Fragrance comparison

Basic Black vs Initiation

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

Updated 13 Nov 2026 432 ratings analysed

Basic Black

Bill Blass

3.86357 votes

Rank #3,732 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

38%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Initiation

Molyneux

4.2375 votes

Rank #15,067 White FloralSweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Initiation takes 4 of 7 categories.

Basic Black
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.
Initiation
Choose it for a white floral and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Basic Black3/7

Initiation4/7

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

InitiationMolyneux

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.86/ 5 · 357 votes

Have 70%Had 30%Want 0%

4.23/ 5 · 75 votes

Have 38%Had 19%Want 43%

Category winnerInitiationRating 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

40%Love

52%Like

1%Ok

4%Dislike

3%Hate

75 votes

Category winnerInitiationMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate81

Category winners

LongevityBasic Black

SillageBasic Black

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value78

¤ Price value81

Category winnerInitiationBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

woody92%

amber84%

floral77%

powdery69%

aromatic61%

white floral100%

sweet92%

woody84%

floral77%

yellow floral69%

animalic61%

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

Top

PeachGardeniaBrazilian RosewoodAldehydesMandarin OrangeBergamot

Heart

TuberoseYlang-YlangRoseNarcissusHeliotropeJasmineCarnationLily-of-the-Valley

Base

HoneyAmberCivetOakmossCoconutPatchouliVetiver

InformationalShared notesCarnation, Ylang-Ylang, Peach and Mandarin Orange. 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–

Spring47

Summer40

Fall100

Winter80

Day100

Night94

Category winnerInitiationMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex40

Women58

Men0

Unisex10

Women90

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#3,732

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews71

Overall rank#15,067

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews8

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 →

Initiation by Molyneux is a Oriental Floral fragrance for women. Initiation was launched in 1990. Top notes are Peach, Gardenia, Brazilian Rosewood, Aldehydes, Mandarin Orange and Bergamot; middle notes are Tuberose, Ylang-Ylang, Rose, Narcissus, Heliotrope, Jasmine, Carnation and Lily-of-the-Valley; base notes are Ho…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Basic Black or Initiation?

Initiation takes 4 of 7 categories. Basic Black is rated 3.86/5 from 357 votes; Initiation is rated 4.23/5 from 75 votes. Choose Basic Black for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter. Choose Initiation for a white floral and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Basic Black or Initiation?

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

Which projects more, Basic Black or Initiation?

Basic Black projects furthest (Basic Black 62/100, Initiation 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Basic Black and Initiation smell similar?

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

Is Basic Black or Initiation better for summer or winter?

For summer, Initiation is the stronger pick. For winter, Basic Black is the stronger pick. Initiation suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Basic Black and Initiation?

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. Initiation has top notes of Peach, Gardenia, Brazilian Rosewood and Aldehydes, heart notes of Tuberose, Ylang-Ylang, Rose and Narcissus, a base of Honey, Amber, Civet and Oakmoss.