Fragrance comparison

Presence vs Ivoire de Balmain

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

Updated 9 Oct 2026 1,162 ratings analysed

Presence

Houbigant

4.1555 votes

Rank #27,761 MossyFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

30%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

Ivoire de Balmain

Pierre Balmain

4.131,107 votes

Rank #23,332 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Ivoire de Balmain takes 4 of 7 categories.

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

Presence3/7

Ivoire de Balmain4/7

Ratings & consensus: Ivoire de Balmain
Community sentiment: Presence
Longevity: Ivoire de Balmain
Sillage & projection: Ivoire de Balmain
Value for money: Presence
Versatility: Presence
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

PresenceHoubigant

Ivoire de BalmainPierre Balmain

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.15/ 5 · 55 votes

Have 44%Had 11%Want 45%

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

42%Love

44%Like

2%Ok

13%Dislike

0%Hate

55 votes

42%Love

43%Like

2%Ok

13%Dislike

0%Hate

1,107 votes

Category winnerPresenceMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityIvoire de Balmain

SillageIvoire de Balmain

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value64

¤ Price value50

Category winnerPresenceBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

mossy100%

floral92%

earthy84%

woody77%

fresh69%

fruity61%

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

herbal84%

woody77%

floral69%

green61%

Scent match30%Clearly different · both floral and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

AppleAldehydesNeroliLemonBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

OrrisHeliotropeCarnationJasmine

Base6-8+ hrs

OakmossMuskCedarVetiverSpicesAmbergrisPatchouliSandalwood

Top

AldehydesChamomileGalbanumMarigoldAsafoetidaArtemisiaBergamotLemon

Heart

Orris RootNarcissusCarnationNutmegTurkish RosePepperYlang-YlangIris

Base

OakmossVetiverSandalwoodIncensePatchouliLabdanumMuskTonka Bean

InformationalShared notesAldehydes, Lemon, Bergamot and Carnation. Durations are only published for Presence, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring79

Summer50

Fall100

Winter71

Day100

Night64

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter68

Day–

Night–

Category winnerPresenceMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men7

Unisex20

Women73

Work 41%Casual 28%Date 21%Party 10%

Men3

Unisex37

Women60

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#27,761

PerfumerRaymond Kling

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#23,332

PerfumerFrancis Camail, Michel Hy

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerIvoire de BalmainHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Houbigant Presence is a crisp, historic chypre built on striking contrasts. The first spray releases a brisk wash of tart green apple, fizzy aldehydes, and sharp lemon zest. Give it ten minutes. The top burns off rapidly to reveal a velvety, dry heart of earthy orris root and spicy carnation blossoms. It smells like v…

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, Presence or Ivoire de Balmain?

Ivoire de Balmain takes 4 of 7 categories. Presence is rated 4.15/5 from 55 votes; Ivoire de Balmain is rated 4.13/5 from 1,107 votes. Choose Presence for a mossy and floral character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Ivoire de Balmain for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Presence or Ivoire de Balmain?

Ivoire de Balmain lasts longest (Ivoire de Balmain 71/100, Presence 68/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Presence or Ivoire de Balmain?

Projection is very close: Ivoire de Balmain 64/100, Presence 62/100 for sillage.

Do Presence and Ivoire de Balmain smell similar?

Clearly different: a 30% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share floral and woody accords. Common notes include Aldehydes, Lemon, Bergamot and Carnation.

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

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

What are the notes in Presence and Ivoire de Balmain?

Presence has top notes of Apple, Aldehydes, Neroli and Lemon, heart notes of Orris, Heliotrope, Carnation and Jasmine, a base of Oakmoss, Musk, Cedar 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.