Ivoire de Balmain vs Primitif
Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.
24%scent match
Clearly different
Quick verdict
Which one should you pick?
Primitif takes 6 of 7 categories.
Ivoire de BalmainChoose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on longevity. Best in spring.
PrimitifChoose it for a powdery and musky character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.
Ivoire de Balmain1/7
Primitif6/7
- Ratings & consensus
- Primitif
- Community sentiment
- Primitif
- Longevity
- Ivoire de Balmain
- Sillage & projection
- Primitif
- Value for money
- Primitif
- Versatility
- Primitif
- Note pyramid (duration)
- Not scored
- Fragranxe ranking
- Primitif
Head-to-head breakdown
Every category side by side, with the winner called out.
Fragrance
Ivoire de BalmainPierre BalmainPrimitifMax FactorWinner
Ratings & consensus
Average rating and ownership split4.13/ 5 · 1,107 votes
Have 68%Had 32%Want 0%
4.45/ 5 · 69 votes
Have 53%Had 8%Want 39%
Category winnerPrimitifRating weighted by vote count
Community sentiment
How voters split from love to hate42%Love
43%Like
2%Ok
13%Dislike
0%Hate
1,107 votes
54%Love
41%Like
3%Ok
3%Dislike
0%Hate
69 votes
Category winnerPrimitifMost positive mix (25+ votes)
Longevity & sillage
0–100 community performance scores
Category winners
LongevityIvoire de Balmain
SillagePrimitif
Value for money
How fairly priced voters find itCategory winnerPrimitifBest value score
Main accords
Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by botharomatic100%
fresh spicy92%
herbal84%
woody77%
floral69%
green61%
powdery100%
musky92%
iris84%
woody77%
earthy69%
animalic61%
Scent match24%Clearly different · both woody
Note pyramid (duration)
Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = sharedTop
AldehydesChamomileGalbanumMarigoldAsafoetidaArtemisiaBergamotLemon
Heart
Orris RootNarcissusCarnationNutmegTurkish RosePepperYlang-YlangIris
Base
OakmossVetiverSandalwoodIncensePatchouliLabdanumMuskTonka Bean
Top
AldehydesPeachBergamot
Heart
IrisJasmineBulgarian RoseYlang-YlangLily-of-the-ValleyGeranium
Base
CivetMuskOakmossOrris RootAmberVetiverSandalwoodPatchouli
InformationalShared notesAldehydes, Bergamot, Orris Root and Turkish Rose. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.
Seasons & time of day
Relative to each fragrance's best seasonSpring100
Summer0
Fall0
Winter68
Day–
Night–
Spring29
Summer36
Fall100
Winter86
Day65
Night100
Category winnerPrimitifMost year-round
Who wears it
Gender appeal votesInformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored
Ranking & credits
Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launchOverall rank#26,448
PerfumerFrancis Camail, Michel Hy
Launched—
Reviews0
Overall rank#5,594
PerfumerNot listed
Launched—
Reviews25
Category winnerPrimitifHigher overall rank
In a nutshell
Description & review snapshotIvoire 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 →Primitif is a vintage floral chypre that wears soft-focus at first, then turns darker, warmer, and more carnal on skin. Reviewers repeatedly point to powdery iris, jasmine, patchouli, oakmoss, and animalic depth, with a peachy aldehydic lift up top. It suits shoppers who enjoy old-school structure, earthy moss, and a …
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.
Guided comparison
Ask about this matchup
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Common questions
Straight answers from the data above.
Which is better, Ivoire de Balmain or Primitif?
Primitif takes 6 of 7 categories. Ivoire de Balmain is rated 4.13/5 from 1,107 votes; Primitif is rated 4.45/5 from 69 votes. Choose Ivoire de Balmain for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on longevity. Best in spring. Choose Primitif for a powdery and musky character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.
Which lasts longer, Ivoire de Balmain or Primitif?
Ivoire de Balmain lasts longest (Ivoire de Balmain 71/100, Primitif 61/100), based on community performance votes.
Which projects more, Ivoire de Balmain or Primitif?
Primitif projects furthest (Primitif 67/100, Ivoire de Balmain 64/100), based on community performance votes.
Do Ivoire de Balmain and Primitif smell similar?
Clearly different: a 24% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody accords. Common notes include Aldehydes, Bergamot, Orris Root and Turkish Rose.
Is Ivoire de Balmain or Primitif better for summer or winter?
For summer, Primitif is the stronger pick. For winter, Primitif is the stronger pick. Primitif suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.
What are the notes in Ivoire de Balmain and Primitif?
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. Primitif has top notes of Aldehydes, Peach and Bergamot, heart notes of Iris, Jasmine, Bulgarian Rose and Ylang-Ylang, a base of Civet, Musk, Oakmoss and Orris Root.
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