Fragrance comparison

Ysayo vs Ivoire de Balmain

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

Updated 11 Oct 2026 1,122 ratings analysed

3 wins

Ysayo

Puredistance

4.7315 votes

Rank #28,484 AromaticLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

39%scent match

Some overlap

Ivoire de Balmain

Pierre Balmain

4.131,107 votes

Rank #23,574 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Ysayo takes 3 of 5 categories.

Ysayo
Choose it for a aromatic and leather character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in summer, daytime wear.
Ivoire de Balmain
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Ysayo3/5

Ivoire de Balmain2/5

Ratings & consensus: Ysayo
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Ysayo
Sillage & projection: Ysayo
Value for money: Ivoire de Balmain
Versatility: Not scored
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

YsayoPuredistance

Ivoire de BalmainPierre Balmain

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.73/ 5 · 15 votes

Have 27%Had 1%Want 71%

4.13/ 5 · 1,107 votes

Have 68%Had 32%Want 0%

Category winnerYsayoRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

80%Love

13%Like

7%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

15 votes · too few to score

42%Love

43%Like

2%Ok

13%Dislike

0%Hate

1,107 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity85

〰 Sillage80

♥ Love / hate93

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityYsayo

SillageYsayo

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value28

¤ Price value50

Category winnerIvoire de BalmainBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

leather92%

woody84%

earthy77%

green69%

warm spicy61%

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

herbal84%

woody77%

floral69%

green61%

Scent match39%Some overlap · both aromatic, woody and green

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-40 mins

GalbanumSaffronArtemisiaChamomile

Heart2-4 hrs

GeraniumCeleryThymeJasmine

Base8-12 hrs

LeatherHaitian VetiverVetiverPatchouliLabdanum

Top

AldehydesChamomileGalbanumMarigoldAsafoetidaArtemisiaBergamotLemon

Heart

Orris RootNarcissusCarnationNutmegTurkish RosePepperYlang-YlangIris

Base

OakmossVetiverSandalwoodIncensePatchouliLabdanumMuskTonka Bean

InformationalShared notesGalbanum, Artemisia, Chamomile and Vetiver. Durations are only published for Ysayo, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring83

Summer100

Fall67

Winter67

Day100

Night75

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter68

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men67

Unisex33

Women0

Work 38%Casual 30%Date 22%Party 11%

Men3

Unisex37

Women60

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#28,484

PerfumerAntoine Lie

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#23,574

PerfumerFrancis Camail, Michel Hy

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerIvoire de BalmainHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Ysayo by Puredistance cuts through modern sweetness with an unapologetic surge of green galbanum and bitter artemisia. You smell the bite immediately. Within minutes, the sharp herbal snap eases into a dry heart of wild thyme, brisk geranium, and savory celery seed. The true core, however, rests entirely on worn jacke…

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, Ysayo or Ivoire de Balmain?

Ysayo takes 3 of 5 categories. Ysayo is rated 4.73/5 from 15 votes; Ivoire de Balmain is rated 4.13/5 from 1,107 votes. Choose Ysayo for a aromatic and leather character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in summer, daytime wear. Choose Ivoire de Balmain for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Ysayo or Ivoire de Balmain?

Ysayo lasts longest (Ysayo 85/100, Ivoire de Balmain 71/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Ysayo or Ivoire de Balmain?

Ysayo projects furthest (Ysayo 80/100, Ivoire de Balmain 64/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Ysayo and Ivoire de Balmain smell similar?

Some overlap: a 39% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, woody and green accords. Common notes include Galbanum, Artemisia, Chamomile and Vetiver.

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

Ysayo suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Ysayo and Ivoire de Balmain?

Ysayo has top notes of Galbanum, Saffron, Artemisia and Chamomile, heart notes of Geranium, Celery, Thyme and Jasmine, a base of Leather, Haitian Vetiver, Vetiver and Patchouli. 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.