Fragrance comparison

Basic Black vs Violette

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

Updated 10 Oct 2026 405 ratings analysed

Basic Black

Bill Blass

3.86357 votes

Rank #3,381 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

19%scent match

Clearly different

5 wins

Violette

House of Hautt

4.2948 votes

Rank #27,087 CaramelSweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Violette 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.
Violette
Choose it for a caramel and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear.

Basic Black2/7

Violette5/7

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

VioletteHouse of Hautt

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.86/ 5 · 357 votes

Have 70%Had 30%Want 0%

4.29/ 5 · 48 votes

Have 32%Had 15%Want 54%

Category winnerVioletteRating 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

56%Love

27%Like

6%Ok

10%Dislike

0%Hate

48 votes

Category winnerVioletteMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage76

♥ Love / hate82

Category winners

LongevityViolette

SillageViolette

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value78

¤ Price value39

Category winnerBasic BlackBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

woody92%

amber84%

floral77%

powdery69%

aromatic61%

caramel100%

sweet92%

vanilla84%

powdery77%

coconut69%

violet61%

Scent match19%Clearly different · both 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

Top15-30 mins

CoconutPlumPeachMandarin Orange

Heart3-5 hrs

CaramelVioletJasmine SambacBulgarian Rose

Base8-12+ hrs

Bourbon VanillaAmberSandalwood

InformationalShared notesPlum, Peach, Mandarin Orange and Rose. Durations are only published for Violette, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring53

Summer34

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring16

Summer5

Fall79

Winter100

Day29

Night100

Category winnerVioletteMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex40

Women58

Men0

Unisex17

Women83

Date 41%Party 31%Casual 17%Work 10%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#3,381

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews71

Overall rank#27,087

PerfumerLuciana Bergamasco

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 →

House of Hautt Violette is a decadent oriental floral perfume built around sweet caramel, candied violet, and ripe plum. The opening delivers a thick rush of dark stone fruit, creamy coconut, and bright mandarin orange. It does not hold back. Within thirty minutes, velvety Bulgarian rose and powdery violet take over, …

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 Violette?

Violette takes 5 of 7 categories. Basic Black is rated 3.86/5 from 357 votes; Violette is rated 4.29/5 from 48 votes. Choose Basic Black for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter. Choose Violette for a caramel and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Basic Black or Violette?

Violette lasts longest (Violette 80/100, Basic Black 69/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Basic Black or Violette?

Violette projects furthest (Violette 76/100, Basic Black 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Basic Black and Violette smell similar?

Clearly different: a 19% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share powdery accords. Common notes include Plum, Peach, Mandarin Orange and Rose.

Is Basic Black or Violette better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Basic Black and Violette?

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. Violette has top notes of Coconut, Plum, Peach and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Caramel, Violet, Jasmine Sambac and Bulgarian Rose, a base of Bourbon Vanilla, Amber and Sandalwood.