Fragrance comparison

Scent of a Dream vs Basic Black

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

Updated 29 Oct 2026 755 ratings analysed

Scent of a Dream

Charlotte Tilbury

3.48398 votes

Rank #36,945 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

48%scent match

Some overlap

5 wins

Basic Black

Bill Blass

3.86357 votes

Rank #3,559 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Basic Black takes 5 of 7 categories.

Scent of a Dream
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Wins on sillage & projection and versatility. Best in winter, evening wear.
Basic Black
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Scent of a Dream2/7

Basic Black5/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Scent of a DreamCharlotte Tilbury

Basic BlackBill Blass

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.48/ 5 · 398 votes

Have 71%Had 29%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

28%Love

31%Like

7%Ok

31%Dislike

4%Hate

398 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

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate62

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate74

Category winners

LongevityBasic Black

SillageScent of a Dream

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value47

¤ Price value78

Category winnerBasic BlackBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

amber92%

warm spicy84%

citrus77%

musky69%

patchouli61%

warm spicy100%

woody92%

amber84%

floral77%

powdery69%

aromatic61%

Scent match48%Some overlap · both woody, warm spicy and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

Black PepperBergamotSaffronPeachLemonMandarin Orange

Heart2-4 hrs

PatchouliTuberoseIncenseVioletJasmine

Base6-8+ hrs

AmbroxanIso E SuperHedioneWoody Notes

Top

CarnationYlang-YlangPlumCardamomPeachMandarin OrangeBergamot

Heart

HoneyCorianderRoseTuberoseVioletJasmine

Base

OakmossPatchouliCivetAmberMuskBenzoinSandalwoodStyrax

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Peach, Mandarin Orange and Patchouli. Durations are only published for Scent of a Dream, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring91

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day41

Night100

Spring53

Summer34

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerScent of a DreamMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex13

Women87

Date 39%Party 30%Casual 17%Work 13%

Men2

Unisex40

Women58

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#36,945

PerfumerFrançois Robert

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#3,559

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews71

Category winnerBasic BlackHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Charlotte Tilbury Scent of a Dream hits the skin with an electric punch of black pepper, juicy mandarin, and fuzzy peach flesh. The initial spray feels sharp and solvent-heavy for two minutes before settling down. Soon, thick tuberose and earthy patchouli take center stage, wrapped in a faint ribbon of dry incense smo…

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.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Scent of a Dream or Basic Black?

Basic Black takes 5 of 7 categories. Scent of a Dream is rated 3.48/5 from 398 votes; Basic Black is rated 3.86/5 from 357 votes. Choose Scent of a Dream for a woody and amber character. Wins on sillage & projection and versatility. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Basic Black for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Scent of a Dream or Basic Black?

Basic Black lasts longest (Basic Black 69/100, Scent of a Dream 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Scent of a Dream or Basic Black?

Projection is very close: Scent of a Dream 63/100, Basic Black 62/100 for sillage.

Do Scent of a Dream and Basic Black smell similar?

Some overlap: a 48% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, warm spicy and amber accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Peach, Mandarin Orange and Patchouli.

Is Scent of a Dream or Basic Black better for summer or winter?

For summer, Basic Black is the stronger pick. For winter, Scent of a Dream is the stronger pick. Scent of a Dream suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Scent of a Dream and Basic Black?

Scent of a Dream has top notes of Black Pepper, Bergamot, Saffron and Peach, heart notes of Patchouli, Tuberose, Incense and Violet, a base of Ambroxan, Iso E Super, Hedione and Woody Notes. 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.