Fragrance comparison

Basic Black vs Ottomane

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

Updated 16 Oct 2026 381 ratings analysed

4 wins

Basic Black

Bill Blass

3.86357 votes

Rank #3,401 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

57%scent match

Closely related

Ottomane

CFFC Fragrances

4.0824 votes

Rank #30,258 WoodyWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Basic Black takes 4 of 5 categories.

Basic Black
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.
Ottomane
Choose it for a woody and white floral character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Basic Black4/5

Ottomane1/5

Ratings & consensus: Basic Black
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Basic Black
Sillage & projection: Basic Black
Value for money: Ottomane
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

OttomaneCFFC Fragrances

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.86/ 5 · 357 votes

Have 70%Had 30%Want 0%

4.08/ 5 · 24 votes

Have 36%Had 19%Want 45%

Category winnerBasic BlackRating 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

50%Love

29%Like

0%Ok

21%Dislike

0%Hate

24 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate77

Category winners

LongevityBasic Black

SillageBasic Black

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value78

¤ Price value83

Category winnerOttomaneBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

woody92%

amber84%

floral77%

powdery69%

aromatic61%

woody100%

white floral92%

warm spicy84%

sweet77%

powdery69%

amber61%

Scent match57%Closely related · both woody, warm spicy and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top

CarnationYlang-YlangPlumCardamomPeachMandarin OrangeBergamot

Heart

HoneyCorianderRoseTuberoseVioletJasmine

Base

OakmossPatchouliCivetAmberMuskBenzoinSandalwoodStyrax

Top15-30 mins

CarnationMarigoldRoseFruity NotesSpicy NotesStyrax

Heart3-4 hrs

TuberoseJasmineYlang-YlangOrange BlossomViolet

Base6-8+ hrs

SandalwoodCedarPatchouliAmberVanillaTonka BeanMusk

InformationalShared notesCarnation, Ylang-Ylang, Rose and Tuberose. Durations are only published for Ottomane, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring53

Summer34

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring40

Summer20

Fall100

Winter60

Day45

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex40

Women58

Men0

Unisex33

Women67

Date 41%Party 29%Casual 18%Work 12%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#3,401

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews71

Overall rank#30,258

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

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 →

Ottomane by CFFC Fragrances is an unapologetic, golden-era oriental floral with serious backbone. It does not whisper. The first spray releases a pungent kick of spicy carnation, sharp marigold, and resinous styrax that feels immediately herbal and vintage. Within twenty minutes, that sharp opening yields to a dense, …

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 Ottomane?

Basic Black takes 4 of 5 categories. Basic Black is rated 3.86/5 from 357 votes; Ottomane is rated 4.08/5 from 24 votes. Choose Basic Black for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter. Choose Ottomane for a woody and white floral character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Basic Black or Ottomane?

They last about the same: Basic Black 69/100, Ottomane 68/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Basic Black or Ottomane?

Projection is very close: Basic Black 62/100, Ottomane 61/100 for sillage.

Do Basic Black and Ottomane smell similar?

Closely related: a 57% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, warm spicy and amber accords. Common notes include Carnation, Ylang-Ylang, Rose and Tuberose.

Is Basic Black or Ottomane better for summer or winter?

Ottomane suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Basic Black and Ottomane?

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. Ottomane has top notes of Carnation, Marigold, Rose and Fruity Notes, heart notes of Tuberose, Jasmine, Ylang-Ylang and Orange Blossom, a base of Sandalwood, Cedar, Patchouli and Amber.