Fragrance comparison

Basic Black vs Poème Noir

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

Updated 29 Oct 2026 394 ratings analysed

Basic Black

Bill Blass

3.86357 votes

Rank #3,559 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

17%scent match

Clearly different

5 wins

Poème Noir

Sylhouette Parfums

4.1537 votes

Rank #19,747 White FloralTuberose

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Poème Noir takes 5 of 7 categories.

Basic Black
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.
Poème Noir
Choose it for a white floral and tuberose character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear.

Basic Black2/7

Poème Noir5/7

Ratings & consensus: Poème Noir
Community sentiment: Poème Noir
Longevity: Poème Noir
Sillage & projection: Poème Noir
Value for money: Basic Black
Versatility: Poème Noir
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

Poème NoirSylhouette Parfums

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.86/ 5 · 357 votes

Have 70%Had 30%Want 0%

4.15/ 5 · 37 votes

Have 8%Had 2%Want 91%

Category winnerPoème NoirRating 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

41%Love

44%Like

7%Ok

4%Dislike

4%Hate

27 votes

Category winnerPoème NoirMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity85

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate80

Category winners

LongevityPoème Noir

SillagePoème Noir

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%

white floral100%

tuberose92%

whiskey84%

woody77%

sweet69%

fruity61%

Scent match17%Clearly different · both 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

Notes

TuberoseNight Blooming JasmineWhiskeyInkTobaccoOakmossCarnationMusk

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesCarnation, Tuberose, Oakmoss and Musk. 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–

Spring55

Summer27

Fall91

Winter100

Day44

Night100

Category winnerPoème NoirMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex40

Women58

Men31

Unisex54

Women15

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#3,559

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews71

Overall rank#19,747

PerfumerSy Truong

Launched—

Reviews14

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 →

Poème Noir by Sylhouette Parfums is a dark, atmospheric floral scent featuring aged whiskey, tuberose, and ink. It suits those seeking a complex, mysterious fragrance for crisp autumn evenings. The composition balances white florals against smoky tobacco, creating a sharp and refined experience on the skin that linger…

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 Poème Noir?

Poème Noir takes 5 of 7 categories. Basic Black is rated 3.86/5 from 357 votes; Poème Noir is rated 4.15/5 from 37 votes. Choose Basic Black for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter. Choose Poème Noir for a white floral and tuberose character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Basic Black or Poème Noir?

Poème Noir lasts longest (Poème Noir 85/100, Basic Black 69/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Basic Black or Poème Noir?

Poème Noir projects furthest (Poème Noir 75/100, Basic Black 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Basic Black and Poème Noir smell similar?

Clearly different: a 17% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody accords. Common notes include Carnation, Tuberose, Oakmoss and Musk.

Is Basic Black or Poème Noir better for summer or winter?

For summer, Basic Black is the stronger pick. For winter, Basic Black is the stronger pick. Poème Noir suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Basic Black and Poème Noir?

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. Poème Noir features Tuberose, Night Blooming Jasmine, Whiskey, Ink and Tobacco.