Fragrance comparison

Basic Black vs Iris 39

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

Updated 5 Nov 2026 1,690 ratings analysed

Basic Black

Bill Blass

3.86357 votes

Rank #3,685 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

33%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

Iris 39

Le Labo

3.861,333 votes

Rank #1,627 PowderyViolet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Iris 39 takes 4 of 7 categories.

Basic Black
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter.
Iris 39
Choose it for a powdery and violet character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Basic Black2/7

Iris 394/7

Ratings & consensus: Tie
Community sentiment: Basic Black
Longevity: Iris 39
Sillage & projection: Iris 39
Value for money: Basic Black
Versatility: Iris 39
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Iris 39

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

Basic BlackBill Blass

Iris 39Le Labo

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.86/ 5 · 357 votes

Have 70%Had 30%Want 0%

3.86/ 5 · 1,333 votes

Have 38%Had 18%Want 44%

Category winnerTieRating 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

38%Love

34%Like

8%Ok

19%Dislike

2%Hate

1,333 votes

Category winnerBasic BlackMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate72

Category winners

LongevityIris 39

SillageIris 39

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value78

¤ Price value33

Category winnerBasic BlackBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

woody92%

amber84%

floral77%

powdery69%

aromatic61%

powdery100%

violet92%

iris84%

woody77%

musky69%

patchouli61%

Scent match33%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

Notes

IrisPatchouliVioletMuskCivetYlang-YlangGingerLimeCardamomRose

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesYlang-Ylang, Cardamom, Rose and Violet. Durations are only published for Iris 39, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring53

Summer34

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer52

Fall80

Winter48

Day100

Night46

Category winnerIris 39Most year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex40

Women58

Men6

Unisex49

Women45

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#3,685

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews71

Overall rank#1,627

PerfumerFrank Voelkl

Launched—

Reviews176

Category winnerIris 39Higher 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 →

Iris 39 by Le Labo strips away the sweet cosmetic powder often found in floral scents, focusing instead on the raw, vegetal root of the flower. Created by perfumer Frank Voelkl in 2006, the fragrance opens with an unexpected bite of fresh lime and pungent ginger. That brisk citrus quickly gives way to a heart of rooty…

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.

Recent comparisons

Head-to-head activity from live history

Flowerbomb La Vie En Rose 2016Viktor&RolfRUNNER-UP vs

Gourmand White FlowersDossierWINNER

1 person compared this today

Ramsés IIAtelier Segall & BaruttiRUNNER-UP vs

Mata HariDSH PerfumesWINNER

1 person compared this today

Baccarat Rouge 540Maison Francis KurkdjianRUNNER-UP vs

KhamrahLattafa PerfumesWINNER

1 person compared this today

PancaldiPancaldiRUNNER-UP vs

Fight Club WhiteReyane TraditionWINNER

1 person compared this today

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Basic Black or Iris 39?

Iris 39 takes 4 of 7 categories. Basic Black is rated 3.86/5 from 357 votes; Iris 39 is rated 3.86/5 from 1,333 votes. Choose Basic Black for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter. Choose Iris 39 for a powdery and violet character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Basic Black or Iris 39?

Iris 39 lasts longest (Iris 39 75/100, Basic Black 69/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Basic Black or Iris 39?

Iris 39 projects furthest (Iris 39 67/100, Basic Black 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Basic Black and Iris 39 smell similar?

Clearly different: a 33% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and powdery accords. Common notes include Ylang-Ylang, Cardamom, Rose and Violet.

Is Basic Black or Iris 39 better for summer or winter?

For summer, Iris 39 is the stronger pick. For winter, Basic Black is the stronger pick. Iris 39 suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Basic Black and Iris 39?

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. Iris 39 features Iris, Patchouli, Violet, Musk and Civet.