Fragrance comparison

Ivoire de Balmain vs Opera

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 4,264 ratings analysed

Ivoire de Balmain

Pierre Balmain

4.131,107 votes

Rank #26,556 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

29%scent match

Clearly different

5 wins

Opera

Xerjoff

4.023,157 votes

Rank #124 WoodySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Opera takes 5 of 7 categories.

Ivoire de Balmain
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus and community sentiment. Best in spring.
Opera
Choose it for a woody and sweet character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter.

Ivoire de Balmain2/7

Opera5/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Ivoire de BalmainPierre Balmain

OperaXerjoff

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.13/ 5 · 1,107 votes

Have 68%Had 32%Want 0%

4.02/ 5 · 3,157 votes

Have 80%Had 20%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

47%Love

28%Like

12%Ok

11%Dislike

4%Hate

1,225 votes

Category winnerIvoire de BalmainMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate78

⏱ Longevity89

〰 Sillage82

♥ Love / hate80

Category winners

LongevityOpera

SillageOpera

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value60

Category winnerOperaBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

herbal84%

woody77%

floral69%

green61%

woody100%

sweet92%

fruity84%

yellow floral77%

fresh spicy69%

powdery61%

Scent match29%Clearly different · both woody and fresh spicy

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

Top

FruitsTurkish Rose

Heart

Ylang-YlangNutmegLeatherAmber

Base

PatchouliVanillaMuskVirginia CedarHaitian Vetiver

InformationalShared notesNutmeg, Turkish Rose, Ylang-Ylang and Vetiver. 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

Summer0

Fall0

Winter68

Day–

Night–

Spring65

Summer30

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerOperaMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men3

Unisex37

Women60

Men15

Unisex48

Women37

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#26,556

PerfumerFrancis Camail, Michel Hy

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#124

PerfumerChris Maurice

Launched—

Reviews749

Category winnerOperaHigher 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 →

Xerjoff Opera opens with a heavy spray of ripe fruits fused with a rich, velvet Turkish rose. Within ten minutes, sunny ylang-ylang and grounded nutmeg cut through the sweet floral top, pulling forward a dark core of leather and warm amber. The dry-down relies on earthy patchouli, dry Haitian vetiver, and dark vanilla…

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, Ivoire de Balmain or Opera?

Opera takes 5 of 7 categories. Ivoire de Balmain is rated 4.13/5 from 1,107 votes; Opera is rated 4.02/5 from 3,157 votes. Choose Ivoire de Balmain for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus and community sentiment. Best in spring. Choose Opera for a woody and sweet character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Ivoire de Balmain or Opera?

Opera lasts longest (Opera 89/100, Ivoire de Balmain 71/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Ivoire de Balmain or Opera?

Opera projects furthest (Opera 82/100, Ivoire de Balmain 64/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Ivoire de Balmain and Opera smell similar?

Clearly different: a 29% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Nutmeg, Turkish Rose, Ylang-Ylang and Vetiver.

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

For summer, Opera is the stronger pick. For winter, Opera is the stronger pick. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Ivoire de Balmain and Opera?

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. Opera has top notes of Fruits and Turkish Rose, heart notes of Ylang-Ylang, Nutmeg, Leather and Amber, a base of Patchouli, Vanilla, Musk and Virginia Cedar.