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FRAGRANXE
Fragrance comparison

Nicole Miller vs Basic Black

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

Updated 716 ratings analysed
Some overlap
Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 7 categories split 3–3.

  • Nicole Miller

    Choose it for a sweet and powdery character. Wins on community sentiment, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

  • Basic Black

    Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, value for money and versatility. Best in winter.

Nicole Miller3/7
Basic Black3/7
Ratings & consensus
Basic Black
Community sentiment
Nicole Miller
Longevity
Tie
Sillage & projection
Nicole Miller
Value for money
Basic Black
Versatility
Basic Black
Note pyramid (duration)
Not scored
Fragranxe ranking
Nicole Miller

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance
Nicole MillerNicole Miller
Basic BlackBill Blass
Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split
3.81/ 5 · 359 votes
Have 64%Had 36%Want 0%
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 hate
30%Love
50%Like
5%Ok
14%Dislike
2%Hate

344 votes

37%Love
41%Like
4%Ok
17%Dislike
1%Hate

313 votes

Category winnerNicole MillerMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores
⏱ Longevity69
〰 Sillage63
♥ Love / hate73
⏱ Longevity69
〰 Sillage62
♥ Love / hate74
Category winners

LongevityTie

SillageNicole Miller

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it
¤ Price value70
¤ Price value78
Category winnerBasic BlackBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both
sweet100%
powdery92%
floral84%
fruity77%
woody69%
white floral61%
warm spicy100%
woody92%
amber84%
floral77%
powdery69%
aromatic61%
Scent match49%Some overlap · both powdery, floral and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared
Top
PeachPlumAldehydesCorianderMandarin OrangeBergamotGreen Notes
Heart
HoneyTuberoseYlang-YlangCarnationJasmineHeliotropeDamask RoseIris
Base
AmberSandalwoodVanillaTonka BeanBenzoinMuskCedarVetiver
Top
CarnationYlang-YlangPlumCardamomPeachMandarin OrangeBergamot
Heart
HoneyCorianderRoseTuberoseVioletJasmine
Base
OakmossPatchouliCivetAmberMuskBenzoinSandalwoodStyrax
InformationalShared notesPeach, Plum, Coriander and Mandarin Orange. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season
Spring84
Summer0
Fall0
Winter100
Day–
Night–
Spring53
Summer34
Fall0
Winter100
Day–
Night–
Category winnerBasic BlackMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes
Men4
Unisex12
Women84
Men2
Unisex40
Women58
InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#3,701

PerfumerXavier Renard

Launched—

Reviews79

Overall rank#3,732

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews71

Category winnerNicole MillerHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Nicole Miller by Nicole Miller is an opulent, honeyed floral chypre launched in 1993. It leans heavily into a dense, golden profile dominated by succulent plum and peach, supported by a rich bouquet of tuberose and ylang-ylang. The base offers a warm, powdery foundation of amber and sandalwood. It is an ideal companio…

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.

Recent comparisons

Head-to-head activity from live history

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Nicole Miller or Basic Black?

No clear winner: the 7 categories split 3–3. Nicole Miller is rated 3.81/5 from 359 votes; Basic Black is rated 3.86/5 from 357 votes. Choose Nicole Miller for a sweet and powdery character. Wins on community sentiment, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter. Choose Basic Black for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, value for money and versatility. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Nicole Miller or Basic Black?

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

Which projects more, Nicole Miller or Basic Black?

Projection is very close: Nicole Miller 63/100, Basic Black 62/100 for sillage.

Do Nicole Miller and Basic Black smell similar?

Some overlap: a 49% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share powdery, floral and woody accords. Common notes include Peach, Plum, Coriander and Mandarin Orange.

Is Nicole Miller or Basic Black better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Nicole Miller and Basic Black?

Nicole Miller has top notes of Peach, Plum, Aldehydes and Coriander, heart notes of Honey, Tuberose, Ylang-Ylang and Carnation, a base of Amber, Sandalwood, Vanilla and Tonka Bean. 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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