Fragrance comparison

Basic Black vs Shalom

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

Updated 13 Nov 2026 380 ratings analysed

3 wins

Basic Black

Bill Blass

3.86357 votes

Rank #3,732 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

74%scent match

Closely related

Shalom

Judith Muller

3.7023 votes

Rank #41,246 Warm SpicyWoody

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.
Shalom
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.

Basic Black3/5

Shalom2/5

Ratings & consensus: Basic Black
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Shalom
Sillage & projection: Shalom
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

ShalomJudith Muller

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.86/ 5 · 357 votes

Have 70%Had 30%Want 0%

3.70/ 5 · 23 votes

Have 41%Had 16%Want 43%

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

29%Love

43%Like

0%Ok

7%Dislike

21%Hate

14 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage70

♥ Love / hate68

Category winners

LongevityShalom

SillageShalom

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value78

¤ Price value60

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%

woody92%

amber84%

floral77%

aromatic69%

earthy61%

Scent match74%Closely related · both warm spicy, woody 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

Top

BergamotPeachPlumCardamomPalisander Rosewood

Heart

CarnationRoseNutmegOrris RootYlang-YlangJasmine

Base

OakmossBenzoinAmberSandalwoodLeatherVetiverCivet

InformationalShared notesCarnation, Ylang-Ylang, Plum and Cardamom. 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–

Spring75

Summer50

Fall100

Winter100

Day40

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex40

Women58

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#3,732

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews71

Overall rank#41,246

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews4

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 →

Shalom by Judith Muller is a mossy, fruity chypre that brings a classic 1970s character to life. It balances juicy plum and peach with a grounding, animalic base of oakmoss and civet. Best suited for cooler days or elegant evening wear, it offers a distinct, sophisticated profile for those who appreciate traditional, …

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 Shalom?

Basic Black takes 3 of 5 categories. Basic Black is rated 3.86/5 from 357 votes; Shalom is rated 3.70/5 from 23 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 Shalom for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Basic Black or Shalom?

They last about the same: Shalom 70/100, Basic Black 69/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Basic Black or Shalom?

Shalom projects furthest (Shalom 70/100, Basic Black 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Basic Black and Shalom smell similar?

Closely related: a 74% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, woody and amber accords. Common notes include Carnation, Ylang-Ylang, Plum and Cardamom.

Is Basic Black or Shalom better for summer or winter?

Shalom suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Basic Black and Shalom?

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. Shalom has top notes of Bergamot, Peach, Plum and Cardamom, heart notes of Carnation, Rose, Nutmeg and Orris Root, a base of Oakmoss, Benzoin, Amber and Sandalwood.