Fragrance comparison

Basic Black vs Wow

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

Updated 7 Nov 2026 376 ratings analysed

3 wins

Basic Black

Bill Blass

3.86357 votes

Rank #3,661 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

33%scent match

Clearly different

Wow

Profumi Di Polignano

3.7919 votes

Rank #60,436 Warm SpicyVanilla

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.
Wow
Choose it for a warm spicy and vanilla character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, evening wear.

Basic Black3/5

Wow2/5

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

WowProfumi Di Polignano

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.86/ 5 · 357 votes

Have 70%Had 30%Want 0%

3.79/ 5 · 19 votes

Have 34%Had 15%Want 51%

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

32%Love

37%Like

11%Ok

21%Dislike

0%Hate

19 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

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate70

Category winners

LongevityWow

SillageWow

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value78

¤ Price value50

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%

vanilla92%

aromatic84%

sweet77%

cinnamon69%

yellow floral61%

Scent match33%Clearly different · both warm spicy and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top

CarnationYlang-YlangPlumCardamomPeachMandarin OrangeBergamot

Heart

HoneyCorianderRoseTuberoseVioletJasmine

Base

OakmossPatchouliCivetAmberMuskBenzoinSandalwoodStyrax

Top30 to 45 minutes

CinnamonCorianderCardamomCumin

Heart2 to 3 hours

Ylang-YlangPlumGeraniumRose

Base4 to 8 hours

VanillaTonka BeanMuskBenzoin

InformationalShared notesYlang-Ylang, Plum, Cardamom and Coriander. Durations are only published for Wow, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring53

Summer34

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer25

Fall100

Winter100

Day86

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex40

Women58

Men0

Unisex62

Women38

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#3,661

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews71

Overall rank#60,436

PerfumerArturetto Landi

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 →

Wow opens with a brisk, dry spice blend of cinnamon, coriander, cardamom, and pungent cumin. That sharp opening quickly gives way to a lush, dark core of sweet plum, ylang-ylang, rose, and geranium. As the floral fruitiness settles, a dense base of vanilla, tonka bean, benzoin, and soft musk takes over the trail. It s…

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 Wow?

Basic Black takes 3 of 5 categories. Basic Black is rated 3.86/5 from 357 votes; Wow is rated 3.79/5 from 19 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 Wow for a warm spicy and vanilla character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Basic Black or Wow?

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

Which projects more, Basic Black or Wow?

Projection is very close: Wow 64/100, Basic Black 62/100 for sillage.

Do Basic Black and Wow smell similar?

Clearly different: a 33% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy and aromatic accords. Common notes include Ylang-Ylang, Plum, Cardamom and Coriander.

Is Basic Black or Wow better for summer or winter?

Wow suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Basic Black and Wow?

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. Wow has top notes of Cinnamon, Coriander, Cardamom and Cumin, heart notes of Ylang-Ylang, Plum, Geranium and Rose, a base of Vanilla, Tonka Bean, Musk and Benzoin.