Fragrance comparison

Ivoire de Balmain vs Varensia

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

Updated 24 Oct 2026 1,720 ratings analysed

Ivoire de Balmain

Pierre Balmain

4.131,107 votes

Rank #24,470 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

26%scent match

Clearly different

3 wins

Varensia

Ulric de Varens

3.83613 votes

Rank #7,781 CitrusFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Varensia takes 3 of 5 categories.

Ivoire de Balmain
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus. Best in spring.
Varensia
Choose it for a citrus and fruity character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking.

Ivoire de Balmain1/5

Varensia3/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Ivoire de BalmainPierre Balmain

VarensiaUlric de Varens

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.13/ 5 · 1,107 votes

Have 68%Had 32%Want 0%

3.83/ 5 · 613 votes

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

Not enough votes yet

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate78

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hateN/A

Category winners

LongevityTie

SillageVarensia

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value82

Category winnerVarensiaBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

herbal84%

woody77%

floral69%

green61%

citrus100%

fruity92%

floral84%

mossy77%

aromatic69%

powdery61%

Scent match26%Clearly different · both aromatic and 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

NeroliOrangeMandarin OrangeRaspberryAldehydesClovesBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

Black CurrantCassisYlang YlangGeraniumRoseJasmineLotus

Base6-8+ hrs

oak mossCarnationPowdery NotesVetiverSandalwoodBenzoinLabdanumVanilla

InformationalShared notesAldehydes, Bergamot, Carnation and Turkish Rose. Durations are only published for Varensia, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter68

Day–

Night–

Spring–

Summer–

Fall–

Winter–

Day72

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men3

Unisex37

Women60

Men0

Unisex16

Women84

Casual 35%Date 29%Work 19%Party 16%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#24,470

PerfumerFrancis Camail, Michel Hy

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#7,781

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews49

Category winnerVarensiaHigher 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 →

Varensia by Ulric de Varens is an unapologetic, retro chypre that balances bright citrus with dense, earthy forest moss. The first spritz unleashes crisp aldehydes, bitter neroli, and tangy mandarin orange before settling into ripe black currant and sweet cassis. As the initial sharpness fades, a heart of spiced carna…

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 Varensia?

Varensia takes 3 of 5 categories. Ivoire de Balmain is rated 4.13/5 from 1,107 votes; Varensia is rated 3.83/5 from 613 votes. Choose Ivoire de Balmain for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus. Best in spring. Choose Varensia for a citrus and fruity character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking.

Which lasts longer, Ivoire de Balmain or Varensia?

They last about the same: Ivoire de Balmain 71/100, Varensia 71/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Ivoire de Balmain or Varensia?

Projection is very close: Varensia 65/100, Ivoire de Balmain 64/100 for sillage.

Do Ivoire de Balmain and Varensia smell similar?

Clearly different: a 26% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic and floral accords. Common notes include Aldehydes, Bergamot, Carnation and Turkish Rose.

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

Varensia suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Ivoire de Balmain and Varensia?

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. Varensia has top notes of Neroli, Orange, Mandarin Orange and Raspberry, heart notes of Black Currant, Cassis, Ylang Ylang and Geranium, a base of oak moss, Carnation, Powdery Notes and Vetiver.