Fragrance comparison

Opera vs Ivoire de Balmain

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 1,738 ratings analysed

4 wins

Opera

Sospiro Perfumes

4.03631 votes

Rank #2,714 WoodySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

31%scent match

Clearly different

Ivoire de Balmain

Pierre Balmain

4.131,107 votes

Rank #26,630 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Opera takes 4 of 7 categories.

Opera
Choose it for a woody and sweet character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in winter, evening wear.
Ivoire de Balmain
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in spring.

Opera4/7

Ivoire de Balmain3/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

OperaSospiro Perfumes

Ivoire de BalmainPierre Balmain

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.03/ 5 · 631 votes

Have 67%Had 33%Want 0%

4.13/ 5 · 1,107 votes

Have 68%Had 32%Want 0%

Category winnerIvoire de BalmainRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

46%Love

32%Like

4%Ok

16%Dislike

2%Hate

631 votes

42%Love

43%Like

2%Ok

13%Dislike

0%Hate

1,107 votes

Category winnerIvoire de BalmainMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity81

〰 Sillage78

♥ Love / hate76

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityOpera

SillageOpera

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value34

¤ Price value50

Category winnerIvoire de BalmainBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

sweet92%

fresh spicy84%

yellow floral77%

fruity69%

animalic61%

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

herbal84%

woody77%

floral69%

green61%

Scent match31%Clearly different · both woody and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

Fruity NotesTurkish Rose

Heart2-4 hrs

NutmegYlang-YlangAmbergrisLeather

Base8-12+ hrs

PatchouliVanillaMuskVetiverVirginian Cedar

Top

AldehydesChamomileGalbanumMarigoldAsafoetidaArtemisiaBergamotLemon

Heart

Orris RootNarcissusCarnationNutmegTurkish RosePepperYlang-YlangIris

Base

OakmossVetiverSandalwoodIncensePatchouliLabdanumMuskTonka Bean

InformationalShared notesTurkish Rose, Nutmeg, Ylang-Ylang and Patchouli. Durations are only published for Opera, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring67

Summer48

Fall0

Winter100

Day53

Night100

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter68

Day–

Night–

Category winnerOperaMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men9

Unisex40

Women51

Men3

Unisex37

Women60

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#2,714

PerfumerChris Maurice

Launched—

Reviews36

Overall rank#26,630

PerfumerFrancis Camail, Michel Hy

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerOperaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Opera by Sospiro Perfumes is a lush, head-turning blend of sweet spiced fruits, velvety rose, and rich woods. Right out of the atomizer, it hits with a burst of dark candied berries and Turkish rose, quickly supported by creamy ylang-ylang and warm nutmeg. As the scent settles, smooth leather, earthy patchouli, and Vi…

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, Opera or Ivoire de Balmain?

Opera takes 4 of 7 categories. Opera is rated 4.03/5 from 631 votes; Ivoire de Balmain is rated 4.13/5 from 1,107 votes. Choose Opera for a woody and sweet character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Ivoire de Balmain for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Opera or Ivoire de Balmain?

Opera lasts longest (Opera 81/100, Ivoire de Balmain 71/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Opera or Ivoire de Balmain?

Opera projects furthest (Opera 78/100, Ivoire de Balmain 64/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Opera and Ivoire de Balmain smell similar?

Clearly different: a 31% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Turkish Rose, Nutmeg, Ylang-Ylang and Patchouli.

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

For summer, Opera is the stronger pick. For winter, Opera is the stronger pick. Opera suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Opera and Ivoire de Balmain?

Opera has top notes of Fruity Notes and Turkish Rose, heart notes of Nutmeg, Ylang-Ylang, Ambergris and Leather, a base of Patchouli, Vanilla, Musk and Vetiver. 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.