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FRAGRANXE
Fragrance comparison

Ormonde Elixir vs Basic Black

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

Updated 652 ratings analysed
Some overlap
Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Ormonde Elixir takes 6 of 7 categories.

  • Ormonde Elixir

    Choose it for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

  • Basic Black

    Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on value for money. Best in winter.

Ormonde Elixir6/7
Basic Black1/7
Ratings & consensus
Ormonde Elixir
Community sentiment
Ormonde Elixir
Longevity
Ormonde Elixir
Sillage & projection
Ormonde Elixir
Value for money
Basic Black
Versatility
Ormonde Elixir
Note pyramid (duration)
Not scored
Fragranxe ranking
Ormonde Elixir

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance
Ormonde ElixirOrmonde Jayne
Basic BlackBill Blass
Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split
4.18/ 5 · 295 votes
Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%
3.86/ 5 · 357 votes
Have 70%Had 30%Want 0%
Category winnerOrmonde ElixirRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate
58%Love
27%Like
5%Ok
8%Dislike
1%Hate

203 votes

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

313 votes

Category winnerOrmonde ElixirMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores
⏱ Longevity82
〰 Sillage69
♥ Love / hate83
⏱ Longevity69
〰 Sillage62
♥ Love / hate74
Category winners

LongevityOrmonde Elixir

SillageOrmonde Elixir

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it
¤ Price value46
¤ Price value78
Category winnerBasic BlackBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both
woody100%
warm spicy86%
aromatic72%
green58%
powdery44%
animalic30%
warm spicy100%
woody92%
amber84%
floral77%
powdery69%
aromatic61%
Scent match54%Some overlap · both woody, warm spicy and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared
Top
CardamomGrassCoriander
Heart
Black hemlock or TsugaVioletJasmine
Base
Cambodian OudCedarVetiverSandalwoodAmber
Top
CarnationYlang-YlangPlumCardamomPeachMandarin OrangeBergamot
Heart
HoneyCorianderRoseTuberoseVioletJasmine
Base
OakmossPatchouliCivetAmberMuskBenzoinSandalwoodStyrax
InformationalShared notesCardamom, Coriander, Violet and Jasmine. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season
Spring94
Summer0
Fall0
Winter100
Day–
Night–
Spring53
Summer34
Fall0
Winter100
Day–
Night–
Category winnerOrmonde ElixirMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes
Men57
Unisex34
Women9
Men2
Unisex40
Women58
InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#1,702

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews59

Overall rank#3,732

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews71

Category winnerOrmonde ElixirHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Ormonde Elixir is a dark, woody green fragrance built around cardamom, grass, hemlock, violet and a warmer Cambodian oud base. On skin it often reads dry, spicy, coniferous and slightly powdery, with some wearers finding cocoa-like oud sweetness and others noticing a bitter medicinal edge. This is best sampled if you …

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, Ormonde Elixir or Basic Black?

Ormonde Elixir takes 6 of 7 categories. Ormonde Elixir is rated 4.18/5 from 295 votes; Basic Black is rated 3.86/5 from 357 votes. Choose Ormonde Elixir for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter. Choose Basic Black for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on value for money. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Ormonde Elixir or Basic Black?

Ormonde Elixir lasts longest (Ormonde Elixir 82/100, Basic Black 69/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Ormonde Elixir or Basic Black?

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

Do Ormonde Elixir and Basic Black smell similar?

Some overlap: a 54% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, warm spicy and aromatic accords. Common notes include Cardamom, Coriander, Violet and Jasmine.

Is Ormonde Elixir or Basic Black better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Ormonde Elixir and Basic Black?

Ormonde Elixir has top notes of Cardamom, Grass and Coriander, heart notes of Black hemlock or Tsuga, Violet and Jasmine, a base of Cambodian Oud, Cedar, Vetiver and Sandalwood. 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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