Fragrance comparison

Basic Black vs Ylang 49

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

Updated 5 Nov 2026 1,660 ratings analysed

Basic Black

Bill Blass

3.86357 votes

Rank #3,685 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

23%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

Ylang 49

Le Labo

3.851,303 votes

Rank #1,706 WoodyEarthy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Ylang 49 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.
Ylang 49
Choose it for a woody and earthy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Basic Black3/7

Ylang 494/7

Ratings & consensus: Basic Black
Community sentiment: Basic Black
Longevity: Ylang 49
Sillage & projection: Ylang 49
Value for money: Basic Black
Versatility: Ylang 49
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Ylang 49

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

Basic BlackBill Blass

Ylang 49Le Labo

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.86/ 5 · 357 votes

Have 70%Had 30%Want 0%

3.85/ 5 · 1,303 votes

Have 40%Had 13%Want 47%

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

38%Love

32%Like

12%Ok

14%Dislike

4%Hate

1,303 votes

Category winnerBasic BlackMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage69

♥ Love / hate71

Category winners

LongevityYlang 49

SillageYlang 49

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value78

¤ Price value29

Category winnerBasic BlackBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

woody92%

amber84%

floral77%

powdery69%

aromatic61%

woody100%

earthy92%

patchouli84%

yellow floral77%

mossy69%

white floral61%

Scent match23%Clearly different · both 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

Notes

PatchouliYlang-YlangOakmossTahitian GardeniaVetiverBenzoinSandalwood

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesYlang-Ylang, Oakmoss, Patchouli and Benzoin. Durations are only published for Ylang 49, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring53

Summer34

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring88

Summer50

Fall100

Winter64

Day100

Night80

Category winnerYlang 49Most year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex40

Women58

Men7

Unisex41

Women51

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#3,685

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews71

Overall rank#1,706

PerfumerFrank Voelkl

Launched—

Reviews185

Category winnerYlang 49Higher 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 →

Ylang 49 by Le Labo is a rich floral chypre centered on lush flowers and deep forest earth. The fragrance opens with an immediate burst of creamy ylang-ylang and ripe Tahitian gardenia, delivering a heady floral punch. Beneath the floral surface, the scent turns dark and grounding. Heavy patchouli and crisp oakmoss fo…

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 Ylang 49?

Ylang 49 takes 4 of 7 categories. Basic Black is rated 3.86/5 from 357 votes; Ylang 49 is rated 3.85/5 from 1,303 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 Ylang 49 for a woody and earthy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Basic Black or Ylang 49?

Ylang 49 lasts longest (Ylang 49 75/100, Basic Black 69/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Basic Black or Ylang 49?

Ylang 49 projects furthest (Ylang 49 69/100, Basic Black 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Basic Black and Ylang 49 smell similar?

Clearly different: a 23% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody accords. Common notes include Ylang-Ylang, Oakmoss, Patchouli and Benzoin.

Is Basic Black or Ylang 49 better for summer or winter?

For summer, Ylang 49 is the stronger pick. For winter, Basic Black is the stronger pick. Ylang 49 suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Basic Black and Ylang 49?

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. Ylang 49 features Patchouli, Ylang-Ylang, Oakmoss, Tahitian Gardenia and Vetiver.