Fragrance comparison

Arcadia vs Basic Black

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

Updated 13 Oct 2026 432 ratings analysed

5 wins

Arcadia

Paradis des Sens

4.2075 votes

Rank #10,115 WoodySoft Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

35%scent match

Some overlap

Basic Black

Bill Blass

3.86357 votes

Rank #3,376 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Arcadia takes 5 of 7 categories.

Arcadia
Choose it for a woody and soft spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear.
Basic Black
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Arcadia5/7

Basic Black2/7

Ratings & consensus: Arcadia
Community sentiment: Arcadia
Longevity: Arcadia
Sillage & projection: Arcadia
Value for money: Basic Black
Versatility: Arcadia
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Basic Black

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ArcadiaParadis des Sens

Basic BlackBill Blass

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.20/ 5 · 75 votes

Have 32%Had 12%Want 56%

3.86/ 5 · 357 votes

Have 70%Had 30%Want 0%

Category winnerArcadiaRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

56%Love

24%Like

7%Ok

11%Dislike

3%Hate

75 votes

37%Love

41%Like

4%Ok

17%Dislike

1%Hate

313 votes

Category winnerArcadiaMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity77

〰 Sillage69

♥ Love / hate80

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate74

Category winners

LongevityArcadia

SillageArcadia

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value62

¤ Price value78

Category winnerBasic BlackBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

soft spicy83%

patchouli65%

aromatic48%

powdery30%

warm spicy100%

woody92%

amber84%

floral77%

powdery69%

aromatic61%

Scent match35%Some overlap · both woody, aromatic and powdery

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

Pink PepperCorianderVioletTangerine

Heart2-4 hrs

CedarPatchouliOakmoss

Base8-10 hrs

Woody NotesVanillaAmbergrisBenzoin

Top

CarnationYlang-YlangPlumCardamomPeachMandarin OrangeBergamot

Heart

HoneyCorianderRoseTuberoseVioletJasmine

Base

OakmossPatchouliCivetAmberMuskBenzoinSandalwoodStyrax

InformationalShared notesCoriander, Violet, Patchouli and Oakmoss. Durations are only published for Arcadia, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring97

Summer84

Fall0

Winter100

Day67

Night100

Spring53

Summer34

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerArcadiaMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men33

Unisex63

Women5

Date 32%Work 27%Casual 23%Party 19%

Men2

Unisex40

Women58

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#10,115

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews7

Overall rank#3,376

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews71

Category winnerBasic BlackHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Arcadia by Paradis des Sens kicks off with a sharp blast of bright tangerine and cracked pink pepper. That initial citrus sparkle quickly collides with crisp coriander and green violet leaves. The opening is punchy. Within twenty minutes, earthy patchouli, clean cedar, and bitter oakmoss take control of the sillage. T…

Reviews →

Basic Black by Bill Blass is a spicy, mossy floral chypre with a vintage dressed-up attitude. Reviewers often notice carnation, coriander, oakmoss, musk and honeyed florals, with an opening that can feel sharp, soapy or animalic before it settles. It suits people who enjoy bold 80s and early 90s style perfumes, powder…

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, Arcadia or Basic Black?

Arcadia takes 5 of 7 categories. Arcadia is rated 4.20/5 from 75 votes; Basic Black is rated 3.86/5 from 357 votes. Choose Arcadia for a woody and soft spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Basic Black for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Arcadia or Basic Black?

Arcadia lasts longest (Arcadia 77/100, Basic Black 69/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Arcadia or Basic Black?

Arcadia projects furthest (Arcadia 69/100, Basic Black 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Arcadia and Basic Black smell similar?

Some overlap: a 35% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, aromatic and powdery accords. Common notes include Coriander, Violet, Patchouli and Oakmoss.

Is Arcadia or Basic Black better for summer or winter?

For summer, Arcadia is the stronger pick. For winter, Arcadia is the stronger pick. Arcadia suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Arcadia and Basic Black?

Arcadia has top notes of Pink Pepper, Coriander, Violet and Tangerine, heart notes of Cedar, Patchouli and Oakmoss, a base of Woody Notes, Vanilla, Ambergris and Benzoin. Basic Black has top notes of Carnation, Ylang-Ylang, Plum and Cardamom, heart notes of Honey, Coriander, Rose and Tuberose, a base of Oakmoss, Patchouli, Civet and Amber.