Crème Fraiche (BM 2023-70) vs Mascarpone (BM AF-20)
Illustrative room. Screen colors vary; test a sample before you paint.
Quick decision
- Lighter
- Mascarpone, LRV 89 vs 87.8.
- Warmer
- Crème Fraiche (Lab b* 13.3 vs 7.3). Crème Fraiche reads yellow; Mascarpone reads warm white.
- North rooms
- Mascarpone drifts less gray (chroma drop 3.9 vs 4.5); both keep about the same brightness.
- Trim that works
- French Canvas BM 1514, #E5E3D4, LRV 74.1: the Benjamin Moore white closest in hue to both.
- Closeness
- deltaE 4.2, noticeably different. At 4.2, test both: on a full wall the difference will show.
See each color
Crème Fraiche (BM 2023-70) is about as light as Mascarpone (BM AF-20) and warmer: LRV 87.8 vs 89, deltaE 4.2 (noticeably different).
Side by side
| Measure | Crème Fraiche | Mascarpone | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Benjamin Moore | Benjamin Moore | |
| Color code | 2023-70 | AF-20 | |
| Hex | #FBF8DD | #F8F7E8 | |
| RGB | 251, 248, 221 | 248, 247, 232 | |
| HSL | 54°, 79%, 93% | 56°, 53%, 94% | |
| LRV (light reflectance value) | 87.8 | 89 | −1.3 |
| Lab L* | 97.2 | 96.9 | +0.2 |
| Lab a* | -3.5 | -2.2 | −1.2 |
| Lab b* | 13.3 | 7.3 | +6.0 |
| Undertone | Warm Yellow | Neutral | |
| Temperature | warm | warm | |
| Color family | Beige | Off-white |
Same paint, two kinds of light
Crème Fraiche (BM 2023-70), published as #FBF8DD
#EAEDDB
#FFFFD9
Mascarpone (BM AF-20), published as #F8F7E8
#E6ECE6
#FFFFE5
These swatches and the rooms above are a simulation, not a measurement. How the visualizer works
Which should you pick
Rules of thumb computed from the LRV and Lab values in the table above; no room test was done.
- Pick Mascarpone (BM AF-20) for a small room or a north-facing room, because it is 1.3 LRV points lighter (89 vs 87.8), so it bounces back more of the limited light
- Pick Mascarpone (BM AF-20) for a south-facing room, because its Lab b* is 7.3 against 13.3, so it is the cooler of the two and offsets warm direct sun
- Pick Crème Fraiche (BM 2023-70) to warm a north-facing room, because it is the warmer of the two (Lab b* 13.3), which counters cool indirect light
Closest matches to Crème Fraiche in other brands
Closest matches to Mascarpone in other brands
Common questions
- Is Crème Fraiche the same color as Mascarpone?
- They are noticeably different: a CIEDE2000 difference of 4.2. Most people can see the difference between Crème Fraiche and Mascarpone side by side.
- Which is lighter, Crème Fraiche or Mascarpone?
- Mascarpone, with an LRV of 89 against 87.8.
Full pages
Related comparisons
Sources: LRV and hex from Benjamin Moore technical data (verified 2026-10-02). Color differences are CIEDE2000 values computed by this site from the hex values (data snapshot 2026-10-01). Color names and codes belong to their manufacturers.