Fragrance comparison

Dreaming With Ghosts vs Ivoire de Balmain

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 1,333 ratings analysed

Dreaming With Ghosts

Mark Buxton

3.85226 votes

Rank #16,846 SweetFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

24%scent match

Clearly different

5 wins

Ivoire de Balmain

Pierre Balmain

4.131,107 votes

Rank #25,107 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Ivoire de Balmain takes 5 of 7 categories.

Dreaming With Ghosts
Choose it for a sweet and floral character. Wins on versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Ivoire de Balmain
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring.

Dreaming With Ghosts2/7

Ivoire de Balmain5/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Dreaming With GhostsMark Buxton

Ivoire de BalmainPierre Balmain

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.85/ 5 · 226 votes

Have 42%Had 13%Want 44%

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

30%Love

40%Like

18%Ok

8%Dislike

4%Hate

226 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

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage51

♥ Love / hate71

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityIvoire de Balmain

SillageIvoire de Balmain

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value45

¤ Price value50

Category winnerIvoire de BalmainBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

sweet100%

floral92%

fruity84%

aromatic77%

leather69%

fresh61%

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

herbal84%

woody77%

floral69%

green61%

Scent match24%Clearly different · both aromatic and floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top1 to 2 hours

QuinceMarigold

Heart2 to 4 hours

LeatherPeony

Base3 to 6 hours

VetiverVanilla

Top

AldehydesChamomileGalbanumMarigoldAsafoetidaArtemisiaBergamotLemon

Heart

Orris RootNarcissusCarnationNutmegTurkish RosePepperYlang-YlangIris

Base

OakmossVetiverSandalwoodIncensePatchouliLabdanumMuskTonka Bean

InformationalShared notesMarigold and Vetiver. Durations are only published for Dreaming With Ghosts, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring84

Summer58

Fall100

Winter48

Day100

Night37

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter68

Day–

Night–

Category winnerDreaming With GhostsMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men7

Unisex48

Women45

Men3

Unisex37

Women60

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#16,846

PerfumerMark Buxton

Launched—

Reviews6

Overall rank#25,107

PerfumerFrancis Camail, Michel Hy

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerDreaming With GhostsHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Dreaming With Ghosts by Mark Buxton is an unusual fruity leather fragrance built on unexpected contrasts. It opens with tart, honeyed quince paired with the sharp, herbal brightness of marigold. As that vivid fruitiness softens, a smooth middle tier of supple leather and airy peony steps forward, preventing the scent …

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, Dreaming With Ghosts or Ivoire de Balmain?

Ivoire de Balmain takes 5 of 7 categories. Dreaming With Ghosts is rated 3.85/5 from 226 votes; Ivoire de Balmain is rated 4.13/5 from 1,107 votes. Choose Dreaming With Ghosts for a sweet and floral character. Wins on versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Ivoire de Balmain for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Dreaming With Ghosts or Ivoire de Balmain?

Ivoire de Balmain lasts longest (Ivoire de Balmain 71/100, Dreaming With Ghosts 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Dreaming With Ghosts or Ivoire de Balmain?

Ivoire de Balmain projects furthest (Ivoire de Balmain 64/100, Dreaming With Ghosts 51/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Dreaming With Ghosts and Ivoire de Balmain smell similar?

Clearly different: a 24% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic and floral accords. Common notes include Marigold and Vetiver.

Is Dreaming With Ghosts or Ivoire de Balmain better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Dreaming With Ghosts and Ivoire de Balmain?

Dreaming With Ghosts has top notes of Quince and Marigold, heart notes of Leather and Peony, a base of Vetiver and Vanilla. 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.