Ella vs Basic Black
Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.
28%scent match
Clearly different
Quick verdict
Which one should you pick?
Basic Black takes 5 of 7 categories.
EllaChoose it for a musky and powdery character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.
Basic BlackChoose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter.
Ella2/7
Basic Black5/7
- Ratings & consensus
- Basic Black
- Community sentiment
- Basic Black
- Longevity
- Ella
- Sillage & projection
- Ella
- 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
EllaArquisteBasic BlackBill BlassWinner
Ratings & consensus
Average rating and ownership split3.61/ 5 · 135 votes
Have 28%Had 11%Want 61%
3.86/ 5 · 357 votes
Have 70%Had 30%Want 0%
Category winnerBasic BlackRating weighted by vote count
Community sentiment
How voters split from love to hate29%Love
35%Like
7%Ok
26%Dislike
3%Hate
135 votes
37%Love
41%Like
4%Ok
17%Dislike
1%Hate
313 votes
Category winnerBasic BlackMost positive mix (25+ votes)
Longevity & sillage
0–100 community performance scores
Category winners
LongevityElla
SillageElla
Value for money
How fairly priced voters find itCategory winnerBasic BlackBest value score
Main accords
Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by bothmusky100%
powdery92%
animalic84%
amber77%
white floral69%
smoky61%
warm spicy100%
woody92%
amber84%
floral77%
powdery69%
aromatic61%
Scent match28%Clearly different · both powdery and amber
Note pyramid (duration)
Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = sharedNotes
CivetJasmineSmokeHoneyAngelicaCarrot SeedsAmbergrisVetiverTurkish RosePatchouliCardamom
No top / heart / base split published
Top
CarnationYlang-YlangPlumCardamomPeachMandarin OrangeBergamot
Heart
HoneyCorianderRoseTuberoseVioletJasmine
Base
OakmossPatchouliCivetAmberMuskBenzoinSandalwoodStyrax
InformationalShared notesCivet, Jasmine, Honey and Turkish Rose. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.
Seasons & time of day
Relative to each fragrance's best seasonSpring78
Summer0
Fall0
Winter100
Day–
Night–
Spring53
Summer34
Fall0
Winter100
Day–
Night–
Category winnerBasic BlackMost year-round
Who wears it
Gender appeal votesInformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored
Ranking & credits
Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launchOverall rank#33,992
PerfumerRodrigo Flores-Roux
Launched—
Reviews0
Overall rank#3,732
PerfumerNot listed
Launched—
Reviews71
Category winnerBasic BlackHigher overall rank
In a nutshell
Description & review snapshotElla by Arquiste is a Chypre fragrance for women. Ella was launched in 2016. The nose behind this fragrance is Rodrigo Flores-Roux.
Reviews →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 →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.
Guided comparison
Ask about this matchup
Get a practical answer grounded in the fragrances currently selected.
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Common questions
Straight answers from the data above.
Which is better, Ella or Basic Black?
Basic Black takes 5 of 7 categories. Ella is rated 3.61/5 from 135 votes; Basic Black is rated 3.86/5 from 357 votes. Choose Ella for a musky and powdery character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter. Choose Basic Black for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter.
Which lasts longer, Ella or Basic Black?
They last about the same: Ella 70/100, Basic Black 69/100 for longevity in community votes.
Which projects more, Ella or Basic Black?
Ella projects furthest (Ella 69/100, Basic Black 62/100), based on community performance votes.
Do Ella and Basic Black smell similar?
Clearly different: a 28% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share powdery and amber accords. Common notes include Civet, Jasmine, Honey and Turkish Rose.
Is Ella or Basic Black better for summer or winter?
For summer, Basic Black is the stronger pick. For winter, Ella is the stronger pick. Based on community season votes.
What are the notes in Ella and Basic Black?
Ella features Civet, Jasmine, Smoke, Honey and Angelica. 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.
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