Fragrance comparison

Basic Black vs Lofty

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 372 ratings analysed

Basic Black

Bill Blass

3.86357 votes

Rank #3,732 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

26%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

Lofty

MAIOS

4.3315 votes

Rank #45,675 CitrusWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Lofty takes 4 of 5 categories.

Basic Black
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.
Lofty
Choose it for a citrus and white floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Basic Black1/5

Lofty4/5

Ratings & consensus: Lofty
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Lofty
Sillage & projection: Lofty
Value for money: Lofty
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

LoftyMAIOS

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.86/ 5 · 357 votes

Have 70%Had 30%Want 0%

4.33/ 5 · 15 votes

Have 48%Had 22%Want 30%

Category winnerLoftyRating 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

67%Love

7%Like

20%Ok

7%Dislike

0%Hate

15 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage80

♥ Love / hate83

Category winners

LongevityLofty

SillageLofty

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value78

¤ Price value91

Category winnerLoftyBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

woody92%

amber84%

floral77%

powdery69%

aromatic61%

citrus100%

white floral91%

floral83%

violet74%

fresh65%

powdery56%

Scent match26%Clearly different · both floral 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

VioletBergamotMandarin Orange

Heart

Lily-of-the-ValleyCarnation

Base

SandalwoodVetiverPatchouli

InformationalShared notesCarnation, Mandarin Orange, Bergamot and Violet. 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–

Spring83

Summer100

Fall83

Winter50

Day100

Night71

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex40

Women58

Men0

Unisex27

Women73

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#3,732

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews71

Overall rank#45,675

PerfumerNatalie Gracia-Cetto

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 →

Lofty by MAIOS is a floral woody musk scent built on a prominent violet heart. Launched in 2020, this perfume balances powdery floral notes against a grounding sandalwood and vetiver base. It performs best during temperate spring days when the gentle combination of bergamot and mandarin orange can shine without being …

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

BohemeSegreti di LuccaRUNNER-UP vs

Soir de LuneSisleyWINNER

1 person compared this today

Orange FlowerOscar de la RentaRUNNER-UP vs

Ti AmoRoja DoveWINNER

1 person compared this today

Eau de BruxellesLibertin Louison Technique IndiscreteRUNNER-UP vs

Private ClubJeanne ArthesWINNER

1 person compared this today

PatchouliJouriRUNNER-UP vs

al03biehl parfumkunstwerkeWINNER

1 person compared this today

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Basic Black or Lofty?

Lofty takes 4 of 5 categories. Basic Black is rated 3.86/5 from 357 votes; Lofty is rated 4.33/5 from 15 votes. Choose Basic Black for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter. Choose Lofty for a citrus and white floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Basic Black or Lofty?

Lofty lasts longest (Lofty 80/100, Basic Black 69/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Basic Black or Lofty?

Lofty projects furthest (Lofty 80/100, Basic Black 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Basic Black and Lofty smell similar?

Clearly different: a 26% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share floral and powdery accords. Common notes include Carnation, Mandarin Orange, Bergamot and Violet.

Is Basic Black or Lofty better for summer or winter?

Lofty suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Basic Black and Lofty?

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. Lofty has top notes of Violet, Bergamot and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Lily-of-the-Valley and Carnation, a base of Sandalwood, Vetiver and Patchouli.