Fragrance comparison

Valaya vs Balahe

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

Updated 22 Oct 2026 5,328 ratings analysed

Valaya

Parfums de Marly

3.904,807 votes

Rank #3,325 MuskyCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

39%scent match

Some overlap

Balahe

Leonard

4.23521 votes

Rank #3,777 SweetPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 8 categories split 4–4.

Valaya
Choose it for a musky and citrus character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Balahe
Choose it for a sweet and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Valaya4/8

Balahe4/8

Ratings & consensus: Balahe
Community sentiment: Balahe
Longevity: Valaya
Sillage & projection: Valaya
Value for money: Balahe
Versatility: Valaya
Note pyramid (duration): Balahe
Fragranxe ranking: Valaya

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ValayaParfums de Marly

BalaheLeonard

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.90/ 5 · 4,807 votes

Have 88%Had 12%Want 0%

4.23/ 5 · 521 votes

Have 62%Had 38%Want 0%

Category winnerBalaheRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

45%Love

24%Like

14%Ok

11%Dislike

6%Hate

4,807 votes

47%Love

40%Like

2%Ok

10%Dislike

0%Hate

521 votes

Category winnerBalaheMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate73

⏱ Longevity72

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate81

Category winners

LongevityValaya

SillageValaya

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value26

¤ Price value51

Category winnerBalaheBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

musky100%

citrus92%

white floral84%

fresh77%

aldehydic69%

powdery61%

sweet100%

powdery92%

white floral84%

woody77%

musky69%

fruity61%

Scent match39%Some overlap · both musky, white floral and powdery

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

AldehydesWhite PeachBergamotMandarin Orange

Heart2-4 hrs

Orange BlossomLily-of-the-ValleyPetaliaNympheal™VetiverMahonia

Base8-12 hrs

MuskAmbroxanAkigalawoodVanilla

Top20-30 mins

PlumAldehydesClary SageCorianderAnisePineappleMandarin OrangeBergamot

Heart3-4 hrs

TuberoseOrchidOrris RootYlang-YlangIrisRoseJasmineOrange Blossom

Base8-10+ hrs

CivetOpoponaxVanillaSandalwoodMuskVetiver

Category winnerBalaheLongest dry-down: 8-10+ hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer90

Fall0

Winter36

Day100

Night32

Spring27

Summer19

Fall0

Winter100

Day37

Night100

Category winnerValayaMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex12

Women86

Work 38%Casual 33%Date 18%Party 11%

Men2

Unisex44

Women55

Date 41%Party 33%Casual 15%Work 10%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#3,325

PerfumerQuentin Bisch

Launched—

Reviews208

Overall rank#3,777

PerfumerDaniel Moliere

Launched—

Reviews50

Category winnerValayaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Parfums de Marly Valaya reimagines clean laundry as high-end luxury. The first spray releases a brisk flash of aldehydes, bright mandarin orange, and fuzzy white peach. It feels crisp. The initial mist carries a slight sting of perfumer alcohol, but that evaporates within two minutes. Soon, orange blossom and dewy lil…

Reviews →

Balahe by Leonard is a decadent 1983 oriental floral that refuses to whisper. Dark, syrupy plum immediately collides with sharp aldehydes and spicy coriander in the opening. Give it five minutes. Once that initial solvent burst settles, a lush heart of creamy tuberose, powdery iris, and warm ylang-ylang unfolds across…

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, Valaya or Balahe?

No clear winner: the 8 categories split 4–4. Valaya is rated 3.90/5 from 4,807 votes; Balahe is rated 4.23/5 from 521 votes. Choose Valaya for a musky and citrus character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Balahe for a sweet and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Valaya or Balahe?

Valaya lasts longest (Valaya 76/100, Balahe 72/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Valaya or Balahe?

Projection is very close: Valaya 63/100, Balahe 62/100 for sillage.

Do Valaya and Balahe smell similar?

Some overlap: a 39% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share musky, white floral and powdery accords. Common notes include Aldehydes, Bergamot, Mandarin Orange and Orange Blossom.

Is Valaya or Balahe better for summer or winter?

For summer, Valaya is the stronger pick. For winter, Balahe is the stronger pick. Valaya suits daytime wear; Balahe suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Valaya and Balahe?

Valaya has top notes of Aldehydes, White Peach, Bergamot and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Orange Blossom, Lily-of-the-Valley, Petalia and Nympheal™, a base of Musk, Ambroxan, Akigalawood and Vanilla. Balahe has top notes of Plum, Aldehydes, Clary Sage and Coriander, heart notes of Tuberose, Orchid, Orris Root and Ylang-Ylang, a base of Civet, Opoponax, Vanilla and Sandalwood.