Koto vs Miss Balmain
Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.
65%scent match
Closely related
Quick verdict
Which one should you pick?
Miss Balmain takes 4 of 7 categories.
KotoChoose it for a leather and earthy character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Miss BalmainChoose it for a earthy and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.
Koto3/7
Miss Balmain4/7
- Ratings & consensus
- Miss Balmain
- Community sentiment
- Koto
- Longevity
- Miss Balmain
- Sillage & projection
- Miss Balmain
- Value for money
- Koto
- Versatility
- Koto
- Note pyramid (duration)
- Not scored
- Fragranxe ranking
- Miss Balmain
Head-to-head breakdown
Every category side by side, with the winner called out.
Fragrance
KotoShiseidoMiss BalmainPierre BalmainWinner
Ratings & consensus
Average rating and ownership split4.23/ 5 · 131 votes
Have 43%Had 13%Want 44%
4.20/ 5 · 597 votes
Have 71%Had 29%Want 0%
Category winnerMiss BalmainRating weighted by vote count
Community sentiment
How voters split from love to hate44%Love
45%Like
2%Ok
8%Dislike
2%Hate
131 votes
46%Love
41%Like
1%Ok
12%Dislike
0%Hate
597 votes
Category winnerKotoMost positive mix (25+ votes)
Longevity & sillage
0–100 community performance scores
Category winners
LongevityMiss Balmain
SillageMiss Balmain
Value for money
How fairly priced voters find itCategory winnerKotoBest value score
Main accords
Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by bothleather100%
earthy92%
woody84%
white floral77%
mossy69%
aldehydic61%
earthy100%
aromatic92%
leather84%
woody77%
mossy69%
green61%
Scent match65%Closely related · both earthy, leather and woody
Note pyramid (duration)
Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = sharedTop
AldehydesGreen NotesSpicesCitruses
Heart
Orris RootNarcissusGardeniaJasmineRoseLily-of-the-Valley
Base
oak mossLeatherCastoreumPatchouliAmberVetiver
Top
AldehydesCorianderGardeniaGreen NotesLemon
Heart
CarnationOrris RootNarcissusRoseJasmineLily-of-the-Valley
Base
LeatherOakmossVetiverPatchouliAmberCoconutTonka Bean
InformationalShared notesAldehydes, Green Notes, Orris Root and Narcissus. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.
Seasons & time of day
Relative to each fragrance's best seasonSpring81
Summer47
Fall100
Winter41
Day100
Night36
Spring81
Summer0
Fall0
Winter100
Day–
Night–
Category winnerKotoMost year-round
Who wears it
Gender appeal votesInformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored
Ranking & credits
Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launchOverall rank#30,028
PerfumerNot listed
Launched—
Reviews0
Overall rank#26,489
PerfumerGermaine Cellier
Launched—
Reviews0
Category winnerMiss BalmainHigher overall rank
In a nutshell
Description & review snapshotShiseido Koto opens with a dry, sharp gust of aldehydes and bitter green notes. It immediately sets a cool, intellectual tone that feels miles away from the sugary confections of modern department store shelves. As it warms on the skin, a powdery heart of narcissus and orris root comes forward, keeping the profile cri…
Reviews →Pierre Balmain Miss Balmain is a bone-dry green leather chypre. It wraps bitter coriander, crisp aldehydes, and a heavy dose of oakmoss around a smoky leather base. It smells like a well-worn leather jacket left in a damp forest. This scent is built for cool autumn afternoons and formal events when you want to project…
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
Get a practical answer grounded in the fragrances currently selected.
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Common questions
Straight answers from the data above.
Which is better, Koto or Miss Balmain?
Miss Balmain takes 4 of 7 categories. Koto is rated 4.23/5 from 131 votes; Miss Balmain is rated 4.20/5 from 597 votes. Choose Koto for a leather and earthy character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Miss Balmain for a earthy and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.
Which lasts longer, Koto or Miss Balmain?
Miss Balmain lasts longest (Miss Balmain 74/100, Koto 59/100), based on community performance votes.
Which projects more, Koto or Miss Balmain?
Miss Balmain projects furthest (Miss Balmain 65/100, Koto 43/100), based on community performance votes.
Do Koto and Miss Balmain smell similar?
Closely related: a 65% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share earthy, leather and woody accords. Common notes include Aldehydes, Green Notes, Orris Root and Narcissus.
Is Koto or Miss Balmain better for summer or winter?
For summer, Koto is the stronger pick. For winter, Miss Balmain is the stronger pick. Koto suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.
What are the notes in Koto and Miss Balmain?
Koto has top notes of Aldehydes, Green Notes, Spices and Citruses, heart notes of Orris Root, Narcissus, Gardenia and Jasmine, a base of oak moss, Leather, Castoreum and Patchouli. Miss Balmain has top notes of Aldehydes, Coriander, Gardenia and Green Notes, heart notes of Carnation, Orris Root, Narcissus and Rose, a base of Leather, Oakmoss, Vetiver and Patchouli.
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