Fragrance comparison

MJ Man vs Ivoire de Balmain

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

Updated 16 Oct 2026 1,116 ratings analysed

MJ Man

Marc Joseph

4.569 votes

Rank #33,958 CitrusWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

35%scent match

Some overlap

Ivoire de Balmain

Pierre Balmain

4.131,107 votes

Rank #23,919 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2.

MJ Man
Choose it for a citrus and woody character. Wins on longevity and value for money. Best in winter, daytime wear.
Ivoire de Balmain
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

MJ Man2/4

Ivoire de Balmain2/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: MJ Man
Sillage & projection: Ivoire de Balmain
Value for money: MJ Man
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

MJ ManMarc Joseph

Ivoire de BalmainPierre Balmain

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.56/ 5 · 9 votes

Have 75%Had 15%Want 10%

4.13/ 5 · 1,107 votes

Have 68%Had 32%Want 0%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

67%Love

22%Like

11%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

9 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

⏱ Longevity72

〰 Sillage57

♥ Love / hate89

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityMJ Man

SillageIvoire de Balmain

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value93

¤ Price value50

Category winnerMJ ManBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

woody86%

aromatic72%

mossy58%

earthy44%

fresh spicy30%

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

herbal84%

woody77%

floral69%

green61%

Scent match35%Some overlap · both aromatic, woody and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

GrapefruitBergamotPink PepperLemonMandarin Orange

Heart2-4 hrs

Precious WoodsGalbanumElemi resinGranny Smith apple

Base6-8+ hrs

OakmossWhite MuskPatchouliAmberVanilla

Top

AldehydesChamomileGalbanumMarigoldAsafoetidaArtemisiaBergamotLemon

Heart

Orris RootNarcissusCarnationNutmegTurkish RosePepperYlang-YlangIris

Base

OakmossVetiverSandalwoodIncensePatchouliLabdanumMuskTonka Bean

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Lemon, Galbanum and Oakmoss. Durations are only published for MJ Man, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring86

Summer71

Fall71

Winter100

Day100

Night41

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter68

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men89

Unisex0

Women11

Work 40%Casual 34%Date 17%Party 9%

Men3

Unisex37

Women60

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#33,958

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#23,919

PerfumerFrancis Camail, Michel Hy

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerIvoire de BalmainHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Marc Joseph MJ Man is a crisp woody spicy fragrance built on a backbone of bright citrus, aromatic greenery, and grounding forest woods. The fragrance bursts to life with an energetic opening of tart pink grapefruit, Italian bergamot, zesty lemon, and crushed pink pepper berries. As the initial citrus effervescence se…

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, MJ Man or Ivoire de Balmain?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. MJ Man is rated 4.56/5 from 9 votes; Ivoire de Balmain is rated 4.13/5 from 1,107 votes. Choose MJ Man for a citrus and woody character. Wins on longevity and value for money. Best in winter, daytime wear. Choose Ivoire de Balmain for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, MJ Man or Ivoire de Balmain?

They last about the same: MJ Man 72/100, Ivoire de Balmain 71/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, MJ Man or Ivoire de Balmain?

Ivoire de Balmain projects furthest (Ivoire de Balmain 64/100, MJ Man 57/100), based on community performance votes.

Do MJ Man and Ivoire de Balmain smell similar?

Some overlap: a 35% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, woody and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Lemon, Galbanum and Oakmoss.

Is MJ Man or Ivoire de Balmain better for summer or winter?

MJ Man suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in MJ Man and Ivoire de Balmain?

MJ Man has top notes of Grapefruit, Bergamot, Pink Pepper and Lemon, heart notes of Precious Woods, Galbanum, Elemi resin and Granny Smith apple, a base of Oakmoss, White Musk, Patchouli and Amber. 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.