Balmain • Ivoire • Fragrances

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coolfreshair on 10/21/2012 4:31:00 PM more reviews by coolfreshair

Age: 25-29   Skin: Dry   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

First thing I got upon spraying this was a blast of green. Woah! Cut grass, lush green foliage, ivy, moss ... made my eyes water.

However, once the shock of the green tones have passed you're left with a strange soapy aroma.

I have to admit I'm not sure about this one. The green is way too intense initially, but the drydown is very different. It's ALMOST pleasant. I do like the creamy soapiness (I know the soapy smell isn't for everyone) but there's a strange undertone which doesn't sit well with me. I find it a bit annoying.

The perfume is certainly different and I DID purchase this as, at the time, I quite liked the drydown but after wearing it for a day I'm not so sure. It COULD be nice ... but there's something in the drydown just ruining the whole scent,

I wasn't aware this was an older scent as it seems to have been 'rebranded' and relaunched with new packaging but I think I will set this down to rest for now and see how I feel about it in a few months time.

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*TOP REVIEWER* highrise on 10/17/2012 9:39:00 PM more reviews by highrise

Age: 36-43   Skin: Other, Fair, Cool   Hair: Other   Eyes: Brown    

Ivoire can be one of those 'difficult' perfumes. Circa 1980, its intense green chypre character is a little standoffish and tightly buttoned. When I picked it up unsniffed for $10 a decade ago I tried it and almost recoiled. This was back before I discovered that one can come to appreciate - and even adore - perfumes that were once hated (oh, to have those tossed bottles back!).
Ivoire is a very unique scent that is easy to admire, a little harder to like.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* Olfactoria on 1/23/2012 5:24:00 PM more reviews by Olfactoria

Age: 36-43   Skin: Normal, Fair   Hair: Red   Eyes: Brown    

I have heavenly memories of this from the early '80s, but the tester bottle I got a few years ago shattered those memories. I suspect the scent has been reformulated for mass distribution on eBay and TJ's, but I also suspect that what passed for a "light, soapy green floral" 30 years ago is actually fairly ponderous and dark by today's standards. I have the same feeling about Norell and Fidji-- when I re-sniffed after decades, I was surprised by how smoky, dark, and claustrophobic they seemed. Ivoire does start out with a promise of pure, green grass and lilies, but it then takes a musty turn that reminds me of sweat and cigarette smoke. Can't manage it.

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*TOP REVIEWER* felgoj on 1/20/2011 11:59:00 AM more reviews by felgoj

Age: 36-43   Skin: Dry, Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

Oh horrible...

I bought this sight-unseen (or maybe I should say smell-unsniffed) from eBay b/c I didn't know where else it might be sold to test it first.
I read someone's review that said it smells clean & very similar to Estee Lauder's White Linen ... it entirely does not.

While White Linen remains one of my all-time favorite scents (in fact it's my signature fragrance), Ivoire is a loser with me. It reminds me more of Norell, which is a classic old-lady scent, but Ivoire is even more old-lady & cheaper smelling.

I couldn't even wait for it to dry down. Having tried desperately to remove it from my wrist with rubbing alcohol, it would not come off completely. Even spraying Haiku on top of it hasn't helped...I still smell Ivoire.

Blech, I dislike this scent intensely. It brings back too many Norell memories, & that's a scent I no longer care for at all. I'm sorry that I took the chance on this & risked $15. So many positive reviews on this fragrance...I wish I felt the same.

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opiumfan on 11/5/2010 4:32:00 PM more reviews by opiumfan

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

Beautiful, soapy, creamy fragrance that I've discovered recently. It's rather strong and has a lasting power. Very pleasant, ideal for the office, but could be worn in any occasion. I also find it very chic. I love everything about it including rather cheap looking bottle. It's one of almost forgotten little treasures that can be found at a ridiculously low price.

5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* atomic_girl on 9/18/2010 5:26:00 PM more reviews by atomic_girl

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brown, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

I found a 100 mL bottle (I tend to forget how HUGE those 100 mL bottles are) of Ivoire at Winners for $25. Remembering its description as a classic green-woody floral, I picked it up, as it looked sort of lonely and neglected on the store shelf. I'm guessing that Ivoire has been reformulated since its 1979 release; I get a light green floral with lily of the valley and an underlying cumin-like funk that keeps it from seeming too clean or soapy. The bottle is horrifically cheap looking.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* KKAI on 7/14/2010 8:58:00 AM more reviews by KKAI

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Red, Curly, Coarse   Eyes: Hazel    

A classic! Old-school perfume that falls into the soapy category while remaining sophisticated and classy. Very strong initially but softens soon and the flowery base blossoms. Very beautiful and feminine but more on the "mature" side. Good staying power and sillage. I would definitely buy a full bottle of that, not for everyday but for the few occasions that I feel very elegant and lady-like.

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*TOP REVIEWER* foe on 5/24/2010 12:29:00 AM more reviews by foe

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily, Olive   Hair: Brunette, Curly, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

This is a very polite scent. The kind of perfume you'd wear if you had to be in a big room with other people all day -- the office, a classroom, meetings, etc. It's not exactly a skin scent (it has a quietly persistent sillage) but it's not loud in any way. Which is sometimes exactly what a girl needs.

Ivoire is pretty -- after a surprisingly sharp opening it settles into soapy florals with a delicious and complex dry down. I like its evolution on my skin and I love its lasting power. It smells classy, it smells sophisticated and well-behaved.

That said: meh. Or perhaps I should say: meh? That's the thing about a complex drydown, it's always changing. I will commit to this: on the occasions that I need to be polite and not cause olfactory offense, I'd probably reach for Frederic Malle En Passant or L'Artisan Parfumeur Mimosa Pour Moi (both of which I want with a passion). What Ivoire has going for it is that I actually own it...and you can, too, because it's a steal at the e-tailers.

EDIT: I just wore this fragrance today, which was very sunny and very hot. Ivoire was the perfect choice: I felt cool, I felt refreshed and pulled together. A very elegant scent.

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Mazenderan on 12/27/2009 8:35:00 AM more reviews by Mazenderan

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Red   Eyes: Brown    

I bought this due to reviews I had read which liken it to Chanel 19. While I can see what the reviewers mean, I would say that anyone buying it expecting a Chanel 19 'dupe' will be disappointed.

That being said, I like Ivoire on its own merits. The intensely green, soapy topnotes were initially a shock to the system, but I really enjoy them now. The fragrance then warms up and turns a little sweeter.

The only negative comment I would make is that I don't seem to get the woody drydown with this fragrance.

Unusual and classic scent. I really like it. Available reasonably cheaply, too.

Update - you do get a woody drydown if you are a bit more liberal with application. And very lovely it is too. I bought Ivoire hoping for a Chanel 19 dupe, but now I like it for its own elegant self. Will definitely repurchase.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Dagney on 7/25/2009 10:27:00 PM more reviews by Dagney

Age: 30-35   Skin: Acne-prone, Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

Top notes are aldehydes, chamomile, asafoetida, mandarin orange, violet, artemisia, marigold, bergamot and lemon; middle notes are nutmeg, carnation, cinnamon, narcissus, pepper, orris root, jasmine, turkish rose, neroli, ylang-ylang and lily-of-the-valley; base notes are sandalwood, tonka bean, amber, patchouli, musk, raspberry, vanilla, oakmoss, vetiver and incense. Soapy, green, floral. The drydown is absolutely wonderful. However, the opening and heart of the fragrance have a very smoky quality (I'm thinking from the pepper) that makes this different from your average green floral. I find the smokiness to be a bit too much for me and it's a long wait to the drydown. Very reasonably priced on etailers.

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*TOP REVIEWER* marshmello on 6/23/2009 11:13:00 AM more reviews by marshmello

Age: 36-43   Skin: Normal, Dark   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I'm surprised that I actually like this. I normally hate this type of fragrance as they seem too cloying and dated but there's something about Ivoire that's so elegant and classy. A bit powdery with hints of spicyness and a tad of soap. I feel sexy, sophisticated and confident with this beautiful scent. It reminds me of a Chanel fragrance. The cheap looking bottle could have been improved. With juice this luxurious, you need a magnificent bottle. UPDATE: After trying to wear this a couple times, I had to toss it. I kept feeling too dated with the mature smelling fragrance. I need something more modern.

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*TOP REVIEWER* May_Bee on 6/16/2009 11:48:00 AM more reviews by May_Bee

Age: 30-35   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

Of all my perfumes, this one has the most interesting evolution on my skin. I've never smelled Ivory soap, and Ivoire doesn't strike me as soapy at any stage but it goes through every other variation - first very green, then spicy-floral, then heavy-clean-floral, then sandalwood, and finally incense. I only have a little bottle and I mainly wear it in summer but it fascinates me every time as it's like wearing five great scents in one day. I feel Ivoire has been let down by its packaging and marketing, and is underservedly being dismissed as a result - another example of the degree to which perceptions of perfumes are shaped by the cachet of the brand and the success of the advertising campaign.

5 out of 6 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* Shadow_Witch on 5/17/2009 2:53:00 PM more reviews by Shadow_Witch

Age: 36-43   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium, Cool   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

Let me preface by stating that I am dyed in the wool chypre girl. I ordered Ivoire sight-unsniffed based on the glowing reviews on P'ville and I am bitterly disappointed. On my (and two other people I had try it) skin Ivoire is a hot mess of disorganized notes that keep switching seats with each other and even when they settle down, smell unsettled. I'm sorry but this is not a chypre. This is a failed bombastic 1980's floral with a body odour note that is so unpleasant it's distracting. It literally smells like a powdery floral sprayed on to cover up unwashed human. I wear Chanel No.19 and I assure you that there is absolutely no remote similarity between the two of them. I would also like to address the comments that it smells like Ivory soap, I think people make associations because of the name. Just like the reviews for Tartine et Chocolat that claim they smell chocolate in soft floral and citrus fragrances because they associate the name brand somehow and 'think' they smell something. Anyway, back to Ivoire. I am envious of you who can wear this because the price is right. Unfortunately on me it's awful, period.

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blacktaffeta on 4/9/2009 11:37:00 AM more reviews by blacktaffeta

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Cool   Hair: Brown, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

Strange! I can hardly smell this, and sloshed it on my wrists to get any impression at all - yet the response from my dh and ds was "spicy" and "strong". To me it seems to live up to its name - ivory, i.e. pale and inoffesive and not very interesting.

There was certainly a brief blast of mandarin at first, then a lot of white flower - and then the note I dislike, which I think will be the tagetes. We often had French marigolds in the garden when I was little and the scent is so distinctive - I didn't like it then and I don't now.

So I'd have given it 2 lippies but dh like it, so 3 is the compromise. I shall try again with this one though - I want to love it.

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*TOP REVIEWER* lvpoetess on 2/26/2009 5:21:00 PM more reviews by lvpoetess

Age: 36-43   Skin: Very Oily   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Other    

Ivoire is a green floral, but on me it is not at all soapy or powdery. I love soap and powder, so I kept waiting, but on me this is all about the sharp opening. I prefer no 19 if I want a green fragrance, but this is much less expensive, and I can imagine it being lovely on someone else (green scents seem to stay sharp on my skin.) Practically free online, it's so cheap. Why not give it a try?

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slapper on 1/20/2009 2:04:00 PM more reviews by slapper

Age: 44-55   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Other    

I was wearing Ivoire when I first met my husband, 29 years ago and loved it so much I wore only Ivoire during my late teens and early twenties (and some clothes, obviously). Well, I was seduced by other perfumes over the years, I'm sorry to say, but still remembered my first love fondly after the last bottle ran out. Then I happened to see a bottle in TK Maxx the other day; the thought that it might be about the be discontinued preyed on my mind until I was driven to go back today and repurchase a bottle for old times' sake after all these years. Darling Ivoire, you're still every bit as gorgeous as I remember. Don't judge this scent for half an hour at least - the complex, sophisticated, creamy, green deliciousness of the drydown continues to unfold for hours. It's just so perfect, I can't stop sniffing my wrist - a clean, soft, close-up scent, like sexy soap! I can't think of any occasion where it would be inappropriate, but I can think of a few where it would be just the ticket. It feels like I've rediscovered 'essence of me'; now I know at last it's definitely 'the one'. There's nothing quite like first love..

6 out of 7 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

elaborate on 1/9/2009 7:25:00 PM more reviews by elaborate

Age: Unknown   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

TBC, notes from Parfums Balmain website: Family: Floral, Woody, Fruity. Notes: Mandarin, Bergamot, Galbanum // Rose, Jasmin, Ylang-Ylang, Iris, Lily of the valley, French Marigold (Tagetes patula) // Vetiver, Patchouli, Oakmoss, Sandalwood, Ladbanum, Tonka beans.

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magicalhope on 1/7/2009 2:36:00 PM more reviews by magicalhope

Age: 44-55   Skin: Normal   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Hazel    

Ivoire was a special gift to me years ago and I loved it from the first moment I tried it. It's very light and femine on me and yet somehow mysterious and has a sophisticated elegance about it. Remains to this day one of my alltime favourites. I would give it a 10 if I could as I love it that much.

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Kit20 on 12/30/2008 10:11:00 AM more reviews by Kit20

Age: 44-55   Skin: Normal, Fair   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

I cannot agree with those who find this fragrance soapy at all. it begins on me as a light green floral and quickly developes into a deep and mysterious chypre reminscent of Magie. I can see the similarities with Chanel 19 but only with the perfume. Chanel EDT is much less musky and dark. This is a classic scent reminiscent of the 50's - the kind of scent my Mum used to wear back then. It is sophisticated and elegant with very good staying power. I think you have to be old enough to appreciate this one, and to have smelled a lot of different perfumes throughout your life to realise how special it is.

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* snake_hips on 12/28/2008 5:36:00 PM more reviews by snake_hips

Age: 36-43   Skin: Sensitive, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Green    

I used to think I hated chypres, but it turns out I just hated Aromatics Elixir, LOL! I am so glad that you ladies talked this one up enough for me to give it a try, when normally the word "chypre" sent me running for the hills. I think it is similar to Chanel No 19 (which I also like, just not quite as much). I am wearing it on a cold winter day for a pick-me-up, as it reminds me of spring. I think when the weather warms up this is going to be on me every day! It makes me think of fresh flowers and cut grass and a light breeze.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No