of Turkish Rose, Moroccan Rose, Rose and Iris, a base of Musk, Oakmoss, Amber and Castoreum. 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.