Fragrance comparison

Basic Black vs Jil Sander No. 4

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 2,362 ratings analysed

Basic Black

Bill Blass

3.86357 votes

Rank #3,732 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

56%scent match

Closely related

5 wins

Jil Sander No. 4

Jil Sander

4.032,005 votes

Rank #704 AromaticPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Jil Sander No. 4 takes 5 of 7 categories.

Basic Black
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in winter.
Jil Sander No. 4
Choose it for a aromatic and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Basic Black2/7

Jil Sander No. 45/7

Ratings & consensus: Jil Sander No. 4
Community sentiment: Jil Sander No. 4
Longevity: Jil Sander No. 4
Sillage & projection: Jil Sander No. 4
Value for money: Basic Black
Versatility: Basic Black
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Jil Sander No. 4

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Basic BlackBill Blass

Jil Sander No. 4Jil Sander

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.86/ 5 · 357 votes

Have 70%Had 30%Want 0%

4.03/ 5 · 2,005 votes

Have 68%Had 32%Want 0%

Category winnerJil Sander No. 4Rating 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

43%Like

5%Ok

13%Dislike

1%Hate

2,005 votes

Category winnerJil Sander No. 4Most positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity74

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate76

Category winners

LongevityJil Sander No. 4

SillageJil Sander No. 4

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value78

¤ Price value70

Category winnerBasic BlackBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

woody92%

amber84%

floral77%

powdery69%

aromatic61%

aromatic100%

powdery92%

woody84%

white floral77%

sweet69%

warm spicy61%

Scent match56%Closely related · both woody, warm spicy 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

Top

PlumGalbanumPeachGeraniumRoseAniseBergamot

Heart

TuberoseCarnationNutmegYlang-YlangMyrrhJasmineHeliotropeTarragon

Base

CivetSandalwoodOakmossCorianderVanillaTonka BeanMuskAmbergris

InformationalShared notesCarnation, Ylang-Ylang, Plum and Peach. 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–

Spring39

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerBasic BlackMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex40

Women58

Men2

Unisex21

Women77

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#3,732

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews71

Overall rank#704

PerfumerMichel Almairac

Launched—

Reviews193

Category winnerJil Sander No. 4Higher 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 →

Jil Sander No. 4 delivers a lush blend of spiced dark plum, velvety peach, and creamy tuberose layered over an earthy base of oakmoss, sandalwood, and warm vanilla. It opens with an unmistakable burst of sweet fruit and aromatic green galbanum before settling into a powdery floral heart warmed by nutmeg and carnation.…

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 Jil Sander No. 4?

Jil Sander No. 4 takes 5 of 7 categories. Basic Black is rated 3.86/5 from 357 votes; Jil Sander No. 4 is rated 4.03/5 from 2,005 votes. Choose Basic Black for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in winter. Choose Jil Sander No. 4 for a aromatic and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Basic Black or Jil Sander No. 4?

Jil Sander No. 4 lasts longest (Jil Sander No. 4 74/100, Basic Black 69/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Basic Black or Jil Sander No. 4?

Jil Sander No. 4 projects furthest (Jil Sander No. 4 68/100, Basic Black 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Basic Black and Jil Sander No. 4 smell similar?

Closely related: a 56% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, warm spicy and powdery accords. Common notes include Carnation, Ylang-Ylang, Plum and Peach.

Is Basic Black or Jil Sander No. 4 better for summer or winter?

For summer, Basic Black is the stronger pick. For winter, Basic Black is the stronger pick. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Basic Black and Jil Sander No. 4?

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. Jil Sander No. 4 has top notes of Plum, Galbanum, Peach and Geranium, heart notes of Tuberose, Carnation, Nutmeg and Ylang-Ylang, a base of Civet, Sandalwood, Oakmoss and Coriander.