Fragrance comparison

Basic Black vs Eau Fraiche de Leonard

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 438 ratings analysed

5 wins

Basic Black

Bill Blass

3.86357 votes

Rank #3,431 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

26%scent match

Clearly different

Eau Fraiche de Leonard

Leonard

4.0181 votes

Rank #17,380 CitrusAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Basic Black takes 5 of 7 categories.

Basic Black
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter.
Eau Fraiche de Leonard
Choose it for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus and community sentiment. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Basic Black5/7

Eau Fraiche de Leonard2/7

Ratings & consensus: Eau Fraiche de Leonard
Community sentiment: Eau Fraiche de Leonard
Longevity: Basic Black
Sillage & projection: Basic Black
Value for money: Basic Black
Versatility: Basic Black
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

Eau Fraiche de LeonardLeonard

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.86/ 5 · 357 votes

Have 70%Had 30%Want 0%

4.01/ 5 · 81 votes

Have 50%Had 23%Want 26%

Category winnerEau Fraiche de LeonardRating 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

37%Love

42%Like

6%Ok

15%Dislike

0%Hate

81 votes

Category winnerEau Fraiche de LeonardMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity56

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityBasic Black

SillageBasic Black

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value78

¤ Price value63

Category winnerBasic BlackBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

woody92%

amber84%

floral77%

powdery69%

aromatic61%

citrus100%

aromatic90%

fresh spicy80%

earthy70%

woody60%

herbal50%

Scent match26%Clearly different · both 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

Top15-30 mins

BergamotSicilian LemonLavenderOrangeMandarin OrangePlum

Heart2-3 hrs

CorianderArtemisiaClovesJasmine

Base4-6 hrs

OakmossTahitian VetiverSingapore Patchouli

InformationalShared notesPlum, Mandarin Orange, Bergamot and Coriander. Durations are only published for Eau Fraiche de Leonard, 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

Winter14

Day100

Night24

Category winnerBasic BlackMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex40

Women58

Men5

Unisex76

Women19

Casual 48%Work 34%Date 10%Party 8%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#3,431

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews71

Overall rank#17,380

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews11

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 →

Eau Fraiche de Leonard kicks off with a sharp crackle of sour Sicilian lemon, bitter bergamot, and sweet orange peel. It wakes you up immediately. The first five minutes smell almost like sparkling lemon soda fizzing over crushed ice. Then the citrus sharpness calms down. A herbal wave of French lavender, aromatic cor…

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 Eau Fraiche de Leonard?

Basic Black takes 5 of 7 categories. Basic Black is rated 3.86/5 from 357 votes; Eau Fraiche de Leonard is rated 4.01/5 from 81 votes. Choose Basic Black for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter. Choose Eau Fraiche de Leonard for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus and community sentiment. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Basic Black or Eau Fraiche de Leonard?

Basic Black lasts longest (Basic Black 69/100, Eau Fraiche de Leonard 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Basic Black or Eau Fraiche de Leonard?

Basic Black projects furthest (Basic Black 62/100, Eau Fraiche de Leonard 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Basic Black and Eau Fraiche de Leonard smell similar?

Clearly different: a 26% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and aromatic accords. Common notes include Plum, Mandarin Orange, Bergamot and Coriander.

Is Basic Black or Eau Fraiche de Leonard better for summer or winter?

For summer, Basic Black is the stronger pick. For winter, Basic Black is the stronger pick. Eau Fraiche de Leonard suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Basic Black and Eau Fraiche de Leonard?

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. Eau Fraiche de Leonard has top notes of Bergamot, Sicilian Lemon, Lavender and Orange, heart notes of Coriander, Artemisia, Cloves and Jasmine, a base of Oakmoss, Tahitian Vetiver and Singapore Patchouli.