Fragrance comparison

Basic Black vs L'Orangerie IV

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

Updated 16 Oct 2026 377 ratings analysed

4 wins

Basic Black

Bill Blass

3.86357 votes

Rank #3,415 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

18%scent match

Clearly different

L'Orangerie IV

Maracujá Brasil

3.8520 votes

Rank #54,469 CitrusFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Basic Black takes 4 of 5 categories.

Basic Black
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.
L'Orangerie IV
Choose it for a citrus and fruity character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Basic Black4/5

L'Orangerie IV1/5

Ratings & consensus: Basic Black
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Basic Black
Sillage & projection: Basic Black
Value for money: L'Orangerie IV
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

L'Orangerie IVMaracujá Brasil

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.86/ 5 · 357 votes

Have 70%Had 30%Want 0%

3.85/ 5 · 20 votes

Have 36%Had 9%Want 56%

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

20%Love

50%Like

25%Ok

5%Dislike

0%Hate

20 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate71

Category winners

LongevityBasic Black

SillageBasic Black

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value78

¤ Price value83

Category winnerL'Orangerie IVBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

woody92%

amber84%

floral77%

powdery69%

aromatic61%

citrus100%

fruity88%

sweet77%

aromatic65%

musky53%

fresh spicy42%

Scent match18%Clearly different · both 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

Top15-30 mins

BergamotMandarin OrangeGrapefruit

Heart2-4 hrs

RaspberryPlumCorianderCardamom

Base5-7 hrs

MuskAmberTexas Cedar

InformationalShared notesPlum, Cardamom, Mandarin Orange and Bergamot. Durations are only published for L'Orangerie IV, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring53

Summer34

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer92

Fall54

Winter23

Day100

Night41

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex40

Women58

Men10

Unisex35

Women55

Casual 39%Work 35%Date 15%Party 11%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#3,415

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews71

Overall rank#54,469

PerfumerSymrise

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 →

The opening comes out swinging. A bright splash of bergamot, tangy grapefruit, and juicy mandarin orange wakes up your senses right away. Give it five minutes. The sharp alcohol burn clears quickly, uncovering a surprisingly warm heart of dark plum, sweet raspberry, and crushed coriander seeds. Cardamom adds an aromat…

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'Orangerie IV?

Basic Black takes 4 of 5 categories. Basic Black is rated 3.86/5 from 357 votes; L'Orangerie IV is rated 3.85/5 from 20 votes. Choose Basic Black for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter. Choose L'Orangerie IV for a citrus and fruity character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Basic Black or L'Orangerie IV?

Basic Black lasts longest (Basic Black 69/100, L'Orangerie IV 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Basic Black or L'Orangerie IV?

Basic Black projects furthest (Basic Black 62/100, L'Orangerie IV 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Basic Black and L'Orangerie IV smell similar?

Clearly different: a 18% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic accords. Common notes include Plum, Cardamom, Mandarin Orange and Bergamot.

Is Basic Black or L'Orangerie IV better for summer or winter?

L'Orangerie IV suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Basic Black and L'Orangerie IV?

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'Orangerie IV has top notes of Bergamot, Mandarin Orange and Grapefruit, heart notes of Raspberry, Plum, Coriander and Cardamom, a base of Musk, Amber and Texas Cedar.