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FRAGRANXE
Fragrance comparison

Venetian Belladonna vs Basic Black

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

Updated 471 ratings analysed
Some overlap
Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Basic Black takes 4 of 7 categories.

  • Venetian Belladonna

    Choose it for a floral and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in fall, day or night wear.

  • Basic Black

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

Venetian Belladonna3/7
Basic Black4/7
Ratings & consensus
Basic Black
Community sentiment
Basic Black
Longevity
Venetian Belladonna
Sillage & projection
Venetian Belladonna
Value for money
Basic Black
Versatility
Venetian Belladonna
Note pyramid (duration)
Not scored
Fragranxe ranking
Basic Black

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance
Venetian BelladonnaParfums Quartana
Basic BlackBill Blass
Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split
3.85/ 5 · 114 votes
Have 29%Had 8%Want 63%
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
34%Love
36%Like
12%Ok
16%Dislike
2%Hate

114 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
⏱ Longevity75
〰 Sillage64
♥ Love / hate71
⏱ Longevity69
〰 Sillage62
♥ Love / hate74
Category winners

LongevityVenetian Belladonna

SillageVenetian Belladonna

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it
¤ Price value44
¤ Price value78
Category winnerBasic BlackBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both
floral100%
woody92%
powdery84%
sweet77%
violet69%
fruity61%
warm spicy100%
woody92%
amber84%
floral77%
powdery69%
aromatic61%
Scent match40%Some overlap · both woody, floral and powdery

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared
Notes
ChampacaVioletTuberoseSuedePlumStyraxCassisCognacHoneyIris FlowerAmbrette (Musk Mallow)Beeswax

No top / heart / base split published

Top
CarnationYlang-YlangPlumCardamomPeachMandarin OrangeBergamot
Heart
HoneyCorianderRoseTuberoseVioletJasmine
Base
OakmossPatchouliCivetAmberMuskBenzoinSandalwoodStyrax
InformationalShared notesViolet, Tuberose, Plum and Styrax. Durations are only published for Venetian Belladonna, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season
Spring79
Summer51
Fall100
Winter56
Day100
Night95
Spring53
Summer34
Fall0
Winter100
Day–
Night–
Category winnerVenetian BelladonnaMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes
Men0
Unisex11
Women89
Men2
Unisex40
Women58
InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#12,523

PerfumerPierre-Constantin Guéros

Launched—

Reviews29

Overall rank#3,673

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews71

Category winnerBasic BlackHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Venetian Belladonna by Parfums Quartana is an intense floral fruity fragrance that leans heavily into dark, powdery sweetness and woody resins. Created by perfumer Pierre-Constantin Guéros, it centers on an assertive violet note mixed with boozy cognac, tart cassis, and dark plum. As it settles, creamy tuberose and go…

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, Venetian Belladonna or Basic Black?

Basic Black takes 4 of 7 categories. Venetian Belladonna is rated 3.85/5 from 114 votes; Basic Black is rated 3.86/5 from 357 votes. Choose Venetian Belladonna for a floral and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in fall, day or night wear. 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, Venetian Belladonna or Basic Black?

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

Which projects more, Venetian Belladonna or Basic Black?

Projection is very close: Venetian Belladonna 64/100, Basic Black 62/100 for sillage.

Do Venetian Belladonna and Basic Black smell similar?

Some overlap: a 40% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, floral and powdery accords. Common notes include Violet, Tuberose, Plum and Styrax.

Is Venetian Belladonna or Basic Black better for summer or winter?

For summer, Venetian Belladonna is the stronger pick. For winter, Basic Black is the stronger pick. Venetian Belladonna suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Venetian Belladonna and Basic Black?

Venetian Belladonna features Champaca, Violet, Tuberose, Suede and Plum. 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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