Fragrance comparison

Ivoire de Balmain vs L'Élu

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

Updated 9 Oct 2026 1,121 ratings analysed

3 wins

Ivoire de Balmain

Pierre Balmain

4.131,107 votes

Rank #23,332 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

24%scent match

Clearly different

L'Élu

Marquay

4.7114 votes

Rank #26,598 Yellow FloralWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Ivoire de Balmain takes 3 of 5 categories.

Ivoire de Balmain
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.
L'Élu
Choose it for a yellow floral and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus and longevity. Best in fall, evening wear.

Ivoire de Balmain3/5

L'Élu2/5

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

Ivoire de BalmainPierre Balmain

L'ÉluMarquay

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.13/ 5 · 1,107 votes

Have 68%Had 32%Want 0%

4.71/ 5 · 14 votes

Have 39%Had 6%Want 55%

Category winnerL'ÉluRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

42%Love

43%Like

2%Ok

13%Dislike

0%Hate

1,107 votes

71%Love

29%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

14 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate78

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage54

♥ Love / hate93

Category winners

LongevityL'Élu

SillageIvoire de Balmain

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value42

Category winnerIvoire de BalmainBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

herbal84%

woody77%

floral69%

green61%

yellow floral100%

woody92%

amber84%

earthy77%

mossy69%

rose61%

Scent match24%Clearly different · both woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

AldehydesChamomileGalbanumMarigoldAsafoetidaArtemisiaBergamotLemon

Heart

Orris RootNarcissusCarnationNutmegTurkish RosePepperYlang-YlangIris

Base

OakmossVetiverSandalwoodIncensePatchouliLabdanumMuskTonka Bean

Top15-30 mins

NarcissusBergamotLemon

Heart2-4 hrs

Ylang YlangRoseOrange BlossomOrris RootJasmine

Base6-10 hrs

OakmossAmberVanillaLabdanumVetiverPatchouliMuskSandal

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Lemon, Orris Root and Narcissus. Durations are only published for L'Élu, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter68

Day–

Night–

Spring83

Summer67

Fall100

Winter83

Day35

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men3

Unisex37

Women60

Men0

Unisex33

Women67

Date 41%Casual 22%Work 21%Party 16%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#23,332

PerfumerFrancis Camail, Michel Hy

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#26,598

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews4

Category winnerIvoire de BalmainHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

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 →

L'Élu by Marquay opens with a vivid rush of bitter bergamot, crisp lemon, and green narcissus. The citrus flashes off fast. Within minutes, the fragrance shifts into a dense bouquet of ylang-ylang, powdery orris root, and lush jasmine. This is an authentic 1946 vintage chypre floral. It carries genuine weight. The dry…

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, Ivoire de Balmain or L'Élu?

Ivoire de Balmain takes 3 of 5 categories. Ivoire de Balmain is rated 4.13/5 from 1,107 votes; L'Élu is rated 4.71/5 from 14 votes. Choose Ivoire de Balmain for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring. Choose L'Élu for a yellow floral and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus and longevity. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Ivoire de Balmain or L'Élu?

They last about the same: L'Élu 73/100, Ivoire de Balmain 71/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Ivoire de Balmain or L'Élu?

Ivoire de Balmain projects furthest (Ivoire de Balmain 64/100, L'Élu 54/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Ivoire de Balmain and L'Élu smell similar?

Clearly different: a 24% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Lemon, Orris Root and Narcissus.

Is Ivoire de Balmain or L'Élu better for summer or winter?

L'Élu suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Ivoire de Balmain and L'Élu?

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. L'Élu has top notes of Narcissus, Bergamot and Lemon, heart notes of Ylang Ylang, Rose, Orange Blossom and Orris Root, a base of Oakmoss, Amber, Vanilla and Labdanum.