Ivoire de Balmain Pierre Balmain for women

Many many years ago, I was wearing this fragrance and I liked it. It was citrusy, mossy, but not agressive. It had a subtle quality of a pure floral smell, so that you could'nt tell if it had citruses or herbs in its composition. It was strong but not offensive. It had great sillage and surrounded you with elegance. Today, I found a great offer after so many years and I bought a 30ml spray blindly. Well, what can I say? It's boring to repeat again that great perfumes have been destroyed by their reformulation, but I have to admit it. It does'nt even remid me of the old formula. It's been changed dramatically! It reminds me of an expensive soap or deodorant. It's pleasant to wear it, but it is not THAT elegant complex smell I knew. It is my third dissapointment after rediscovering "jontue" by Revlon, and "magie noire" by Lancome.
Yet, if a young lady wants to try something different from the massive sweet trendy perfumes, then she has to test this, because the reformulated version is thinner, more mossy and more sportive than the old one.

Simply put Ivoire de Balmain = Oscar for Men Oscar de la Renta.

I tried it on my wrist at Liberty's and immediately wanted to scrub it off. All I could get was the smell of dirty underwear. Never had this with a perfume before. My friend said it reeked of an armpit mixed with cheap deodorant. Lasted 4 hours unfortunately. Total scrubber.

The vintage Ivoire is no fruity/floral, it´s a lovely chypre that is quite unisex IMO. Reminds me a little of the vintage Dunhill for men. Very nice.
Found a vintage bottle dirt cheap, it´s a treasure.

Oh Ivoire, gorgeous mate of my 20es, when I had great expectations and the world started unfurling to me. Ivoire, with your elegant rapsody of flowers, spices, woods, greens and a pale hint of fruit. Ivoire sparkling like a diamond casting light and colours around me every time I took a breath. Ivoire maybe more apt for a lady than for a girl but then, having crossed the threshold of my 20, I thought for that simple reason I WAS A LADY. Ivoire splendid creation in a time so ripe with changes in my life and the world all around us. And sadly many sad changes in a perfume world when art creations like you started to sadly disappear faster and faster.
Ivoire, sweet friend of happy years, amazing days, joys to be fulfilled, you were a joy in yourself.

Lovely multiflower with super lasting power. I've found another signature scent, so sadly my Ivoire doesn't get any playing time. If anyone wants my slightly used bottle, pm me with a swap offer.

I hoped this might be a very individualised perfume, but nope, it's a straightforward powdery high octane aldehyde It's one of the old "high class lady" school. Very prim, detached, aristocratic. We are talking a sister of Ysatis, Arpege, First, Paloma Picasso, Knowing and Aromatics Elixir, you get the picture. I find it hard to tell them apart, so strong is the powdery note.

Good for the fans of cool classy aloof perfumes.These perfumes remind me of the track " Diamonds on the soles of her shoes".

Review of Vintage EDT:
What can I say about Ivoire that hasn't already been said? Its a stunning, soapy, demure green floral that is excellently blended. To say that this perfume has a refined character is an understatement.

The individual notes are hard to pick out with the exception of the aldehydes, oakmoss, chamomile and marigold which on my skin are the most pronounced. Interestingly the aldehydes and oakmoss are most pronounced at the beginning and the chamomile and marigold are most noticeable in the dry down. It doesn't follow the ascribed pyramidal structure as listed above.

While this is absolutely gorgeous, I would NEVER recommend this as a blind buy. I can see how many younger women who are used to Fruity Florals would be very confused by this. This is mis-classified as a Fruity Floral in the database and should be listed as a Chypre Floral.

Sillage: approximately 10 feet
Longevity: 12 hours on my skin
Overall Rating and Feel: 9/10. This is a VERY GREEN fragrance, in fact one of the greenest I've encountered. It feels very chic, refined and strangely natural given the presence of aldehydes. It would be perfect to wear to a formal luncheon or in the boardroom.

It is one of the most amazing scents. I really love it....

I don'nt remember it's notes, but since I like this fragrance, there must have been fresh, green, fruity and spicy together.....

Soapy floral from 1980. Soapy was probably a hard sell in 1980, so how on earth has this survived the intervening years? I suppose that being out of fashion could actually make it more likely that you’d survive the trends of the day. Also being inexpensive must help. Well, however it worked out, I’m glad Ivoire is still with us.

This really does smell like soap. It’s a green/white floral collage with aldehydes and galbanum up front and a creamy woody drydown. But the middle notes, which last forever and meld into the drydown are the most appealing. The aldehydes have burned off, and the sour/soap vibe simmers down. What comes to the front is a carnation that adds a peppery sharpness and a clovelike coolness. Is there oakmoss in this one? It seems to have a mossy tone as time passes, but it doesn’t really read as a chypre. Current florals don’t seem to venture into this direction, so Ivoire continues to remain above trends, and holds its own turf. Let’s hope its difference guarantees its continued production.

A fabulous chypre, perfect for everyday use and very reasonably priced. I used to wear it all the time, until it started disappearing from the shops. Pity. I think I bought my last bottle two years ago in a small, back-street chemist for about £9 sterling! On me, the scent was very similar to Miss Dior.

Refined, elegant, green, and sophisticated without being overpowering. Excellent sillage and staying power. I believe this has more notes in it than Opium, but while Opium (in my opinion) is cloying, brassy, and overpowering; Ivoire is a careful balance of a complex melange of notes. I find myself wearing it for a few years, putting it back, then bringing it out again. Wonderful memories with this scent.

As long as I keep it to a minimum, this is another one of the rare fragrances I can wear around His Nibs without sending him staggering for his inhaler or causing him to start exhibiting rather startling shades of cyan from the neck up (take my word on this ~ wearing perfume around someone with COPD can be...ahhh...uhmm..."an adventure")

According to him, "it's a pleasant smell". To me, the opening reminds me a lot of the old original Herbal Essence shampoo ~ the REAL stuff from back in the 70's (what memories!) and keeps on with the grassy/herbally/clean/floral theme It doesn't have a lot of silage ~ it's more of a close-to-the-skin smell but longevity is clocked about about 5-6 hours.

It makes a good Sunday-go-to-meeting scent for me because it's dressy enough to go with dressier stuff but can also go with more casual attire. It's another one that doesn't spook the critters and most importantly, doesn't seem to bother folks like my honeybabysweetiepiesoulmatebestfriend hubby. Good choice for someone who has to be careful about what they wear around someone else.

Ah, Ivoire. Perhaps the finest chypre ever created. Balmain is a small house that made little noise. Ivoire found me-thanks to Fragrantica. I found a pre-refromulated bottle and was stunned by its compostion. The hesperidic notes open this green clean masterpiece. Oakmoss carries through from the start to finish.

Basically, it is a revolving door of florals and spice that just keep coming. The drama last until the closing of chypre accords-vetiver, patcholi and oakmoss are surrounded by sandalwood, vanilla, ambergris and smokey incense. Its graceful and feminine. Its presence is felt, no less!

The inspriation for M Balmain was sitting in a dark concert hall and he sees a lady in white. The piano concerto begins. The brilliance last for hours and it unforgettable. A standing ovation, indeed!!!He leaves the concert hall and cannot find her...

Not unlike real ivory, Ivoire has become rare and controversial itself. If you can find the original formula, get it immediately. You will find it is quite precious!

I love this one. It's a classic strong scent, full of glamour and elegance, and best worn with confidence and a light spray. It will get you noticed. It's classified as a floral fruity here but I would consider it an aldehyde. I wore this a lot in the past and got many compliments on it. Rumor has it that it's been reformulated. My review is for the original. I want another bottle but only if it smells as good as it did!

Update - Just tried a brand new bottle and all I can say is UGH! This has undoubtedly been reforumulated. It used to smell green and classy, and now it just smells dusty and moldy. If you are lucky enough to have a vintage bottle of this, treasure it!

I disagree with FairyDust who says that Ivoire smells like an 'old lady' scent.

Of course, it may be that on FairyDust it smells like an 'old lady' scent, but on many other women clearly it doesn't and it smells lovely. It's all down to body chemistry - either a scent works on you or it doesn't. Ivoire doesn't apparently work well with FairyDust's chemistry so that, for her, is just bad luck. On me (not an old lady!) it smells lovely and, if anything, quite youthful because of the creamy raspberry'ness!

Also, there is no such thing as an 'old lady' scent. Not all older women smell the same, and not all younger women smell the same. Each woman has her own unique smell, regardless of age. The 'old lady' term is, in my opinion, very derogatory and offensive. If a person reviewing a perfume doesn't like a perfume, there are many ways to express that without being rude and obnoxious.

Completely and utterly boring. This fume screams OLD LADY! Sorry, but it's true. Too many notes here resulting in an olfactory mess. Surprising, really, coming from Balmain. I'm surprised to see so many glowing reviews. I was hoping for the freshly cut grass note or at least something fresh and green, but, alas, I offended everyone around me. My 7 year old niece exclaimed, "What is that smell? It stings my nose!"

All of the notes blend together into one big MISHMASH MESS. I couldn't wait to scrub this one off and apply something more inspiring. This is truly undistinguished for such a highly praised perfume.


Not for me.

I am a teacher of small children. They don't compliment perfume unless they really like it, and I had a little girl AND boy compliment my wearing this. I love it -- both long and short list versions. It is becoming "me"...

...and it's not an old-lady scent. Was Nina Ricci LAT old lady in 1948? Was Rive Gauche old lady in 1971? Was Chanel #19 old lady in the 1970s? What about Chanel #5 today? Or Van Cleef and Arpels' First? One day, Pink Sugar and all the Britney fragrances (if they last the test of time, which classic fragrances tend to do) will be classified as "old lady".

My nose is little blind while testing some 80' perfumes or the ones with many ingredients. This must happen in this case also. The "Old Lady" label, many of Fragranticans used in here, is good way to describe my blindness...I can feel her in this one too. Very classy but strong in her mind and vigorous Woman in her 70 ties.
Starts cold and bitter like antique men's cologne. Then burst of warmer but still stingy-fresh notes happen(I can't name even the one of them, oh 80-ties!). Base is gentle, not overwhelming and yes - cold like stone! I wonder many minutes how to describe tjis feeling. It is just precious classic greek sculpture in wide hall of palace. The smell which reminds on my wrist is exactly the smell of polish stone sculpture. Not for my 30ties but if I'll be wealthy old lady..who knows?:)

The most heavenly mix of greenery, soapy creamy florals and a base of oakmoss and raspberry, smoothed out with vanilla and incense. This stuff is just oxygen to me. Inhale, exhale mmmmm!

Ivoire, in a word, is ethereal.

It builds upon VC&A First, its citrus-aldehyde and woodsy floral predecessor, which left us dreaming in a timeless spring garden... But Ivoire is deeper, stronger, infused with a hidden energy, and sweeps us into the realm of the divine.

This is a perfume for an ageless woodland spirit who runs along a riverbank, not a visitor in her surroundings, but one with the sun-dappled grasses and rippling water. Nothing can touch her here - some hidden power protects her from harm. When I wear Ivoire I feel shielded, somehow, from daily stresses and the stings of hurtful people, as if some part of me is held in that other realm, and more permanent than what remains on earth. I will wear this otherworldly elixir as long as I can find it - which, rumour suggests, won't be for long...

...which brings me to the subject of vintage vs. reformulation - I have one of each, and they are not identical. The most pronounced difference occurs in the opening: in the reformuation it is more aldehydic and the asafoetida's bitterness (beautifully described below by Gillie) becomes harshly dominant rather than subtly accentuating. I wonder if this difference is due to changes in the ingredients themselves, or to some shift in the balance of the composition...?

Don't deprive yourself of the Ivoire experience if you just can't find the vintage - both versions are worth having.

The pre-reformulation (yes, the one with the short list of ingredients):

Although there is no galbanum in it, you would think so, as Ivoire opens with the dryest cleanest blast of green you can imagine boosted by the bitter edge of asafoetida, marigold and green bergamot. This is not a languorous end-of-the evening bedroom eyes elegance: it is has a tart grassy wide-awake feel--the start of an evening full of diamond-sharp repartee.

I don't detect any fruitiness--and can clearly smell pepper,spices, and carnation along with the icy bright clean soapiness mentioned by other reviewers.

The dry down is warm, elegant, and balanced: smoky vetiver, patchouli, incense and amber.

This is a perfume for discerning lovers of layered complexity, soapy scents, and sharp greens. It is sophisticated, chic, and not at all sweet.

The pre-reformulation lasts and lasts and a little goes a long way. Sadly, my expectations of power and sillage are continually lowered by the weak imitations the once-great houses are now producing--and I am finding that I sometimes over-spritz in compensation: not at all necessary for the high-energy pre-reformulation version of Ivoire.

"The one I fell head over heals for." For me, it is the BEST!!!! Sillage that takes you along beautifully, long lasting and very loyal. Gorgeous!

I have received a long-awaited sample from a fellow Fragrantican today.

Floral-fruities cant go wrong for me unless they are synthetic.

This one became a little surprise. I did not get any fruits just cumin and woods (yeah, whoa, what etc.).

I am not surprised, chemistry chemistry chemistry or jasmine. latter won't be able to deny such allegations, we all know jasmines can't speak or run away (evil laugh)

I am praying for the biggest bottle of vintage pure parfum to come my way. I just tried a tiny sample of it and I am blown away. I liked EDT, but if EDT was merely an operette - this is a Rachmaninoff concerto! It was a July day in a magnificent garden of flowers and dewy greenery, sultry but sophisticated, florid but fresh. It is dawn and citruses burst with their cold freshness. The chamomile comes into play, soothing and taking me further into the day. The sun is raising and I can smell the narcotic narcissus, roses and heady orange blossom. The ripe raspberries from their bushes and their humid green leaves. The dusk comes with its most luxurious smell of woods, still warm after a hot day, with a touch of incense. I wish that day never ended! It is the most refined thing I have ever experienced...

every times i smell it i love it more

i got today 30 ml ivoire for a bargain...i love it is simply gorgeous...

I've had my reformulated bottle for one week, and I'm so glad I gave it a chance. Though it doesn't go on as strong and doesn't have the longevity of the vintage, it is so similar that it's hard to tell the difference between the two. This will be good news to those who have loved Ivoire for decades. I am enjoying the new one so much!

I don't know where I read this, but Ivoire was supposedly inspired by Greta Garbo. I can see the rationale behind this: the fragrance is crisply elegant, sophisticated and mysterious, rather than overtly sexy. However, Ivoire, to me, suggests Grace Kelly more strongly than Garbo. Kelly was so lovely, so classy...yet she had a sex appeal that wasn't 'out there,' like her contemporaries Mariyn Monroe or Sophia Loren, but was still undeniable. Ivoire is the fragrance I go to when I need to be crisp, brisk and professional...but it still has a definite girly vibe.
On my skin, I get a green opening with aldehydes, tobacco and a very chic grassy bouquet that is reminiscent from some angles of my dearly beloved Chamade, though Ivoire is greener and lacks that plush, pollen-y, narcissus note that's in the Guerlain masterpiece. I would say that if Ivoire were a wine it would be an aged Bordeaux white: crisp but rich and subtle. I am so glad I rediscovered this!

I've been ordering Ivoire from a particular site. Several highly recommended a different e-tailer. I decided to order 3.3 oz. instead of the 1 oz. bottles I had been buying. The 1 oz. bottles had 3-5 ingredients listed on the box, but this new one has so many, I can't count them. AND, it just doesn't smell as wonderful as the first smaller bottles I had been ordering. I'm guessing I received a reformulated version? It didn't last as long either. In a few hours, it was gone. Maybe the previous poster can help me on this one. Seems I read oakmoss compared to oakmoss extract somewhere. This newer, bigger bottle has oakmoss 'extract'. I'm just so disappointed. Ivoire is a beautiful scent; they just don't make fragrances like the original Ivoire anymore. How do I find ones with just a few ingredients listed? Are they the pre-reformulation bottles?

(Vintage Review)

It opens as something I like, but then dries down to a sour and old leather.. So sad.

Ivoire de Balmain is harsh and agressive as White Linen. This fragrance could be the poor sister of Aromatic Elixir.

Starts as a very smooth floral-herbal scent, slightly aldehydic, with a definite green, weedy note. Yes! That’s the chamomile and marigold! It’s a beautiful opening. As it dries down it becomes a little soapy, but in a good way, like an upscale hotel soap.

The mild, floral-scented soap lasts for a few hours, finally declining to a subtle vanilla amber that is only evident close to the skin. I didn’t smell any oakmoss or sandalwood. Maybe I have a reformulated EdT, but I was expecting a little more oomph in the middle and base. Ivoire is a nice enough scent, I just wish it would follow through all the way with what the top notes promise.

In my opinion Ivoire is the star of the Balmain collection. I have worn it since it was introduced in the eighties, and it instantly became a favorite. I have had many compliments over the years. One in particular still stands out. I was crossing the street and passed a man going in the opposite direction. Right after I walked by him he yelled back to me "What perfume are you wearing?" I replied "Ivoire," and he said "it's beautiful." His response stuck with me because he was right, it is beautiful.

For me the opening is all aldehydes, but it settles pretty quickly into chamomile, marigold and then carnation. Then it moves into bergamot, and lemon, and on me it lingers there a while. Finally it settles into the ylang-ylang, and lily-of-the-valley, and along with the base notes of sandalwood, amber, patchouli, musk, and incense they all mingle together for the rest of the day or night. It's a very complex fragrance, but it is really "beautiful" too! As others here have said it's a Masterpiece. And remains to this day one of my favorites.

Ivoire is a "problematic" scent for me. It's elegant, green, highly recognizable and a true masterpiece - and yet - I cannot warm up to it.
Two years ago, I swapped a bottle here... then regretted the "loss", bought another bottle and swapped it again only 4 weeks ago. I always enjoy Ivoire and its powerful green notes on someone else, but I can't wear it myself. The scent turns soapy, harsh and uninviting on my skin. Nevertheless, a great classic and a must-try!
6 out of 10 points on my personal scale

A hugely refined perfume, cetainly not for a high school girl !
It's complex , rich , very noticeable , it makes an ordinary woman become a lady .

I wore this yesterday and It just burn my nose & eyes
I could not stand it . Sorry if some one wants to swap it let me know

What a perfume, what a masterpiece, what a vision this is.

For me this could be one of the most 'obligatory' must have's for us experts here. This perfume is so complex, such an 'allrounder', such a true own identity, so extremely intellectual, soooo luxurious, so communicating style and chic.

And it's just amazing that you can be ALL that for such a good price!!! EXCELLENT, 11 stars!!
***********

Ivoire has become part of my life - for more than 28 years now, it has been my favourite fragrance and still is. My mother once gave it to me for Christmas - she obviously knew me well. Every now and then I have tried other fragrances belonging to the same family, composed of comparable ingredients. But there's nothing like Ivoire! It is so complex, sophisticated and "rich", yet not overwhelming. It has a retro touch, but is not old-fashioned. I do hope Balmain is never going to change the formula and will always keep on producing this scent - I would feel incomplete without it :-)

(vintage EDT review)

So, I"m really perplexed after seeing the notes, this wears like straight up tobacco on me.

Alright, burning, dry prairie grass, if I have to be more specific. It takes about 10 minutes to get there, but once it hits this accord it's all I get.

On me this is a soft, watery tobacco, I can't say much more than that. I really, really like that it turned out this way, and big thanks to NLS for sending my way!

EIDT:
I've worn my sample 2 months now, which is easy to do since a little goes a long way. Above you can see I hit it off well with Ivoire, but went on to make a mistake: I took it to the jungle wiht me. I used just a small dab, enough to block out the gas fumes from the public bus, but I caught my seatmate turning away and coughing (and assumed it was from me).

Oh-oh. That's when I realized how loud the aldehydes really are here. And now, this is all I smell. So while I loved htis in the beginning, familiarity set in and it became too harsh. For me the aldehydes were the death blow, but if you like this note in general you should be OK.

I don't know if this is a Je Reviens tribute or knock-off. My guess is Balmain started with the Worth then filled in some holes with artemesia, vanilla and carnation. In any case, the final result is satisfying and unbelievably priced. The initial opening can feel like a synthetic blast, like the aldehydes want to get out of town. As it warms, the spices and florals develop, with the sweetness of the orange and violet balanced by marigold (like movie blood would smell) and musk. The effect is like the best soap in the world, like an outside shower in the summer after the beach.

I am glad I didn't purchase this unsniffed-my skin just amplified the pepper and carnation--I smelled like lemon pepper all night. However, I did spill some from the sample and had to clean the mess with a tissue--and that tissue smelled sooo good. You could hardly detect the pepper, the aldehydes weren't screaming, I could smell the lemon, a hint of spice, and something "plummy" for lack of a better term--the tissue smelled terrific. My skin did not.

I received this perfume today and it is a lovely floral classic. It is luxurious sweet green and warm scent. Classic and elegant.Love it.

Grassy, green, fresh and flowery, elegant, classy, sophisticated, mature. A combination of great notes, amongst which I detect aldehydes and lilly of the valley especially. All in all, a superb perfume. I hope this fragrance will never be discontinued as it is a real olfactory treasure.

Fruity floral? No way! This a glorious soapy & dusty melange of flowers and aromatic herbage. So vintage, elegant and delicate, something a real 'lady' would wear. To an afternoon picnic in a beautiful park.

Nothng is wrong in Ivoire world. It is a smooth, happy place blooming with sunshine and puppies. Absolutely gorgeous experience.

Ivoire de Balmain leaves me speechless, yet constantly inhaling my wrists. It is unique and distinct, yet very refined. It is a beautiful blend of greens, soft florals, zesty lemon, sensual undertones...all of which share the limelight and don't attempt to overshadow each other. I, too, disagree about this scent being similar to Chanel #5. It's as classy, don't get me wrong, but Ivoire holds her own. She is definitely an "uptown lady", yet not afraid to be womanly. I can definitely understand how Balmain was inspired by an elusive, mysterious woman in a pale silk gown. I see, in my mind, other women...one with dark eyes in a cashmere coat standing in front of her favorite portrait at one of the many art museums she visits. She never overtly responds to it, but stands, absorbing it before quietly and gracefully walking to the next piece. Another is sitting quietly in a leather jacket at her favorite coffee house enjoying a jazz set on a rainy Friday evening. Still another catches the eye of an admirer in the dark while attending an opera, and doesn't immediately look away. This scent is not "friendly", or "cute", or "girlie", or "come-and-get-me"...it's more discerning, more introspective, yet very direct. It represents a woman who may seem unapproachable until you get to know her, IF she lets you get to know her. To some, she may seem "cat-like", beautiful and alluring yet distant and aloof. But, for those she lets into her world, she is an expressive, intriguing, intelligent, sensual treasure! She may seem guarded, but it's for good reason...she knows she's "quality", and that that's worth protecting. She's not vain, just very selective. This perfume says, "lady", but directly under the surface, it says, "woman"...and how it remains soft yet energizing absolutely amazes me! I have fallen in love with this fragrance, and may have to purchase it by the case! Please, Balmain...do not tamper with this masterpiece formula! This is beautiful!!

The opening is lovely and sweetly flowery, oozing innocence, but without mature personality.
Then..... as if night settles and night bloomers start to open up.
Sharp fragrance of flowers and incense rise.
It reminds me of a secluded and empty little church where there is a continual presence of awe and burning incense.
A literally angelic presence.
As for me, this is the parfum that covers me emotionally and pleases me the most.

Ivory are great, are difficult to describe - associated me with luxuorious soap and with garden after the rain, with the smell .... porcelain dolls too. It depends how you look on it.
This aroma is very sophisticated, though restrained as Greta Garbo, who loved parfum Ivoiry. Yes, this smell is an ideal fragrance portrait of Greta Garbo and sometimes ...mine.
I am very picky and have very little perfume, but Ivory I have two bottles. It is brilliant!

This is a masterpiece. I think they got the category mixed up with the Eau D'Ivoire. The regular Ivoire is the floral green and the Eau D'ivoire is the Floral Fruity.
Good luck!
Action

Ivoire is complex, addictive, elegant and one of the loveliest perfumes I've ever smelled.

It's grassy, sharp and energising to begin with but settles down to a lovely soft, fruity, honeyed smell which is gorgeous. The raspberry is the most prominent note on me at that stage but it's not a cheap, candy-like fruitiness which pervades a lot of current perfumes and is much softer, sexy, warm and stylish than that. It's a surprisingly timeless, womanly and sexy perfume and makes me feel great when I wear it. I actually can't wait to wear it and always get excited now when I put it on. I agree with one reviewer here who said it's not for sissies and It takes a confident, self-assured woman to be able to pull it off. A couple of reviewers here though have compared it to Chanel No.5 and Chanel No.19 but I totally disagree and I don't think either of those perfumes come anywhere near to being as lovely as Ivoire. It's a very unique perfume and I couldn't begin to compare it to any other I've ever smelled.

I have a large collection of perfumes but Ivoire has become one of my all-time favorites and I couldn't be without now.

Gosh, I usually can't stand aldehydes due to their spinstery strictness but Ivoire- it's divine!! Haughty as it should be but with a sexy outdoorsy feel to it, probably from the camomile which is evident to my nose (This is what Caleche should smell like!)and an initial blast of narcissus akin to 'First'. It's a very expensive and luxurious smelling scent for the price and I don't think it's dated. Ivoire is a green floral to me yet stands alone as a little masterpeice next to No 19 and Cristalle, warmer than either and just as sophisticated. It's reminiscent of golden summer fields after the hay has been cut. It does remind me of'Camay' in a lovely retro way - visions of blondes with pinned up hair bathing in 70's style - flake chocolate bar optional!!

I somehow obtained a mini-bottle of this when I was sixteen. I fell in love with the "exotic" lovely name and the little glass bottle. To my sixteen year old nose, it just smelled good and sophisticated...like the woman I wanted to some day grow up to be. PS: I ended up taking that bottle with me to summer camp that year. Turned out to be a special summer...met my first love and lost my virginity. This perfume is indeed, magical.

Thank you darlingbuds for the extra sample! You definitely hit my taste on the mark :)

I wouldn't classify this as fruity floral myself. The general feel of Ivoire is very chypre-like, arid and rich.

The opening is just wow oh wow green herbal bomb. I'm a huge sucker for charmomile, and Ivoire doesn't skimp out on us here. It's green, sharp, a little high-pitched, but massively invigorating. It doesn't stop there - Ivoire then takes me to a dry flower/citrus. Feisty carnation, dried lemon zest, crackling patchouli, preserved rose petals with pepper and cinnamon thrown on top. This dry atmosphere isn't the unbearable aridity of a desert; rather, it reminds me of an aged wooden chair at an antique shop and a scratchy cushion thrown on top. Aged, anitque, adorably abrasive. Old lady IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE. The basenotes gently appear to cushion the flowers as they depart. Moss moss moss and raspberry preserve! I'm smitten.

And the price is ridiculous. $10 a pop?! Highly recommend.

Today I continued my foray into Pierre Balmain's collection, having worn MISS BALMAIN for longer than I had anticipated (I awoke this morning still wrapped in a faint aura of dried leather..).

I was pleasantly surprised by IVOIRE, which hit me initially with its retro-lemon edge. Yet Ivoire has a very classic, elegant feeling, and a truly unique personality that I was really not expecting. The aldehydes here are faint, as are the florals, to my nose. The lemon persisted throughout all phases while making room for a complex melange of spicey and chypre-like elements. I was feeling coriander, but now that I look at the list of notes, I see that it might have been pepper and asafoetida instead.

This is a very warm fragrance with zero sweetness, not really "fruity" at all, since lemon and bergamot are sharp condiments, not edible fruits. I find that the lemon really commands attention here, imparting an acrid juiciness to an otherwise dry, shadowy scent.

Very deep dark smoky scent! Its beautiful and curves to the oriental scents according to my nose. Its very powerful. I will always love this though I don't ware it anymore.

Got this from my aunt (yes, the KL aunt) back in high school. From the reviews, it appears to be gorgeous on the right person, but on me, there was just a very sharp lemon scent, and then nothing.

Green, crisp, coolness layered over warmth and honey. I would never have described this as a fruity floral. It is more like friends and family of Chanel No. 19--but more accessible, and with a classic, yet not old-fashioned appeal. Nice, lasting sillage. An elegant, must-have scent.

Ivoire is so feminine, elegant creamy, fruity and well balanced scent,nothing stands out or is strange, this is the woman in the full sense, a little coquettish, but aristocratic, a fragrance that leaves a good impression. There is a bit strange start and then it seems a bit retro, but after ten minutes becomes perfectly blended with the skin, lasts a long time although EDT.
Reminiscent of the fineness Caleche but not by a fragrant note. While Caleche distant, Ivoire is warm, feminine fragrance. Both fragrances are very sophisticated. Ivoire has a fullness that always inspired me. For me this is one of the 10 best perfume ever.

chypre, floral, green and a bit fruity.
A little old to my nose, but I like this, remember me sophistication.

Ivoire de Balmain is the fragrance of my childhood. My mother still wears it today, so I could not even try to write an objective review :) Ivoire is one of my all time favourites. I love its metallic, green start, its non sweet floral notes and its complex and wonderful dry down. Elegant, timeless and hopefully they will never change its formula to adapt to todays consumers' taste.

There are a lot of canation smell but nice and soapy so so sophisticated and classy perfums I have 3 bottle to get so i am happy and I feel like rich woman .

To me, Ivoire de Balmain smells like a flower garden after a summer shower. I do however find it a bit too strong for a hot day and prefer to wear this in cooler weather at night. It's combination of floral top and middle notes combine beautifully with it's more sensuous base notes. Following a slightly soapy smelling phase, it softens quite powdery on my skin and is a fragrance I choose when I want to feel pampered and elegant. It's not for sissies!

When I asked for recommendations on a Balmain scent to try, multiple Fragrantica members responded with this suggestion. As always, the friendly perfume lovers on this website are full of good advice. :-)

With Ivoire de Balmain, it was love at first sniff! It's such a beautiful, sophisticated and timeless fragrance, perfect for any age.

There's a lot going on with this scent. I get a dry citrus floral to start, which dries down to a clean, soapy green scent. About three hours in, the beautiful incense and vetiver emerge. I don't detect a lot of the sweeter notes like carnation, raspberry and vanilla, but I suspect they are softening what could have been a sharper green accord in the hands of a less-talented perfumer.

Ivoire is a skillful blend of diverse aromas that every woman ought to try. There's truly something in this scent for lovers of every fragrance category, and the price is very affordable for such a masterpiece!

Ivoire de Balmain used to be Greta Garbo's signature perfume...

Starts out with a blast of galbanum and reminds me quite a bit of Chanel No. 19 (which I love). However, instead of the warm and elegant heart and mesmerizing leather-vetiver drydown of 19, Ivoire becomes a clean-soap, nondescript floral with a faintly mossy base.

With all those basenotes, where did the drydown go? It's all soap and moss on me. I'd love to have the "rosy, honeyed warmth" Leesee describes, but I'm not getting it.

Edit: I wasn't waiting long enough, or possibly spritzing enough volume! Recently, I sprayed it on one evening after supper, and the next morning, my wrists smelled divine - plush and honeyed is correct. I DO have to grit my teeth through the soapy-moss stage, which I dislike and which lasts a couple of hours on me, but the sweet ending is worth it.

FURTHER EDIT: As my tastes have grown, Ivoire has grown on me. Its slightly-bitter edge is perfect and refreshing in summer humidity, with that honeyed drydown arriving after the sun goes down. It's beautiful.

The opening notes of this scent are cool and tourmaline green, with a refreshing, tart quality that borders on bitterness, while the drydown is all rosy, honeyed warmth -- plush and inviting. An elegant and intensely feminine fragrance.

Ivoire is a truly sophisticated luxurious perfume, perfect for the elegant and empowered moments of life. It's aura of complex florals and sensuous basenotes are always right for feeling classy, expensive and chic. I get many compliments while wearing this one.

Belle de Sud

When I was 14, I tried it the very first time. It was too loud to wear everyday and even on special occasions at that age, but I fell upon it`s bitter charms and wore it to bed, dreaming about growing up. It is very complicated and bright, starts out green and shrill, but quiets down to honey and herbs. I still love it, but it started to give me a headache. It`s not cozy anymore in bed too. But - sometimes I still wear it just to feel it`s heartbeat.

Ivoire was one of the fragrances that I bought "blind". It's one of the sophisticated and classy perfums I ever had.
While introducing this creation, Pierre Balmain explained that, a couple of years beforehand, during the premiere of an opera in Paris, he had had an almost abstract vision of the ideal woman, the woman of one's dreams par excellence. Amdist the red velvet in the loge, he caught a glimpse of the lumious silhouette of a woman in pale silk - elegant and distant. He retained this image in his mind's eye and began to imagine a perfume inspired by this woman.

Energising like lying on a freshly cut grass among meadow flowers. Nice scent!

P.S. There's a mistake in the spelling of name - should be IVOIRE, not IVORIE