Fragrance comparison

Basic Black vs Gocce di Melit

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

Updated 16 Oct 2026 369 ratings analysed

3 wins

Basic Black

Bill Blass

3.86357 votes

Rank #3,415 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

29%scent match

Clearly different

Gocce di Melit

Sulmona Essenza

3.7512 votes

Rank #40,633 HoneyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Basic Black takes 3 of 5 categories.

Basic Black
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.
Gocce di Melit
Choose it for a honey and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Basic Black3/5

Gocce di Melit2/5

Ratings & consensus: Basic Black
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Gocce di Melit
Sillage & projection: Gocce di Melit
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

Gocce di MelitSulmona Essenza

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.86/ 5 · 357 votes

Have 70%Had 30%Want 0%

3.75/ 5 · 12 votes

Have 16%Had 7%Want 78%

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

33%Love

33%Like

17%Ok

8%Dislike

8%Hate

12 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

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate69

Category winners

LongevityGocce di Melit

SillageGocce di Melit

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value78

¤ Price value44

Category winnerBasic BlackBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

woody92%

amber84%

floral77%

powdery69%

aromatic61%

honey100%

warm spicy83%

floral65%

sweet48%

nutty30%

Scent match29%Clearly different · both warm spicy 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

Top

Carnation

Heart

HoneyChestnutGinger

Base

Turmeric

InformationalShared notesCarnation and Honey. 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–

Spring80

Summer20

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night50

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex40

Women58

Men25

Unisex50

Women25

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#3,415

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews71

Overall rank#40,633

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews3

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 →

Gocce di Melit by Sulmona Essenza is an Oriental Spicy fragrance that captures the essence of ginger and honey. Launched in 2023, this unisex scent provides a warm, nutty profile suitable for crisp autumn days. It centers on a realistic honey accord, making it an intriguing choice for those who appreciate sweet, spicy…

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 Gocce di Melit?

Basic Black takes 3 of 5 categories. Basic Black is rated 3.86/5 from 357 votes; Gocce di Melit is rated 3.75/5 from 12 votes. Choose Basic Black for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter. Choose Gocce di Melit for a honey and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Basic Black or Gocce di Melit?

Gocce di Melit lasts longest (Gocce di Melit 80/100, Basic Black 69/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Basic Black or Gocce di Melit?

Gocce di Melit projects furthest (Gocce di Melit 75/100, Basic Black 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Basic Black and Gocce di Melit smell similar?

Clearly different: a 29% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy and floral accords. Common notes include Carnation and Honey.

Is Basic Black or Gocce di Melit better for summer or winter?

Gocce di Melit suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Basic Black and Gocce di Melit?

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. Gocce di Melit has top notes of Carnation, heart notes of Honey, Chestnut and Ginger, a base of Turmeric.