Fragrance comparison

Note Secrète vs Ivoire de Balmain

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 1,110 ratings analysed

3 wins

Note Secrète

In Senso

5.003 votes

Rank #42,707 CitrusVanilla

Full profile Similar & dupes

15%scent match

Clearly different

Ivoire de Balmain

Pierre Balmain

4.131,107 votes

Rank #26,448 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Note Secrète takes 3 of 4 categories.

Note Secrète
Choose it for a citrus and vanilla character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in summer, evening wear.
Ivoire de Balmain
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Note Secrète3/4

Ivoire de Balmain1/4

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

Note SecrèteIn Senso

Ivoire de BalmainPierre Balmain

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

5.00/ 5 · 3 votes

Have 38%Had 0%Want 63%

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

100%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

3 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

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate100

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityNote Secrète

SillageNote Secrète

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

¤ Price value50

Category winnerNote SecrèteBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

vanilla86%

powdery72%

fresh spicy58%

violet44%

sweet30%

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

herbal84%

woody77%

floral69%

green61%

Scent match15%Clearly different · both fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

MandarinLemonCoconutCaramel

Heart

VioletPepperNutmeg

Base

VanillaAmberMusk

Top

AldehydesChamomileGalbanumMarigoldAsafoetidaArtemisiaBergamotLemon

Heart

Orris RootNarcissusCarnationNutmegTurkish RosePepperYlang-YlangIris

Base

OakmossVetiverSandalwoodIncensePatchouliLabdanumMuskTonka Bean

InformationalShared notesLemon, Pepper, Nutmeg and Musk. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring0

Summer100

Fall0

Winter100

Day50

Night100

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter68

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

Men3

Unisex37

Women60

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#42,707

PerfumerAlexis Bessy, Emna Doghri

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#26,448

PerfumerFrancis Camail, Michel Hy

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerIvoire de BalmainHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Note Secrète pairs bright citrus with creamy coconut, caramel, and a soft vanilla-amber base. It opens sunny and slightly candied, then settles into a powdery, musky gourmand with a light spicy twist from pepper and nutmeg. This reads as a comfort scent with a polished edge. It may suit anyone who likes sweet fragranc…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Note Secrète or Ivoire de Balmain?

Note Secrète takes 3 of 4 categories. Note Secrète is rated 5.00/5 from 3 votes; Ivoire de Balmain is rated 4.13/5 from 1,107 votes. Choose Note Secrète for a citrus and vanilla character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in summer, evening wear. Choose Ivoire de Balmain for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Note Secrète or Ivoire de Balmain?

Note Secrète lasts longest (Note Secrète 80/100, Ivoire de Balmain 71/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Note Secrète or Ivoire de Balmain?

Note Secrète projects furthest (Note Secrète 75/100, Ivoire de Balmain 64/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Note Secrète and Ivoire de Balmain smell similar?

Clearly different: a 15% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Lemon, Pepper, Nutmeg and Musk.

Is Note Secrète or Ivoire de Balmain better for summer or winter?

Note Secrète suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Note Secrète and Ivoire de Balmain?

Note Secrète has top notes of Mandarin, Lemon, Coconut and Caramel, heart notes of Violet, Pepper and Nutmeg, a base of Vanilla, Amber and Musk. 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.