Fragrance comparison

Ivoire de Balmain vs Puredistance No. 12

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

Updated 11 Oct 2026 1,266 ratings analysed

2 wins

Ivoire de Balmain

Pierre Balmain

4.131,107 votes

Rank #23,573 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

38%scent match

Some overlap

Puredistance No. 12

Puredistance

3.89159 votes

PowderyFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Ivoire de Balmain takes 2 of 3 categories.

Ivoire de Balmain
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus and community sentiment. Best in spring.
Puredistance No. 12
Choose it for a powdery and floral character. Wins on versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Ivoire de Balmain2/3

Puredistance No. 121/3

Ratings & consensus: Ivoire de Balmain
Community sentiment: Ivoire de Balmain
Longevity: Not scored
Sillage & projection: Not scored
Value for money: Not scored
Versatility: Puredistance No. 12
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Not scored

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Ivoire de BalmainPierre Balmain

Puredistance No. 12Puredistance

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.13/ 5 · 1,107 votes

Have 68%Had 32%Want 0%

3.89/ 5 · 159 votes

Have 45%Had 11%Want 43%

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

39%Love

31%Like

15%Ok

10%Dislike

5%Hate

159 votes

Category winnerIvoire de BalmainMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate78

⏱ LongevityN/A

〰 SillageN/A

♥ Love / hate80

Category winners

LongevityNo data

SillageNo data

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

herbal84%

woody77%

floral69%

green61%

powdery100%

floral92%

white floral84%

musky77%

woody69%

aromatic61%

Scent match38%Some overlap · both aromatic, floral and 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

Top20-30 mins

NarcissusYlang-YlangBergamotCardamomMandarin OrangeCoriander

Heart3-5 hrs

Orris RootHedioneLily-of-the-ValleyHeliotropeGeraniumJasmineOrange BlossomRose

Base8-12 hrs

MuskAmbroxanPatchouliSandalwoodAmbrette (Musk Mallow)VetiverOakmossVanilla

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Orris Root, Narcissus and Turkish Rose. Durations are only published for Puredistance No. 12, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter68

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer49

Fall0

Winter68

Day100

Night64

Category winnerPuredistance No. 12Most year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men3

Unisex37

Women60

Men0

Unisex28

Women72

Work 35%Date 31%Casual 24%Party 10%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#23,573

PerfumerFrancis Camail, Michel Hy

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rankUnranked

PerfumerNathalie Feisthauer

Launched—

Reviews11

Category winnerNot enough dataHigher 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 →

Puredistance No. 12 is a rich floral chypre that feels like slipping into a fine cashmere sweater. Nathalie Feisthauer crafted this 25 percent extrait to deliver seamless luxury. The scent opens with a sharp burst of bergamot, mandarin orange, and crushed coriander seeds. This energetic citrus spark softens quickly as…

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 Puredistance No. 12?

Ivoire de Balmain takes 2 of 3 categories. Ivoire de Balmain is rated 4.13/5 from 1,107 votes; Puredistance No. 12 is rated 3.89/5 from 159 votes. Choose Ivoire de Balmain for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus and community sentiment. Best in spring. Choose Puredistance No. 12 for a powdery and floral character. Wins on versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Do Ivoire de Balmain and Puredistance No. 12 smell similar?

Some overlap: a 38% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, floral and woody accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Orris Root, Narcissus and Turkish Rose.

Is Ivoire de Balmain or Puredistance No. 12 better for summer or winter?

For summer, Puredistance No. 12 is the stronger pick. For winter, Ivoire de Balmain is the stronger pick. Puredistance No. 12 suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Ivoire de Balmain and Puredistance No. 12?

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. Puredistance No. 12 has top notes of Narcissus, Ylang-Ylang, Bergamot and Cardamom, heart notes of Orris Root, Hedione, Lily-of-the-Valley and Heliotrope, a base of Musk, Ambroxan, Patchouli and Sandalwood.