Fragrance comparison

Basic Black vs Cabotine

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

Updated 13 Nov 2026 5,582 ratings analysed

Basic Black

Bill Blass

3.86357 votes

Rank #3,732 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

43%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Cabotine

Grès

3.685,225 votes

Rank #1,591 FloralWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Cabotine takes 4 of 7 categories.

Basic Black
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in winter.
Cabotine
Choose it for a floral and white floral character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring.

Basic Black3/7

Cabotine4/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Basic BlackBill Blass

CabotineGrès

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.86/ 5 · 357 votes

Have 70%Had 30%Want 0%

3.68/ 5 · 5,225 votes

Have 64%Had 36%Want 0%

Category winnerBasic BlackRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

37%Love

41%Like

4%Ok

17%Dislike

1%Hate

313 votes

28%Love

41%Like

6%Ok

23%Dislike

3%Hate

5,225 votes

Category winnerBasic BlackMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity74

〰 Sillage69

♥ Love / hate67

Category winners

LongevityCabotine

SillageCabotine

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value78

¤ Price value84

Category winnerCabotineBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

woody92%

amber84%

floral77%

powdery69%

aromatic61%

floral100%

white floral92%

aromatic84%

green77%

fruity69%

woody61%

Scent match43%Some overlap · both floral, woody and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

CarnationYlang-YlangPlumCardamomPeachMandarin OrangeBergamot

Heart

HoneyCorianderRoseTuberoseVioletJasmine

Base

OakmossPatchouliCivetAmberMuskBenzoinSandalwoodStyrax

Top

CorianderOrange BlossomCassiaBlack CurrantPlumTangerinePeach

Heart

TuberoseHiacynthCarnationJasmineGingerYlang-YlangRoseFreesia

Base

CivetMuskVetiverSandalwoodCedarAmberTonka BeanVanilla

InformationalShared notesCarnation, Ylang-Ylang, Plum and Peach. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring53

Summer34

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter38

Day–

Night–

Category winnerBasic BlackMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex40

Women58

Men1

Unisex11

Women88

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#3,732

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews71

Overall rank#1,591

PerfumerJean Claude Delville

Launched—

Reviews206

Category winnerCabotineHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

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 →

Cabotine by Grès is a Floral fragrance for women. Cabotine was launched in 1990. The nose behind this fragrance is Jean Claude Delville. Top notes are Coriander, Orange Blossom, Cassia, Black Currant, Plum, Tangerine and Peach; middle notes are Tuberose, Hiacynth, Carnation, Jasmine, Ginger, Ylang-Ylang, Rose, Freesia…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Basic Black or Cabotine?

Cabotine takes 4 of 7 categories. Basic Black is rated 3.86/5 from 357 votes; Cabotine is rated 3.68/5 from 5,225 votes. Choose Basic Black for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in winter. Choose Cabotine for a floral and white floral character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Basic Black or Cabotine?

Cabotine lasts longest (Cabotine 74/100, Basic Black 69/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Basic Black or Cabotine?

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

Do Basic Black and Cabotine smell similar?

Some overlap: a 43% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share floral, woody and aromatic accords. Common notes include Carnation, Ylang-Ylang, Plum and Peach.

Is Basic Black or Cabotine better for summer or winter?

For summer, Basic Black is the stronger pick. For winter, Basic Black is the stronger pick. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Basic Black and Cabotine?

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. Cabotine has top notes of Coriander, Orange Blossom, Cassia and Black Currant, heart notes of Tuberose, Hiacynth, Carnation and Jasmine, a base of Civet, Musk, Vetiver and Sandalwood.