Fragrance comparison

Basic Black vs L'Insolent

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 519 ratings analysed

Basic Black

Bill Blass

3.86357 votes

Rank #3,560 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

35%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

L'Insolent

Charles Jourdan

4.22162 votes

Rank #28,908 White FloralWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

L'Insolent takes 4 of 7 categories.

Basic Black
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on value for money, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.
L'Insolent
Choose it for a white floral and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear.

Basic Black3/7

L'Insolent4/7

Ratings & consensus: L'Insolent
Community sentiment: L'Insolent
Longevity: L'Insolent
Sillage & projection: L'Insolent
Value for money: Basic Black
Versatility: Basic Black
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

L'InsolentCharles Jourdan

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.86/ 5 · 357 votes

Have 70%Had 30%Want 0%

4.22/ 5 · 162 votes

Have 66%Had 34%Want 0%

Category winnerL'InsolentRating 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

43%Love

47%Like

1%Ok

9%Dislike

1%Hate

162 votes

Category winnerL'InsolentMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity72

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate80

Category winners

LongevityL'Insolent

SillageL'Insolent

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value78

¤ Price value54

Category winnerBasic BlackBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

woody92%

amber84%

floral77%

powdery69%

aromatic61%

white floral100%

woody92%

fruity84%

aromatic77%

sweet69%

citrus61%

Scent match35%Some overlap · both woody and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top

CarnationYlang-YlangPlumCardamomPeachMandarin OrangeBergamot

Heart

HoneyCorianderRoseTuberoseVioletJasmine

Base

OakmossPatchouliCivetAmberMuskBenzoinSandalwoodStyrax

Top20-30 mins

PeachCassiaPineappleMandarin OrangeBergamot

Heart3-5 hrs

TuberoseCorianderBrazilian RosewoodCarnationOrange BlossomJasmineLily-of-the-Valley

Base8-12 hrs

OakmossCedarAmberPatchouliMuskVanilla

InformationalShared notesCarnation, Peach, Mandarin Orange and Bergamot. Durations are only published for L'Insolent, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring53

Summer34

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring58

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day82

Night100

Category winnerBasic BlackMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex40

Women58

Men0

Unisex20

Women80

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#3,560

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews71

Overall rank#28,908

PerfumerMax Gavarry

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 →

Charles Jourdan launched L'Insolent in 1986 as an unapologetic, opulent floriental with serious backbone. The first spray releases a tangy burst of ripe peach, juicy mandarin orange, and tart cassia buds that immediately grab your attention. Within twenty minutes, the initial fruit settles into a lush floral heart pac…

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 L'Insolent?

L'Insolent takes 4 of 7 categories. Basic Black is rated 3.86/5 from 357 votes; L'Insolent is rated 4.22/5 from 162 votes. Choose Basic Black for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on value for money, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter. Choose L'Insolent for a white floral and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Basic Black or L'Insolent?

L'Insolent lasts longest (L'Insolent 72/100, Basic Black 69/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Basic Black or L'Insolent?

L'Insolent projects furthest (L'Insolent 68/100, Basic Black 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Basic Black and L'Insolent smell similar?

Some overlap: a 35% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and aromatic accords. Common notes include Carnation, Peach, Mandarin Orange and Bergamot.

Is Basic Black or L'Insolent better for summer or winter?

For summer, Basic Black is the stronger pick. For winter, Basic Black is the stronger pick. L'Insolent suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Basic Black and L'Insolent?

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. L'Insolent has top notes of Peach, Cassia, Pineapple and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Tuberose, Coriander, Brazilian Rosewood and Carnation, a base of Oakmoss, Cedar, Amber and Patchouli.