Fragrance comparison

Basic Black vs Cereal Break

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 466 ratings analysed

6 wins

Basic Black

Bill Blass

3.86357 votes

Rank #3,552 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

5%scent match

Clearly different

Cereal Break

Claudio Zucca Parfums

3.39109 votes

Rank #44,383 SweetLactonic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Basic Black takes 6 of 7 categories.

Basic Black
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.
Cereal Break
Choose it for a sweet and lactonic character. Wins on versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Basic Black6/7

Cereal Break1/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Basic BlackBill Blass

Cereal BreakClaudio Zucca Parfums

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.86/ 5 · 357 votes

Have 70%Had 30%Want 0%

3.39/ 5 · 109 votes

Have 13%Had 5%Want 82%

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

28%Like

16%Ok

12%Dislike

17%Hate

109 votes

Category winnerBasic BlackMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity59

〰 Sillage51

♥ Love / hate60

Category winners

LongevityBasic Black

SillageBasic Black

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value78

¤ Price value40

Category winnerBasic BlackBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family

warm spicy100%

woody92%

amber84%

floral77%

powdery69%

aromatic61%

sweet100%

lactonic92%

vanilla84%

nutty77%

fruity69%

coconut61%

Scent match5%Clearly different

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

CarnationYlang-YlangPlumCardamomPeachMandarin OrangeBergamot

Heart

HoneyCorianderRoseTuberoseVioletJasmine

Base

OakmossPatchouliCivetAmberMuskBenzoinSandalwoodStyrax

Top30 to 45 minutes

CerealsHazelnutCookieWhite ChocolateCoconut

Heart2 to 3 hours

MilkRed FruitsHoneyCardamomCherry Blossom

Base3 to 4 hours

VanillaPatchouliAmber

InformationalShared notesCardamom, Honey, Patchouli and Amber. Durations are only published for Cereal Break, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring53

Summer34

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring78

Summer36

Fall100

Winter75

Day100

Night41

Category winnerCereal BreakMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex40

Women58

Men3

Unisex41

Women56

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#3,552

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews71

Overall rank#44,383

PerfumerClaudio Zucca

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerBasic BlackHigher 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 →

Cereal Break by Claudio Zucca Parfums offers an unusual approach to the gourmand genre, turning a bowl of breakfast treats into an airy fragrance. It opens with distinct impressions of cereals, toasted hazelnut, and sweet cookie crumble, balanced by creamy white chocolate and coconut. As the scent settles, a heart of …

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, Basic Black or Cereal Break?

Basic Black takes 6 of 7 categories. Basic Black is rated 3.86/5 from 357 votes; Cereal Break is rated 3.39/5 from 109 votes. Choose Basic Black for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter. Choose Cereal Break for a sweet and lactonic character. Wins on versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Basic Black or Cereal Break?

Basic Black lasts longest (Basic Black 69/100, Cereal Break 59/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Basic Black or Cereal Break?

Basic Black projects furthest (Basic Black 62/100, Cereal Break 51/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Basic Black and Cereal Break smell similar?

Clearly different: a 5% scent match on Fragranxe. They share few main accords. Common notes include Cardamom, Honey, Patchouli and Amber.

Is Basic Black or Cereal Break better for summer or winter?

For summer, Cereal Break is the stronger pick. For winter, Basic Black is the stronger pick. Cereal Break suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Basic Black and Cereal Break?

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. Cereal Break has top notes of Cereals, Hazelnut, Cookie and White Chocolate, heart notes of Milk, Red Fruits, Honey and Cardamom, a base of Vanilla, Patchouli and Amber.