Fragrance comparison

Desirade vs Balahe

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 765 ratings analysed

4 wins

Desirade

Aubusson

3.84244 votes

Rank #8,348 FruitySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

69%scent match

Closely related

Balahe

Leonard

4.23521 votes

Rank #3,655 SweetPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Desirade takes 4 of 7 categories.

Desirade
Choose it for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter.
Balahe
Choose it for a sweet and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.

Desirade4/7

Balahe3/7

Ratings & consensus: Balahe
Community sentiment: Balahe
Longevity: Desirade
Sillage & projection: Desirade
Value for money: Desirade
Versatility: Desirade
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Balahe

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

DesiradeAubusson

BalaheLeonard

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.84/ 5 · 244 votes

Have 70%Had 30%Want 0%

4.23/ 5 · 521 votes

Have 62%Had 38%Want 0%

Category winnerBalaheRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

34%Love

51%Like

4%Ok

11%Dislike

0%Hate

207 votes

47%Love

40%Like

2%Ok

10%Dislike

0%Hate

521 votes

Category winnerBalaheMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage70

♥ Love / hate76

⏱ Longevity72

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate81

Category winners

LongevityDesirade

SillageDesirade

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value85

¤ Price value51

Category winnerDesiradeBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fruity100%

sweet92%

woody84%

white floral77%

floral69%

powdery61%

sweet100%

powdery92%

white floral84%

woody77%

musky69%

fruity61%

Scent match69%Closely related · both sweet, fruity and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Madagascar Ylang-YlangAldehydesPineappleCorianderBergamot

Heart

Chinese OsmanthusTuberoseCassiaJasmineOrange BlossomVioletRose

Base

SandalwoodSomalian OpoponaxPlumVanillaMuskPatchouliRaspberry

Top20-30 mins

PlumAldehydesClary SageCorianderAnisePineappleMandarin OrangeBergamot

Heart3-4 hrs

TuberoseOrchidOrris RootYlang-YlangIrisRoseJasmineOrange Blossom

Base8-10+ hrs

CivetOpoponaxVanillaSandalwoodMuskVetiver

InformationalShared notesMadagascar Ylang-Ylang, Aldehydes, Pineapple and Coriander. Durations are only published for Balahe, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring86

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring27

Summer19

Fall0

Winter100

Day53

Night100

Category winnerDesiradeMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex12

Women88

Men2

Unisex44

Women55

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#8,348

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews10

Overall rank#3,655

PerfumerDaniel Moliere

Launched—

Reviews50

Category winnerBalaheHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Desirade by Aubusson is a dense, fruity, and floral composition for women, launched in 1990. It centers on an intense combination of Madagascar ylang-ylang, pineapple, and tuberose, supported by a warm, resinous base of opoponax and sandalwood. This fragrance offers a bold, retro profile that performs best in cooler w…

Reviews →

Balahe by Leonard is a decadent 1983 oriental floral that refuses to whisper. Dark, syrupy plum immediately collides with sharp aldehydes and spicy coriander in the opening. Give it five minutes. Once that initial solvent burst settles, a lush heart of creamy tuberose, powdery iris, and warm ylang-ylang unfolds across…

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, Desirade or Balahe?

Desirade takes 4 of 7 categories. Desirade is rated 3.84/5 from 244 votes; Balahe is rated 4.23/5 from 521 votes. Choose Desirade for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter. Choose Balahe for a sweet and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Desirade or Balahe?

Desirade lasts longest (Desirade 75/100, Balahe 72/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Desirade or Balahe?

Desirade projects furthest (Desirade 70/100, Balahe 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Desirade and Balahe smell similar?

Closely related: a 69% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet, fruity and woody accords. Common notes include Madagascar Ylang-Ylang, Aldehydes, Pineapple and Coriander.

Is Desirade or Balahe better for summer or winter?

For summer, Balahe is the stronger pick. For winter, Desirade is the stronger pick. Balahe suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Desirade and Balahe?

Desirade has top notes of Madagascar Ylang-Ylang, Aldehydes, Pineapple and Coriander, heart notes of Chinese Osmanthus, Tuberose, Cassia and Jasmine, a base of Sandalwood, Somalian Opoponax, Plum and Vanilla. Balahe has top notes of Plum, Aldehydes, Clary Sage and Coriander, heart notes of Tuberose, Orchid, Orris Root and Ylang-Ylang, a base of Civet, Opoponax, Vanilla and Sandalwood.