Fragrance comparison

Basic Black vs Phenomenal

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 373 ratings analysed

3 wins

Basic Black

Bill Blass

3.86357 votes

Rank #3,742 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

33%scent match

Clearly different

Phenomenal

SuperTrash

3.5016 votes

Rank #52,798 Warm SpicySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Basic Black takes 3 of 5 categories.

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

Basic Black3/5

Phenomenal2/5

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

PhenomenalSuperTrash

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.86/ 5 · 357 votes

Have 70%Had 30%Want 0%

3.50/ 5 · 16 votes

Have 23%Had 13%Want 64%

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

19%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

25%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

⏱ Longevity72

〰 Sillage72

♥ Love / hate63

Category winners

LongevityPhenomenal

SillagePhenomenal

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value78

¤ Price value0

Category winnerBasic BlackBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

woody92%

amber84%

floral77%

powdery69%

aromatic61%

warm spicy100%

sweet92%

citrus84%

patchouli77%

woody69%

yellow floral61%

Scent match33%Clearly different · both warm spicy and woody

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

CardamomMandarin OrangeRed Berries

Heart

Ylang-YlangOrange BlossomPeony

Base

PatchouliMusk

InformationalShared notesYlang-Ylang, Cardamom, Mandarin Orange and Patchouli. 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–

Spring43

Summer29

Fall100

Winter71

Day71

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex40

Women58

Men50

Unisex0

Women50

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#3,742

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews71

Overall rank#52,798

PerfumerIFF

Launched—

Reviews2

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 →

Phenomenal by SuperTrash opens with a bold hit of spicy cardamom and bright mandarin. As it settles, a floral heart of ylang-ylang and peony takes the stage before grounding into a patchouli and musk base. This oriental floral scent suits independent women who enjoy a warm, spicy profile for evening wear in autumn and…

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 Phenomenal?

Basic Black takes 3 of 5 categories. Basic Black is rated 3.86/5 from 357 votes; Phenomenal is rated 3.50/5 from 16 votes. Choose Basic Black for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter. Choose Phenomenal for a warm spicy and sweet character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Basic Black or Phenomenal?

Phenomenal lasts longest (Phenomenal 72/100, Basic Black 69/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Basic Black or Phenomenal?

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

Do Basic Black and Phenomenal smell similar?

Clearly different: a 33% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy and woody accords. Common notes include Ylang-Ylang, Cardamom, Mandarin Orange and Patchouli.

Is Basic Black or Phenomenal better for summer or winter?

Phenomenal suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Basic Black and Phenomenal?

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. Phenomenal has top notes of Cardamom, Mandarin Orange and Red Berries, heart notes of Ylang-Ylang, Orange Blossom and Peony, a base of Patchouli and Musk.