Fragrance comparison

Basic Black vs Mystere

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

Updated 13 Nov 2026 1,589 ratings analysed

Basic Black

Bill Blass

3.86357 votes

Rank #3,732 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

49%scent match

Some overlap

5 wins

Mystere

Rochas

4.491,232 votes

Rank #298 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Mystere takes 5 of 7 categories.

Basic Black
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in winter.
Mystere
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Basic Black2/7

Mystere5/7

Ratings & consensus: Mystere
Community sentiment: Mystere
Longevity: Mystere
Sillage & projection: Mystere
Value for money: Basic Black
Versatility: Basic Black
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Mystere

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

Basic BlackBill Blass

MystereRochas

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.86/ 5 · 357 votes

Have 70%Had 30%Want 0%

4.49/ 5 · 1,232 votes

Have 56%Had 44%Want 0%

Category winnerMystereRating 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

65%Love

26%Like

1%Ok

8%Dislike

0%Hate

1,214 votes

Category winnerMystereMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity79

〰 Sillage72

♥ Love / hate87

Category winners

LongevityMystere

SillageMystere

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value78

¤ Price value46

Category winnerBasic BlackBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

woody92%

amber84%

floral77%

powdery69%

aromatic61%

aromatic100%

woody92%

green84%

floral77%

earthy69%

musky61%

Scent match49%Some overlap · both woody, aromatic and floral

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

GalbanumCorianderHiacynthAldehydesBergamot

Heart

CarnationRosemaryNarcissusOrris RootYlang-YlangVioletJasmineTuberose

Base

OakmossCivetCypressStyraxPatchouliCedarMuskSandalwood

InformationalShared notesCarnation, Ylang-Ylang, Bergamot and Coriander. 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–

Spring51

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerBasic BlackMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex40

Women58

Men1

Unisex28

Women71

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#3,732

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews71

Overall rank#298

PerfumerNicolas Mamounas

Launched—

Reviews92

Category winnerMystereHigher 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 →

Mystere by Rochas is a dense, aromatic green chypre built for those who love vintage complexity. It opens with sharp galbanum and bitter coriander before settling into a mossy, cedar-heavy heart. This 1978 creation projects authority and sophistication, feeling most at home during cool autumn evenings or formal office…

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

PeopleParfums GentyRUNNER-UP vs

OverdoseOmanluxuryWINNER

1 person compared this today

Lipsy London LoveLipsyRUNNER-UP vs

Vent VertPierre BalmainWINNER

1 person compared this today

Hawas FireRasasiWINNER vs

Game of Spades WildcardJo Milano ParisRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

BananJouriWINNER vs

SensationalCeline DionRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Basic Black or Mystere?

Mystere takes 5 of 7 categories. Basic Black is rated 3.86/5 from 357 votes; Mystere is rated 4.49/5 from 1,232 votes. Choose Basic Black for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in winter. Choose Mystere for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Basic Black or Mystere?

Mystere lasts longest (Mystere 79/100, Basic Black 69/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Basic Black or Mystere?

Mystere projects furthest (Mystere 72/100, Basic Black 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Basic Black and Mystere smell similar?

Some overlap: a 49% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, aromatic and floral accords. Common notes include Carnation, Ylang-Ylang, Bergamot and Coriander.

Is Basic Black or Mystere better for summer or winter?

For summer, Basic Black is the stronger pick. For winter, Basic Black is the stronger pick. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Basic Black and Mystere?

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. Mystere has top notes of Galbanum, Coriander, Hiacynth and Aldehydes, heart notes of Carnation, Rosemary, Narcissus and Orris Root, a base of Oakmoss, Civet, Cypress and Styrax.