Fragrance comparison

Ivoire de Balmain vs Memory Motel

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

Updated 24 Oct 2026 1,703 ratings analysed

5 wins

Ivoire de Balmain

Pierre Balmain

4.131,107 votes

Rank #24,477 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

18%scent match

Clearly different

Memory Motel

Une Nuit Nomade

3.96596 votes

Rank #6,667 TobaccoWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Ivoire de Balmain takes 5 of 7 categories.

Ivoire de Balmain
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring.
Memory Motel
Choose it for a tobacco and warm spicy character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.

Ivoire de Balmain5/7

Memory Motel2/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Ivoire de BalmainPierre Balmain

Memory MotelUne Nuit Nomade

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.13/ 5 · 1,107 votes

Have 68%Had 32%Want 0%

3.96/ 5 · 596 votes

Have 76%Had 24%Want 0%

Category winnerIvoire de BalmainRating 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

38%Love

33%Like

16%Ok

11%Dislike

2%Hate

596 votes

Category winnerIvoire de BalmainMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate78

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate74

Category winners

LongevityIvoire de Balmain

SillageIvoire de Balmain

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value51

Category winnerMemory MotelBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

herbal84%

woody77%

floral69%

green61%

tobacco100%

warm spicy92%

floral84%

leather77%

earthy69%

vanilla61%

Scent match18%Clearly different · both floral

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

Bergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

CarnationIrisIncense

Base6-8+ hrs

TobaccoLeatherVanillaOakmossPatchouli

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Carnation, Iris and Oakmoss. Durations are only published for Memory Motel, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter68

Day–

Night–

Spring57

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day42

Night100

Category winnerIvoire de BalmainMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men3

Unisex37

Women60

Men30

Unisex61

Women9

Date 34%Casual 28%Party 21%Work 16%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#24,477

PerfumerFrancis Camail, Michel Hy

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#6,667

PerfumerAnnick Menardo

Launched—

Reviews64

Category winnerMemory MotelHigher 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 →

Une Nuit Nomade Memory Motel captures the atmospheric grit and bohemian charm of Montauk in the late 1970s. It is not your typical sugary pipe tobacco scent. Instead, master perfumer Annick Menardo builds a dry, melancholy warmth around unlit cigarette tobacco, bitter bergamot, and a powdery iris heart. Carnation inje…

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 Memory Motel?

Ivoire de Balmain takes 5 of 7 categories. Ivoire de Balmain is rated 4.13/5 from 1,107 votes; Memory Motel is rated 3.96/5 from 596 votes. Choose Ivoire de Balmain for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring. Choose Memory Motel for a tobacco and warm spicy character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Ivoire de Balmain or Memory Motel?

Ivoire de Balmain lasts longest (Ivoire de Balmain 71/100, Memory Motel 68/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Ivoire de Balmain or Memory Motel?

Ivoire de Balmain projects furthest (Ivoire de Balmain 64/100, Memory Motel 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Ivoire de Balmain and Memory Motel smell similar?

Clearly different: a 18% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share floral accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Carnation, Iris and Oakmoss.

Is Ivoire de Balmain or Memory Motel better for summer or winter?

For summer, Ivoire de Balmain is the stronger pick. For winter, Memory Motel is the stronger pick. Memory Motel suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Ivoire de Balmain and Memory Motel?

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. Memory Motel has top notes of Bergamot, heart notes of Carnation, Iris and Incense, a base of Tobacco, Leather, Vanilla and Oakmoss.