Fragrance comparison

Basic Black vs Todd Oldham

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 588 ratings analysed

Basic Black

Bill Blass

3.86357 votes

Rank #3,741 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

62%scent match

Closely related

4 wins

Todd Oldham

3.96231 votes

Rank #4,132 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Todd Oldham takes 4 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.
Todd Oldham
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.

Basic Black2/7

Todd Oldham4/7

Ratings & consensus: Todd Oldham
Community sentiment: Tie
Longevity: Todd Oldham
Sillage & projection: Todd Oldham
Value for money: Basic Black
Versatility: Todd Oldham
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

Todd OldhamTodd Oldham

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.86/ 5 · 357 votes

Have 70%Had 30%Want 0%

3.96/ 5 · 231 votes

Have 64%Had 36%Want 0%

Category winnerTodd OldhamRating 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

38%Love

41%Like

3%Ok

18%Dislike

1%Hate

231 votes

Category winnerTieMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity85

〰 Sillage72

♥ Love / hate74

Category winners

LongevityTodd Oldham

SillageTodd Oldham

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value78

¤ Price value55

Category winnerBasic BlackBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

woody92%

amber84%

floral77%

powdery69%

aromatic61%

amber100%

warm spicy92%

fruity84%

woody77%

powdery69%

sweet61%

Scent match62%Closely related · both warm spicy, amber 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

PeachBergamotMandarin Orange

Heart

Fruity NotesCinnamonJasmineRose

Base

BenzoinSandalwoodAmberPatchouliMusk

InformationalShared notesPeach, Mandarin Orange, Bergamot and Rose. 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–

Spring29

Summer29

Fall100

Winter95

Day53

Night100

Category winnerTodd OldhamMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex40

Women58

Men0

Unisex33

Women67

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#3,741

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews71

Overall rank#4,132

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews59

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 →

Todd Oldham opens with a bright burst of peach and mandarin orange, but the initial fruitiness quickly shifts. Within minutes, the warmth of cinnamon and benzoin takes over, turning the scent into a heavy, waxy amber that clings close to the skin. It feels like stepping into a warm room filled with spiced candles on a…

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 Todd Oldham?

Todd Oldham takes 4 of 7 categories. Basic Black is rated 3.86/5 from 357 votes; Todd Oldham is rated 3.96/5 from 231 votes. Choose Basic Black for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter. Choose Todd Oldham for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Basic Black or Todd Oldham?

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

Which projects more, Basic Black or Todd Oldham?

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

Do Basic Black and Todd Oldham smell similar?

Closely related: a 62% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, amber and woody accords. Common notes include Peach, Mandarin Orange, Bergamot and Rose.

Is Basic Black or Todd Oldham better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Basic Black and Todd Oldham?

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. Todd Oldham has top notes of Peach, Bergamot and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Fruity Notes, Cinnamon, Jasmine and Rose, a base of Benzoin, Sandalwood, Amber and Patchouli.