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FRAGRANXE
Fragrance comparison

Basic Black vs Ormonde Woman

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

Updated 2,277 ratings analysed
Some overlap
Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Ormonde Woman takes 4 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.

  • Ormonde Woman

    Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in spring.

Basic Black3/7
Ormonde Woman4/7
Ratings & consensus
Ormonde Woman
Community sentiment
Ormonde Woman
Longevity
Basic Black
Sillage & projection
Basic Black
Value for money
Basic Black
Versatility
Ormonde Woman
Note pyramid (duration)
Not scored
Fragranxe ranking
Ormonde Woman

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance
Basic BlackBill Blass
Ormonde WomanOrmonde Jayne
Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split
3.86/ 5 · 357 votes
Have 70%Had 30%Want 0%
4.16/ 5 · 1,920 votes
Have 76%Had 24%Want 0%
Category winnerOrmonde WomanRating 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

45%Love
36%Like
8%Ok
9%Dislike
2%Hate

1,874 votes

Category winnerOrmonde WomanMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores
⏱ Longevity69
〰 Sillage62
♥ Love / hate74
⏱ Longevity65
〰 Sillage56
♥ Love / hate78
Category winners

LongevityBasic Black

SillageBasic Black

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it
¤ Price value78
¤ Price value44
Category winnerBasic BlackBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both
warm spicy100%
woody92%
amber84%
floral77%
powdery69%
aromatic61%
woody100%
aromatic90%
green80%
warm spicy70%
powdery60%
fresh50%
Scent match51%Some overlap · both woody, warm spicy 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
Top
GrassCardamomCoriander
Heart
Black hemlock or TsugaVioletJasmine
Base
VetiverCedarSandalwoodAmber
InformationalShared notesCardamom, Coriander, Violet and Jasmine. 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–
Spring100
Summer58
Fall0
Winter78
Day–
Night–
Category winnerOrmonde WomanMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes
Men2
Unisex40
Women58
Men3
Unisex47
Women50
InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#3,732

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews71

Overall rank#1,296

PerfumerGeza Schoen

Launched—

Reviews213

Category winnerOrmonde WomanHigher 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 →

Ormonde Woman opens with a sharp flash of crushed green grass, cardamom, and coriander seed before deepening into its strange centerpiece, black hemlock absolute. Geza Schoen blended this coniferous wood with soft jasmine and violet, creating a shadowy, forest floor atmosphere that feels cool and dry. As it settles, v…

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

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Basic Black or Ormonde Woman?

Ormonde Woman takes 4 of 7 categories. Basic Black is rated 3.86/5 from 357 votes; Ormonde Woman is rated 4.16/5 from 1,920 votes. Choose Basic Black for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter. Choose Ormonde Woman for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Basic Black or Ormonde Woman?

Basic Black lasts longest (Basic Black 69/100, Ormonde Woman 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Basic Black or Ormonde Woman?

Basic Black projects furthest (Basic Black 62/100, Ormonde Woman 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Basic Black and Ormonde Woman smell similar?

Some overlap: a 51% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, warm spicy and aromatic accords. Common notes include Cardamom, Coriander, Violet and Jasmine.

Is Basic Black or Ormonde Woman better for summer or winter?

For summer, Ormonde Woman 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 Ormonde Woman?

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. Ormonde Woman has top notes of Grass, Cardamom and Coriander, heart notes of Black hemlock or Tsuga, Violet and Jasmine, a base of Vetiver, Cedar, Sandalwood and Amber.

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