Fragrance comparison

Basic Black vs Malibu Beach

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 406 ratings analysed

5 wins

Basic Black

Bill Blass

3.86357 votes

Rank #3,555 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

16%scent match

Clearly different

Malibu Beach

Clean

4.2949 votes

Rank #35,083 SweetCoconut

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Basic Black takes 5 of 7 categories.

Basic Black
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter.
Malibu Beach
Choose it for a sweet and coconut character. Wins on ratings & consensus and community sentiment. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Basic Black5/7

Malibu Beach2/7

Ratings & consensus: Malibu Beach
Community sentiment: Malibu Beach
Longevity: Basic Black
Sillage & projection: Basic Black
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

Malibu BeachClean

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.86/ 5 · 357 votes

Have 70%Had 30%Want 0%

4.29/ 5 · 49 votes

Have 28%Had 6%Want 67%

Category winnerMalibu BeachRating 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

51%Love

31%Like

14%Ok

4%Dislike

0%Hate

49 votes

Category winnerMalibu BeachMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity57

〰 Sillage47

♥ Love / hate82

Category winners

LongevityBasic Black

SillageBasic Black

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value78

¤ Price value56

Category winnerBasic BlackBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

woody92%

amber84%

floral77%

powdery69%

aromatic61%

sweet100%

coconut92%

powdery84%

vanilla77%

musky69%

yellow floral61%

Scent match16%Clearly different · both 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

Top15 to 30 minutes

CoconutSaltBergamotCardamom

Heart1 to 2 hours

Ylang-YlangHeliotropeJasmine

Base3 to 4 hours

Sweet NotesMuskVanilla OrchidWhite Woods

InformationalShared notesYlang-Ylang, Cardamom, Bergamot and Jasmine. Durations are only published for Malibu Beach, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring53

Summer34

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring37

Summer100

Fall11

Winter9

Day100

Night18

Category winnerBasic BlackMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex40

Women58

Men0

Unisex18

Women82

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#3,555

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews71

Overall rank#35,083

PerfumerNot listed

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 →

Malibu Beach by Clean delivers a breezy, sunlit scent built around tropical sweetness and coastal air. Those seeking an uplifting clean scent perfume will appreciate how it opens with an immediate burst of creamy coconut, salted freshness, and a brisk touch of bergamot backed by spicy cardamom. As the initial brightne…

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 Malibu Beach?

Basic Black takes 5 of 7 categories. Basic Black is rated 3.86/5 from 357 votes; Malibu Beach is rated 4.29/5 from 49 votes. Choose Basic Black for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter. Choose Malibu Beach for a sweet and coconut character. Wins on ratings & consensus and community sentiment. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Basic Black or Malibu Beach?

Basic Black lasts longest (Basic Black 69/100, Malibu Beach 57/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Basic Black or Malibu Beach?

Basic Black projects furthest (Basic Black 62/100, Malibu Beach 47/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Basic Black and Malibu Beach smell similar?

Clearly different: a 16% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share powdery accords. Common notes include Ylang-Ylang, Cardamom, Bergamot and Jasmine.

Is Basic Black or Malibu Beach better for summer or winter?

For summer, Malibu Beach is the stronger pick. For winter, Basic Black is the stronger pick. Malibu Beach suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Basic Black and Malibu Beach?

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. Malibu Beach has top notes of Coconut, Salt, Bergamot and Cardamom, heart notes of Ylang-Ylang, Heliotrope and Jasmine, a base of Sweet Notes, Musk, Vanilla Orchid and White Woods.