Fragrance comparison

Basic Black vs Trepak

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 392 ratings analysed

4 wins

Basic Black

Bill Blass

3.86357 votes

Rank #3,732 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

44%scent match

Some overlap

Trepak

Alexandria Fragrances

3.9735 votes

Rank #36,768 WoodyMusky

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Basic Black takes 4 of 7 categories.

Basic Black
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter.
Trepak
Choose it for a woody and musky character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in winter, evening wear.

Basic Black4/7

Trepak3/7

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

TrepakAlexandria Fragrances

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.86/ 5 · 357 votes

Have 70%Had 30%Want 0%

3.97/ 5 · 35 votes

Have 51%Had 13%Want 36%

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

54%Love

20%Like

3%Ok

14%Dislike

9%Hate

35 votes

Category winnerBasic BlackMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity84

〰 Sillage83

♥ Love / hate74

Category winners

LongevityTrepak

SillageTrepak

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value78

¤ Price value73

Category winnerBasic BlackBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

woody92%

amber84%

floral77%

powdery69%

aromatic61%

woody100%

musky92%

animalic84%

powdery77%

amber69%

fresh spicy61%

Scent match44%Some overlap · both woody, amber and powdery

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

CuminLemonLimeBergamotTarragonOrange

Heart

Ylang-YlangPeachTuberoseRoseJasmineVioletHeliotropeBlack Currant

Base

CivetOakmossMuskNutmegClovesLeatherLabdanumSandalwood

InformationalShared notesYlang-Ylang, Peach, 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–

Spring50

Summer25

Fall92

Winter100

Day33

Night100

Category winnerTrepakMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex40

Women58

Men57

Unisex43

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#3,732

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews71

Overall rank#36,768

PerfumerHany Hafez

Launched—

Reviews0

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 →

Trepak is a bold, old-school woody musk built around oakmoss, civet, patchouli and spice, then softened with florals and a faint peachy sweetness. It opens bright and aromatic, but quickly turns darker, earthier and more animalic. This is the kind of scent that suits confident wearers, cooler weather and evening use. …

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 Trepak?

Basic Black takes 4 of 7 categories. Basic Black is rated 3.86/5 from 357 votes; Trepak is rated 3.97/5 from 35 votes. Choose Basic Black for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter. Choose Trepak for a woody and musky character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Basic Black or Trepak?

Trepak lasts longest (Trepak 84/100, Basic Black 69/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Basic Black or Trepak?

Trepak projects furthest (Trepak 83/100, Basic Black 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Basic Black and Trepak smell similar?

Some overlap: a 44% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, amber and powdery accords. Common notes include Ylang-Ylang, Peach, Bergamot and Rose.

Is Basic Black or Trepak better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Basic Black and Trepak?

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. Trepak has top notes of Cumin, Lemon, Lime and Bergamot, heart notes of Ylang-Ylang, Peach, Tuberose and Rose, a base of Civet, Oakmoss, Musk and Nutmeg.