Fragrance comparison

Basic Black vs Pheromone Midnight

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 377 ratings analysed

3 wins

Basic Black

Bill Blass

3.86357 votes

Rank #3,606 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

54%scent match

Some overlap

Pheromone Midnight

Marilyn Miglin

3.3020 votes

Rank #23,816 AromaticWoody

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.
Pheromone Midnight
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.

Basic Black3/5

Pheromone Midnight1/5

Ratings & consensus: Basic Black
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Tie
Sillage & projection: Pheromone Midnight
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

Pheromone MidnightMarilyn Miglin

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.86/ 5 · 357 votes

Have 70%Had 30%Want 0%

3.30/ 5 · 20 votes

Have 38%Had 11%Want 52%

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

20%Love

35%Like

10%Ok

25%Dislike

10%Hate

20 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate58

Category winners

LongevityTie

SillagePheromone Midnight

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value78

¤ Price value75

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%

amber84%

citrus77%

soft spicy69%

warm spicy61%

Scent match54%Some overlap · both woody, amber and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

CarnationYlang-YlangPlumCardamomPeachMandarin OrangeBergamot

Heart

HoneyCorianderRoseTuberoseVioletJasmine

Base

OakmossPatchouliCivetAmberMuskBenzoinSandalwoodStyrax

Top30 to 45 minutes

Clary SageCorianderCardamomCedarBergamotMandarin Orange

Heart2 to 3 hours

VioletYlang-YlangJasmineTurkish Rose

Base3 to 5 hours

AmbergrisBourbon VetiverIndonesian Patchouli LeafCrystal Amber

InformationalShared notesYlang-Ylang, Cardamom, Mandarin Orange and Bergamot. Durations are only published for Pheromone Midnight, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring53

Summer34

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring33

Summer33

Fall100

Winter67

Day40

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex40

Women58

Men0

Unisex43

Women57

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#3,606

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews71

Overall rank#23,816

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews10

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 →

Pheromone Midnight by Marilyn Miglin delivers a distinct aromatic and woody profile centered on herbal contrast and deep resinous warmth. The fragrance opens with a sharp burst of clary sage, coriander, cardamom, and bergamot, balanced by a hint of mandarin orange and dry cedar. In the heart, powdery violet, dusty Tur…

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 Pheromone Midnight?

Basic Black takes 3 of 5 categories. Basic Black is rated 3.86/5 from 357 votes; Pheromone Midnight is rated 3.30/5 from 20 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 Pheromone Midnight for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Basic Black or Pheromone Midnight?

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

Which projects more, Basic Black or Pheromone Midnight?

Pheromone Midnight projects furthest (Pheromone Midnight 68/100, Basic Black 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Basic Black and Pheromone Midnight smell similar?

Some overlap: a 54% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, amber and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Ylang-Ylang, Cardamom, Mandarin Orange and Bergamot.

Is Basic Black or Pheromone Midnight better for summer or winter?

Pheromone Midnight suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Basic Black and Pheromone Midnight?

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. Pheromone Midnight has top notes of Clary Sage, Coriander, Cardamom and Cedar, heart notes of Violet, Ylang-Ylang, Jasmine and Turkish Rose, a base of Ambergris, Bourbon Vetiver, Indonesian Patchouli Leaf and Crystal Amber.