Fragrance comparison

Plus Que Jamais vs Ivoire de Balmain

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 1,212 ratings analysed

4 wins

Plus Que Jamais

Guerlain

4.49105 votes

Rank #26,578 IrisPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

16%scent match

Clearly different

Ivoire de Balmain

Pierre Balmain

4.131,107 votes

Rank #26,604 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Plus Que Jamais takes 4 of 7 categories.

Plus Que Jamais
Choose it for a iris and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Ivoire de Balmain
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring.

Plus Que Jamais4/7

Ivoire de Balmain3/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Plus Que JamaisGuerlain

Ivoire de BalmainPierre Balmain

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.49/ 5 · 105 votes

Have 24%Had 10%Want 66%

4.13/ 5 · 1,107 votes

Have 68%Had 32%Want 0%

Category winnerPlus Que JamaisRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

58%Love

36%Like

2%Ok

4%Dislike

0%Hate

105 votes

42%Love

43%Like

2%Ok

13%Dislike

0%Hate

1,107 votes

Category winnerPlus Que JamaisMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity52

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate87

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityIvoire de Balmain

SillageIvoire de Balmain

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value29

¤ Price value50

Category winnerIvoire de BalmainBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

iris100%

powdery92%

amber84%

vanilla77%

woody69%

earthy61%

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

herbal84%

woody77%

floral69%

green61%

Scent match16%Clearly different · both woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15 to 30 minutes

Ylang-YlangAldehydesNeroliBergamot

Heart2 to 3 hours

IrisOrris RootJasmine

Base3 to 5 hours

AmberTonka BeanVanilleVetyver

Top

AldehydesChamomileGalbanumMarigoldAsafoetidaArtemisiaBergamotLemon

Heart

Orris RootNarcissusCarnationNutmegTurkish RosePepperYlang-YlangIris

Base

OakmossVetiverSandalwoodIncensePatchouliLabdanumMuskTonka Bean

InformationalShared notesYlang-Ylang, Aldehydes, Bergamot and Iris. Durations are only published for Plus Que Jamais, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring58

Summer53

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night78

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter68

Day–

Night–

Category winnerPlus Que JamaisMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex38

Women63

Men3

Unisex37

Women60

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#26,578

PerfumerJean-Paul Guerlain

Launched—

Reviews3

Overall rank#26,604

PerfumerFrancis Camail, Michel Hy

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerPlus Que JamaisHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Plus Que Jamais by Guerlain presents a powdery iris bouquet set against a warm, sweet foundation. Created by Jean-Paul Guerlain in 2005 for the reopening of the Champs-Elysees boutique, this eau de parfum opens with a crisp sparkle of aldehydes alongside bright bergamot, neroli, and yellow ylang-ylang. The floral core…

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, Plus Que Jamais or Ivoire de Balmain?

Plus Que Jamais takes 4 of 7 categories. Plus Que Jamais is rated 4.49/5 from 105 votes; Ivoire de Balmain is rated 4.13/5 from 1,107 votes. Choose Plus Que Jamais for a iris and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Ivoire de Balmain for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Plus Que Jamais or Ivoire de Balmain?

Ivoire de Balmain lasts longest (Ivoire de Balmain 71/100, Plus Que Jamais 52/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Plus Que Jamais or Ivoire de Balmain?

Projection is very close: Ivoire de Balmain 64/100, Plus Que Jamais 63/100 for sillage.

Do Plus Que Jamais and Ivoire de Balmain smell similar?

Clearly different: a 16% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody accords. Common notes include Ylang-Ylang, Aldehydes, Bergamot and Iris.

Is Plus Que Jamais or Ivoire de Balmain better for summer or winter?

For summer, Plus Que Jamais is the stronger pick. For winter, Plus Que Jamais is the stronger pick. Plus Que Jamais suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Plus Que Jamais and Ivoire de Balmain?

Plus Que Jamais has top notes of Ylang-Ylang, Aldehydes, Neroli and Bergamot, heart notes of Iris, Orris Root and Jasmine, a base of Amber, Tonka Bean, Vanille and Vetyver. 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.