Fragrance comparison

Basic Black vs True Love

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 522 ratings analysed

Basic Black

Bill Blass

3.86357 votes

Rank #3,732 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

43%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

True Love

Ormonde Jayne

4.12165 votes

Rank #6,750 IrisWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

True Love takes 4 of 7 categories.

Basic Black
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on value for money, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.
True Love
Choose it for a iris and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring.

Basic Black3/7

True Love4/7

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

True LoveOrmonde Jayne

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.86/ 5 · 357 votes

Have 70%Had 30%Want 0%

4.12/ 5 · 165 votes

Have 61%Had 39%Want 0%

Category winnerTrue LoveRating 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

50%Love

34%Like

10%Ok

5%Dislike

1%Hate

149 votes

Category winnerTrue LoveMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity77

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate82

Category winners

LongevityTrue Love

SillageTrue Love

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value78

¤ Price value45

Category winnerBasic BlackBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

woody92%

amber84%

floral77%

powdery69%

aromatic61%

iris100%

woody92%

floral84%

powdery77%

citrus69%

honey61%

Scent match43%Some overlap · both woody, floral 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

FreesiaBergamotMandarin OrangeTarragonPeppertree

Heart

OrrisHoneyYlang-YlangJasmineRoseHedione

Base

CastoreumBenzoinSandalwoodMuskCashmere Wood

InformationalShared notesYlang-Ylang, Mandarin Orange, Bergamot and Honey. 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–

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter52

Day–

Night–

Category winnerBasic BlackMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex40

Women58

Men0

Unisex5

Women95

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#3,732

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews71

Overall rank#6,750

PerfumerGeza Schoen

Launched—

Reviews16

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 →

True Love is a polished iris floral with citrus brightness, soft powder, honeyed warmth, and a quiet woody musk base. Reviews often frame it as feminine, tender, and composed, with a waxy iris texture that some find beautiful and others read as candle wax, lanolin, or animalic warmth. It suits lovers of elegant powder…

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 True Love?

True Love takes 4 of 7 categories. Basic Black is rated 3.86/5 from 357 votes; True Love is rated 4.12/5 from 165 votes. Choose Basic Black for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on value for money, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter. Choose True Love for a iris and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Basic Black or True Love?

True Love lasts longest (True Love 77/100, Basic Black 69/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Basic Black or True Love?

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

Do Basic Black and True Love smell similar?

Some overlap: a 43% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, floral and powdery accords. Common notes include Ylang-Ylang, Mandarin Orange, Bergamot and Honey.

Is Basic Black or True Love better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Basic Black and True Love?

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. True Love has top notes of Freesia, Bergamot, Mandarin Orange and Tarragon, heart notes of Orris, Honey, Ylang-Ylang and Jasmine, a base of Castoreum, Benzoin, Sandalwood and Musk.