Fragrance comparison

Malabar vs Ivoire de Balmain

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

Updated 10 Oct 2026 1,127 ratings analysed

4 wins

Malabar

House of Hautt

4.4020 votes

Rank #42,633 WoodyPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

20%scent match

Clearly different

Ivoire de Balmain

Pierre Balmain

4.131,107 votes

Rank #23,531 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Malabar takes 4 of 5 categories.

Malabar
Choose it for a woody and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.
Ivoire de Balmain
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Malabar4/5

Ivoire de Balmain1/5

Ratings & consensus: Malabar
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Malabar
Sillage & projection: Malabar
Value for money: Malabar
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

MalabarHouse of Hautt

Ivoire de BalmainPierre Balmain

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.40/ 5 · 20 votes

Have 51%Had 13%Want 36%

4.13/ 5 · 1,107 votes

Have 68%Had 32%Want 0%

Category winnerMalabarRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

60%Love

30%Like

5%Ok

0%Dislike

5%Hate

20 votes · too few to score

42%Love

43%Like

2%Ok

13%Dislike

0%Hate

1,107 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity85

〰 Sillage74

♥ Love / hate85

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityMalabar

SillageMalabar

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

¤ Price value50

Category winnerMalabarBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

powdery92%

leather84%

amber77%

iris69%

vanilla61%

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

herbal84%

woody77%

floral69%

green61%

Scent match20%Clearly different · both woody

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top20-30 mins

Pink PepperSagePomeloMandarin OrangeBergamot

Heart3-4 hrs

IrisTonka BeanCedarSandalwoodCardamom

Base8-10+ hrs

LeatherSuedeVanillaAmberwoodLabdanumOakmossIncenseAmbroxan

Top

AldehydesChamomileGalbanumMarigoldAsafoetidaArtemisiaBergamotLemon

Heart

Orris RootNarcissusCarnationNutmegTurkish RosePepperYlang-YlangIris

Base

OakmossVetiverSandalwoodIncensePatchouliLabdanumMuskTonka Bean

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Iris, Tonka Bean and Sandalwood. Durations are only published for Malabar, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring43

Summer7

Fall100

Winter100

Day32

Night100

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter68

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men86

Unisex14

Women0

Date 40%Party 28%Work 18%Casual 15%

Men3

Unisex37

Women60

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#42,633

PerfumerEdison Fujita

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#23,531

PerfumerFrancis Camail, Michel Hy

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerIvoire de BalmainHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

House of Hautt Malabar is a rich woody leather fragrance with a plush, modern twist. The scent opens with a lively splash of pomelo, mandarin orange, and crushed pink pepper, quickly anchored by savory sage. As the citrus sparkle recedes, a velvety core of powdery iris, cardamom, and dry cedar takes command. In the de…

Reviews →

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 →

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, Malabar or Ivoire de Balmain?

Malabar takes 4 of 5 categories. Malabar is rated 4.40/5 from 20 votes; Ivoire de Balmain is rated 4.13/5 from 1,107 votes. Choose Malabar for a woody and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Ivoire de Balmain for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Malabar or Ivoire de Balmain?

Malabar lasts longest (Malabar 85/100, Ivoire de Balmain 71/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Malabar or Ivoire de Balmain?

Malabar projects furthest (Malabar 74/100, Ivoire de Balmain 64/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Malabar and Ivoire de Balmain smell similar?

Clearly different: a 20% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Iris, Tonka Bean and Sandalwood.

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

Malabar suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Malabar and Ivoire de Balmain?

Malabar has top notes of Pink Pepper, Sage, Pomelo and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Iris, Tonka Bean, Cedar and Sandalwood, a base of Leather, Suede, Vanilla and Amberwood. 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.