Fragrance comparison

Basic Black vs Divina

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

Updated 17 Oct 2026 388 ratings analysed

Basic Black

Bill Blass

3.86357 votes

Rank #3,419 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

38%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Divina

Diana de Silva

4.3931 votes

Rank #34,925 CitrusWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Divina takes 4 of 7 categories.

Basic Black
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on longevity, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.
Divina
Choose it for a citrus and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Basic Black3/7

Divina4/7

Ratings & consensus: Divina
Community sentiment: Divina
Longevity: Basic Black
Sillage & projection: Divina
Value for money: Basic Black
Versatility: Divina
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

DivinaDiana de Silva

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.86/ 5 · 357 votes

Have 70%Had 30%Want 0%

4.39/ 5 · 31 votes

Have 37%Had 23%Want 40%

Category winnerDivinaRating 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

55%Love

35%Like

3%Ok

6%Dislike

0%Hate

31 votes

Category winnerDivinaMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate85

Category winners

LongevityBasic Black

SillageDivina

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value78

¤ Price value42

Category winnerBasic BlackBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

woody92%

amber84%

floral77%

powdery69%

aromatic61%

citrus100%

woody92%

white floral84%

green77%

floral69%

fresh61%

Scent match38%Some overlap · both woody and floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

CarnationYlang-YlangPlumCardamomPeachMandarin OrangeBergamot

Heart

HoneyCorianderRoseTuberoseVioletJasmine

Base

OakmossPatchouliCivetAmberMuskBenzoinSandalwoodStyrax

Top15-30 mins

BergamotLemonMandarin OrangeOrange

Heart2-4 hrs

Lily-of-the-ValleyRoseVioletBlack currant leafYlang-YlangJasmineTuberose

Base6-8+ hrs

OakmossHoneySandalwoodPatchouliCedar

InformationalShared notesYlang-Ylang, Mandarin Orange, Bergamot and Honey. Durations are only published for Divina, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring53

Summer34

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring50

Summer50

Fall100

Winter50

Day100

Night50

Category winnerDivinaMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex40

Women58

Men0

Unisex33

Women67

Work 35%Casual 32%Date 23%Party 10%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#3,419

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews71

Overall rank#34,925

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

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 →

Divina by Diana de Silva is a brisk floral chypre that feels like walking through an Italian citrus grove in early autumn. The opening hits with a bright flare of lemon, bergamot, and sweet orange. That initial zesty sharpness softens quickly. Within twenty minutes, a rich bouquet of lily-of-the-valley, jasmine, and v…

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 Divina?

Divina takes 4 of 7 categories. Basic Black is rated 3.86/5 from 357 votes; Divina is rated 4.39/5 from 31 votes. Choose Basic Black for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on longevity, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter. Choose Divina for a citrus and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Basic Black or Divina?

Basic Black lasts longest (Basic Black 69/100, Divina 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Basic Black or Divina?

Divina projects furthest (Divina 65/100, Basic Black 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Basic Black and Divina smell similar?

Some overlap: a 38% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and floral accords. Common notes include Ylang-Ylang, Mandarin Orange, Bergamot and Honey.

Is Basic Black or Divina better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Basic Black and Divina?

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. Divina has top notes of Bergamot, Lemon, Mandarin Orange and Orange, heart notes of Lily-of-the-Valley, Rose, Violet and Black currant leaf, a base of Oakmoss, Honey, Sandalwood and Patchouli.