Fragrance comparison

Ivoire de Balmain vs Playful Woman

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

Updated 12 Oct 2026 1,126 ratings analysed

4 wins

Ivoire de Balmain

Pierre Balmain

4.131,107 votes

Rank #23,646 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

4%scent match

Clearly different

Playful Woman

Otto Kern

3.7419 votes

Rank #44,000 CitrusRose

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Ivoire de Balmain takes 4 of 5 categories.

Ivoire de Balmain
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring.
Playful Woman
Choose it for a citrus and rose character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Ivoire de Balmain4/5

Playful Woman1/5

Ratings & consensus: Ivoire de Balmain
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Ivoire de Balmain
Sillage & projection: Ivoire de Balmain
Value for money: Playful Woman
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

Playful WomanOtto Kern

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.13/ 5 · 1,107 votes

Have 68%Had 32%Want 0%

3.74/ 5 · 19 votes

Have 19%Had 26%Want 55%

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

5%Love

79%Like

0%Ok

16%Dislike

0%Hate

19 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate78

⏱ Longevity48

〰 Sillage39

♥ Love / hate68

Category winners

LongevityIvoire de Balmain

SillageIvoire de Balmain

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value75

Category winnerPlayful WomanBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

herbal84%

woody77%

floral69%

green61%

citrus100%

rose92%

Champagne84%

fruity77%

sweet69%

aldehydic61%

Scent match4%Clearly different

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

ChampagneRaspberryGrapefruit

Heart

Turkish RoseChampacaCinnamon

Base

CedarPatchouliMusk

InformationalShared notesTurkish Rose, Patchouli and Musk. 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–

Spring100

Summer45

Fall18

Winter18

Day100

Night11

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men3

Unisex37

Women60

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#23,646

PerfumerFrancis Camail, Michel Hy

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#44,000

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

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 →

Otto Kern Playful Woman opens with a bright pop of champagne, tart grapefruit, and sweet raspberry. As the initial fizzy sweetness settles, a heart of Turkish rose, champaca flower, and warm cinnamon brings a gentle spicy floral layer into focus. The dry down turns softer on skin, anchoring the bright top notes with d…

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 Playful Woman?

Ivoire de Balmain takes 4 of 5 categories. Ivoire de Balmain is rated 4.13/5 from 1,107 votes; Playful Woman is rated 3.74/5 from 19 votes. Choose Ivoire de Balmain for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring. Choose Playful Woman for a citrus and rose character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Ivoire de Balmain or Playful Woman?

Ivoire de Balmain lasts longest (Ivoire de Balmain 71/100, Playful Woman 48/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Ivoire de Balmain or Playful Woman?

Ivoire de Balmain projects furthest (Ivoire de Balmain 64/100, Playful Woman 39/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Ivoire de Balmain and Playful Woman smell similar?

Clearly different: a 4% scent match on Fragranxe. They share few main accords. Common notes include Turkish Rose, Patchouli and Musk.

Is Ivoire de Balmain or Playful Woman better for summer or winter?

Playful Woman suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Ivoire de Balmain and Playful Woman?

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. Playful Woman has top notes of Champagne, Raspberry and Grapefruit, heart notes of Turkish Rose, Champaca and Cinnamon, a base of Cedar, Patchouli and Musk.