Fragrance comparison

Basic Black vs Miel Obscura

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

Updated 8 Nov 2026 373 ratings analysed

Basic Black

Bill Blass

3.86357 votes

Rank #3,660 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

39%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Miel Obscura

PARIS CORNER

4.3816 votes

Rank #33,810 WoodyHoney

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Miel Obscura takes 4 of 5 categories.

Basic Black
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.
Miel Obscura
Choose it for a woody and honey character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.

Basic Black1/5

Miel Obscura4/5

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

Miel ObscuraPARIS CORNER

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.86/ 5 · 357 votes

Have 70%Had 30%Want 0%

4.38/ 5 · 16 votes

Have 25%Had 0%Want 75%

Category winnerMiel ObscuraRating 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

69%Love

19%Like

0%Ok

6%Dislike

6%Hate

16 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity82

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate84

Category winners

LongevityMiel Obscura

SillageMiel Obscura

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value78

¤ Price value94

Category winnerMiel ObscuraBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

woody92%

amber84%

floral77%

powdery69%

aromatic61%

woody100%

honey92%

sweet84%

floral77%

aromatic69%

caramel61%

Scent match39%Some overlap · both woody, floral 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

Top15 to 30 minutes

PineCaramelBergamot

Heart3 to 5 hours

HoneyRoseViolet

Base6 to 8 hours

BenzoinCedarMusk

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Honey, Rose and Violet. Durations are only published for Miel Obscura, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring53

Summer34

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring50

Summer17

Fall100

Winter100

Day80

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex40

Women58

Men8

Unisex50

Women42

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#3,660

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews71

Overall rank#33,810

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews4

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 →

Miel Obscura by PARIS CORNER balances sweet gourmand warmth with crisp, resinous depth. The fragrance introduces itself with a contrast of tart bergamot, sharp green pine, and buttery caramel. As the opening settles, the heart reveals rich honey intertwined with gentle rose and soft violet, creating a floral core that…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Basic Black or Miel Obscura?

Miel Obscura takes 4 of 5 categories. Basic Black is rated 3.86/5 from 357 votes; Miel Obscura is rated 4.38/5 from 16 votes. Choose Basic Black for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter. Choose Miel Obscura for a woody and honey character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Basic Black or Miel Obscura?

Miel Obscura lasts longest (Miel Obscura 82/100, Basic Black 69/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Basic Black or Miel Obscura?

Miel Obscura projects furthest (Miel Obscura 67/100, Basic Black 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Basic Black and Miel Obscura smell similar?

Some overlap: a 39% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, floral and aromatic accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Honey, Rose and Violet.

Is Basic Black or Miel Obscura better for summer or winter?

Miel Obscura suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Basic Black and Miel Obscura?

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. Miel Obscura has top notes of Pine, Caramel and Bergamot, heart notes of Honey, Rose and Violet, a base of Benzoin, Cedar and Musk.