Fragrance comparison

Basic Black vs Forgive Us

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

Updated 16 Oct 2026 360 ratings analysed

Basic Black

Bill Blass

3.86357 votes

Rank #3,416 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

26%scent match

Clearly different

Forgive Us

Dévier

4.333 votes

Rank #50,872 CitrusFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2.

Basic Black
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.
Forgive Us
Choose it for a citrus and fruity character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Basic Black2/4

Forgive Us2/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Forgive Us
Sillage & projection: Forgive Us
Value for money: Basic Black
Versatility: Not scored
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

Forgive UsDévier

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.86/ 5 · 357 votes

Have 70%Had 30%Want 0%

4.33/ 5 · 3 votes

Have 44%Had 11%Want 44%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating 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

33%Love

67%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

3 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate83

Category winners

LongevityForgive Us

SillageForgive Us

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value78

¤ Price value67

Category winnerBasic BlackBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

woody92%

amber84%

floral77%

powdery69%

aromatic61%

citrus100%

fruity92%

powdery84%

fresh77%

woody69%

musky61%

Scent match26%Clearly different · both woody and powdery

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

Green AppleAmalfi LemonCitronPink PepperVetiverLilac

Heart2-4 hrs

White MuskJasmineSandalwoodStyrax

Base6-8+ hrs

White PeachVioletWild BerriesAmberTuberose

InformationalShared notesTuberose, Violet, Jasmine and Amber. Durations are only published for Forgive Us, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring53

Summer34

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer100

Fall0

Winter0

Day100

Night37

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex40

Women58

Men33

Unisex33

Women33

Casual 37%Work 32%Date 18%Party 13%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#3,416

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews71

Overall rank#50,872

PerfumerNot listed

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 →

Forgive Us by Dévier delivers an immediate shock of tart green apple and crushed Amalfi lemon. The opening snaps with vivid energy. A sharp burst of pink pepper adds quick fizz before clean lilac and green vetiver steer the blend into crisp territory. Within twenty minutes, the tart fruitiness softens into powdery vio…

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 Forgive Us?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. Basic Black is rated 3.86/5 from 357 votes; Forgive Us is rated 4.33/5 from 3 votes. Choose Basic Black for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter. Choose Forgive Us for a citrus and fruity character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Basic Black or Forgive Us?

Forgive Us lasts longest (Forgive Us 80/100, Basic Black 69/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Basic Black or Forgive Us?

Forgive Us projects furthest (Forgive Us 67/100, Basic Black 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Basic Black and Forgive Us smell similar?

Clearly different: a 26% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and powdery accords. Common notes include Tuberose, Violet, Jasmine and Amber.

Is Basic Black or Forgive Us better for summer or winter?

Forgive Us suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Basic Black and Forgive Us?

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. Forgive Us has top notes of Green Apple, Amalfi Lemon, Citron and Pink Pepper, heart notes of White Musk, Jasmine, Sandalwood and Styrax, a base of White Peach, Violet, Wild Berries and Amber.