Basic Black vs Makali
Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.
44%scent match
Some overlap
Quick verdict
Which one should you pick?
Basic Black takes 4 of 4 categories.
Basic BlackChoose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter.
MakaliChoose it for a amber and vanilla character. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Basic Black4/4
Makali0/4
- Ratings & consensus
- Not scored
- Community sentiment
- Not scored
- Longevity
- Basic Black
- Sillage & projection
- Basic Black
- Value for money
- Basic Black
- 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 BlassMakaliBlancheideWinner
Ratings & consensus
Average rating and ownership split3.86/ 5 · 357 votes
Have 70%Had 30%Want 0%
3.67/ 5 · 3 votes
Have 25%Had 0%Want 75%
Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count
Community sentiment
How voters split from love to hate37%Love
41%Like
4%Ok
17%Dislike
1%Hate
313 votes
33%Love
33%Like
0%Ok
33%Dislike
0%Hate
3 votes · too few to score
Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)
Longevity & sillage
0–100 community performance scores
Category winners
LongevityBasic Black
SillageBasic Black
Value for money
How fairly priced voters find itCategory winnerBasic BlackBest value score
Main accords
Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by bothwarm spicy100%
woody92%
amber84%
floral77%
powdery69%
aromatic61%
amber100%
vanilla88%
balsamic77%
warm spicy65%
powdery53%
sweet42%
Scent match44%Some overlap · both amber, warm spicy and powdery
Note pyramid (duration)
Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = sharedTop
CarnationYlang-YlangPlumCardamomPeachMandarin OrangeBergamot
Heart
HoneyCorianderRoseTuberoseVioletJasmine
Base
OakmossPatchouliCivetAmberMuskBenzoinSandalwoodStyrax
Top
MyrrhOlibanumBergamotTurkish Rose
Heart
White HoneyVioletJasmineCarnationLily-of-the-ValleyYlang-Ylang
Base
StyraxBourbon VanillaBenzoinOrris RootMusk
InformationalShared notesCarnation, Ylang-Ylang, Bergamot and Rose. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.
Seasons & time of day
Relative to each fragrance's best seasonSpring53
Summer34
Fall0
Winter100
Day–
Night–
Spring100
Summer100
Fall50
Winter50
Day100
Night33
Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round
Who wears it
Gender appeal votesInformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored
Ranking & credits
Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launchOverall rank#3,732
PerfumerNot listed
Launched—
Reviews71
Overall rank#66,756
PerfumerNot listed
Launched—
Reviews0
Category winnerBasic BlackHigher overall rank
In a nutshell
Description & review snapshotBasic 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 →Makali by Blancheide hits skin with dark myrrh and bright bergamot before unrolling a heavy heart of white honey, ylang-ylang, and Turkish rose. As the dry-down takes hold, warm benzoin, styrax, and powdery orris root anchor the sweetness. Wear it during crisp spring nights or cool autumn days when resinous oriental f…
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.
Guided comparison
Ask about this matchup
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Common questions
Straight answers from the data above.
Which is better, Basic Black or Makali?
Basic Black takes 4 of 4 categories. Basic Black is rated 3.86/5 from 357 votes; Makali is rated 3.67/5 from 3 votes. Choose Basic Black for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter. Choose Makali for a amber and vanilla character. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Which lasts longer, Basic Black or Makali?
Basic Black lasts longest (Basic Black 69/100, Makali 65/100), based on community performance votes.
Which projects more, Basic Black or Makali?
Basic Black projects furthest (Basic Black 62/100, Makali 50/100), based on community performance votes.
Do Basic Black and Makali smell similar?
Some overlap: a 44% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, warm spicy and powdery accords. Common notes include Carnation, Ylang-Ylang, Bergamot and Rose.
Is Basic Black or Makali better for summer or winter?
Makali suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.
What are the notes in Basic Black and Makali?
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. Makali has top notes of Myrrh, Olibanum, Bergamot and Turkish Rose, heart notes of White Honey, Violet, Jasmine and Carnation, a base of Styrax, Bourbon Vanilla, Benzoin and Orris Root.
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