Sortilège vs Ivoire de Balmain
Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.
32%scent match
Clearly different
Quick verdict
Which one should you pick?
Sortilège takes 5 of 7 categories.
SortilègeChoose it for a woody and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.
Ivoire de BalmainChoose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in spring.
Sortilège5/7
Ivoire de Balmain1/7
- Ratings & consensus
- Sortilège
- Community sentiment
- Sortilège
- Longevity
- Tie
- Sillage & projection
- Ivoire de Balmain
- Value for money
- Sortilège
- Versatility
- Sortilège
- Note pyramid (duration)
- Not scored
- Fragranxe ranking
- Sortilège
Head-to-head breakdown
Every category side by side, with the winner called out.
Fragrance
SortilègeLe GalionIvoire de BalmainPierre BalmainWinner
Ratings & consensus
Average rating and ownership split4.38/ 5 · 93 votes
Have 60%Had 10%Want 30%
4.13/ 5 · 1,107 votes
Have 68%Had 32%Want 0%
Category winnerSortilègeRating weighted by vote count
Community sentiment
How voters split from love to hate57%Love
30%Like
9%Ok
2%Dislike
2%Hate
93 votes
42%Love
43%Like
2%Ok
13%Dislike
0%Hate
1,107 votes
Category winnerSortilègeMost positive mix (25+ votes)
Longevity & sillage
0–100 community performance scores
Category winners
LongevityTie
SillageIvoire de Balmain
Value for money
How fairly priced voters find itCategory winnerSortilègeBest value score
Main accords
Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by bothwoody100%
powdery92%
yellow floral84%
floral77%
fresh69%
aldehydic61%
aromatic100%
fresh spicy92%
herbal84%
woody77%
floral69%
green61%
Scent match32%Clearly different · both woody and floral
Note pyramid (duration)
Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = sharedTop30 to 45 minutes
AldehydesLilacYlang-YlangLily-of-the-Valley
Heart3 to 4 hours
IrisNarcissusMimosaTurkish RoseEgyptian Jasmine
Base4 to 7 hours
MuskVetiverSandalwoodAmberLabdanum
Top
AldehydesChamomileGalbanumMarigoldAsafoetidaArtemisiaBergamotLemon
Heart
Orris RootNarcissusCarnationNutmegTurkish RosePepperYlang-YlangIris
Base
OakmossVetiverSandalwoodIncensePatchouliLabdanumMuskTonka Bean
InformationalShared notesAldehydes, Ylang-Ylang, Iris and Narcissus. Durations are only published for Sortilège, so this is not scored.
Seasons & time of day
Relative to each fragrance's best seasonSpring56
Summer37
Fall100
Winter100
Day82
Night100
Spring100
Summer0
Fall0
Winter68
Day–
Night–
Category winnerSortilègeMost year-round
Who wears it
Gender appeal votesInformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored
Ranking & credits
Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launchOverall rank#7,108
PerfumerPaul Vacher
Launched—
Reviews19
Overall rank#25,496
PerfumerFrancis Camail, Michel Hy
Launched—
Reviews0
Category winnerSortilègeHigher overall rank
In a nutshell
Description & review snapshotSortilège by Le Galion is a classic floral aldehyde fragrance built around a powdery, woody core. Created by perfumer Paul Vacher in 1937, it opens with a sparkling fizz of aldehydes alongside lilac, ylang-ylang, and lily-of-the-valley. As the initial crispness settles, the composition reveals a rich bouquet of iris, …
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.
Guided comparison
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Common questions
Straight answers from the data above.
Which is better, Sortilège or Ivoire de Balmain?
Sortilège takes 5 of 7 categories. Sortilège is rated 4.38/5 from 93 votes; Ivoire de Balmain is rated 4.13/5 from 1,107 votes. Choose Sortilège for a woody and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Ivoire de Balmain for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in spring.
Which lasts longer, Sortilège or Ivoire de Balmain?
They last about the same: Sortilège 71/100, Ivoire de Balmain 71/100 for longevity in community votes.
Which projects more, Sortilège or Ivoire de Balmain?
Ivoire de Balmain projects furthest (Ivoire de Balmain 64/100, Sortilège 61/100), based on community performance votes.
Do Sortilège and Ivoire de Balmain smell similar?
Clearly different: a 32% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and floral accords. Common notes include Aldehydes, Ylang-Ylang, Iris and Narcissus.
Is Sortilège or Ivoire de Balmain better for summer or winter?
For summer, Sortilège is the stronger pick. For winter, Sortilège is the stronger pick. Sortilège suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.
What are the notes in Sortilège and Ivoire de Balmain?
Sortilège has top notes of Aldehydes, Lilac, Ylang-Ylang and Lily-of-the-Valley, heart notes of Iris, Narcissus, Mimosa and Turkish Rose, a base of Musk, Vetiver, Sandalwood 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.
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