Basic Black

CoCo Channel is famous for bringing "The Little Black Dress" into style. It has always been a classically elegant addition to any wardrobe. During the 1980's was the first time that I had worn basic black for formals and kept a few skirts and pants in these colors to ground the brighter colors that I would wear near my face. Of course, this was the era with the whomped up shoulder pads that squared off the shoulders making the hips look smaller, or that was how the theory went - at least! The hair was completely WHOMPED UP too! This all called for a much more SERIOUS perfume as well, after all - you couldn't leave the house dressed with over sized line backer shoulder pads - then choose a fragrance like cotton candy. You needed a heavy duty fragrance to go with the 80's "look"! Bill Blass introduced a trio of fragrances, because one was not enough. He had a theory that you needed at least 3 forms of expression. Hot (with the red cap), Nude, and Basic Black. Basic Black was the more elegant of the three...all three had their followings and loyal fragrance fans, they still DO! Basic Black was my favorite out of the three - and was always great on my skin because it had ingredients that really "showed up". It matched the tone that was set in all of the M-TV videos, back in the day. Coming from the super preppy days where everything was pretty classic and safe, the 1980's styles added some edgy-ness that you didn't find when everyone was trying to look as if they were attending prep school. The first fragrance that I wore in this genre was Tuxedo by Ralph Lauren - which had a discernible tobacco note in it. I always loved Tuxedo in women's perfumes and men's colognes (it is a note that adds depth, so tobacco pulls a fragrance more into the alto/tenor type range of depth), it was a gorgeous fragrance that could definitely be worn with the classically elegant black evening dresses and pantsuits. Tuxedo was short lived, for some reason RL took this off the market - leaving a gap in the market. MTV and all of the fashion pages began featuring the color black in more videos in costume changes by famous musicians. Looking back at significant movies of the day, "Grease" was early on the scene with this transformation. Even Olivia Newton John made the shift from Sandy, the preppy beach fresh teenager - to the biker chick wearing black from head to toe. What perfume do you wear with a wardrobe with a few pieces of basic black? Luckily, Bill Blass created Basic Black at just the right time in the market. This was an elegant perfume that grounded a beautiful energy that is required when wearing something with this level of sophistication. This was a dressy fragrance, I had to step into this - because it was actually a lot more sophisticated and elegant than I was at the time. This would be something that I would reserve for formal dances or times when I would really dress up to the 9's or 10's. I loved this when I had the courage to wear it. Both Tuxedo and Basic Black could allow you to feel elegant for the evening. There was a point where I also began wearing this for daytime events with business suits for work as well as to church, but that took awhile. I was just warming up to wearing more elegant and more grown up scents at the time. This is a gorgeous fragrance on! This brought a constant stream of compliments. It really did SOMETHING with my chemistry! A Great one, truly a Classic! I can see where some people would think that this was unisex or urban chic trendy... I agree with the comment that the new generation needs to rediscover this one. It is truly memorable. I loved it when I had the guts to actually wear it! This is grown up, serious - could be worn for business or for more formal occasions. I have good memories with this perfume. It smells elegant, lovely. ------------- Just bought a small sample bottle for another chance to experience it. This is much better than I remember. There are some notes and the intensity which matches the sophistication of Elizabeth Taylor's Passion, Estee Lauder's Youth Dew, and Jil Sanders No. 4. Basic Black is strong, so much so that you may want to reserve this for the fall, winter, and early spring -- (this may be overly strong in the summer). It is still the same 1980's powerhouse that I remember. There is a richness and elegance to this. It starts with a familiar type incense note with oak moss, a slight black pepper type smell which anchors the perfume. This caramelizes beautifully on the skin within the first couple of minutes after spraying it. Wears hours on the skin. This is in the alto range - where it is not a high soprano, and not too deep... Just the right range for wearing day or evening. If you are craving a perfume with more presence than the present day cotton candy sweet perfumes - and something with an 80's vibe, you'll definitely want to try this one! This is a definitely a keeper - a real winner! ---------- If you like the depth and the general vibe of Basic Black - you will probably like Panthere by Cartier. They are similar - almost like sister fragrances... not exactly twins, but close enough to experience a similar type essence. I like both perfumes, they both have their own character and presence. David Yurman's Exotic Essence is in this same type of fragrance profile - fragrance genre... that one is slightly more unisex - and leans more towards being a fall/winter perfume because of the depth during the first couple of hours of wear.

Nose: Maurice Roucel When I first acquired this fragrance several years ago, my first impression was 'dirty, subversive prohibition in a bottle reminiscent of the 30s and 40s fragrances that were worn by those 'other women', laden with animalic sercretions and cigarette ashes.' For me, it was an assertive, jolie laide (French word for "beautiful ugly") chypre that seemed out of my league. I didn't dislike it but I had yet to grow into its boldness. It colonized the atmosphere and loudly announced my presence in a way that my demure personality could not acclimate to. But I held onto it. The bottle is beautiful, smooth, elegant Bauhaus design and, although it is technically a 90s perfume, it is the bottled last lingering remnant of the bold, brazen art deco revival of the 80s. Today, my impression has evolved. Basic Black is a sophisticated blend of cool spices, narcotic florals, musk and soapy accords. Imagine those molded soaps your mom kept in the bathroom in the 90s that were strictly for decorative purposes only fortified by a similar sharp floral structure as 1986 gem Sung by Alfred Sung, elevated by citrus accords and grounded in cool, peppery earthiness. I get a little honey from this but not the headache-inducing blast of honey that many others get from this. This is not warm, cozy and inviting - this is sophisticated, Olympian exclusivity, unapproachable glamour and silent, surreptitious rebellion. Oh how it takes me back! It captures the spirit of an era beautifully - an era of decadent drama, geometric elegance, tobacco-scented leather, velvet, Venetian blinds, cool chrome, garish florals, sensual sax poured over analog synthesizer, and chiascuro moodiness. The sillage is definitely nothing to play with - I'm surprised it wasn't on any banned lists back in the day that I know of. And it has a long lifespan on the skin. In short, Basic Black is millenial magnificence and I love it. I wonder did the perfume evolve or did I?

This is a review for the current formulation of Basic Black: While there is practically no sillage on my skin, this beautifully blended and subtle chypre could otherwise become seriously addictive. I gave my gorgeous little bottle to my sister, on whom it shines a bit brighter. The sillage is still light, however, and she is inclined to consider it a "skin scent" chypre. No matter. This is the comforting and dependable jewel to whip out on days when quiet confidence is required. Just like that little black dress - aptly named! I see little resemblance to Cassini, which I've recently ( happily! ) sampled. Cassini has a good deal more "oomph" and could even be said to be strikingly vulgar by comparison. So much so that I may eventually have to obtain a bottle of my own. :) You would be hard pressed to find a more chic chypre than Basic Black. Airy, well blended, and perfectly balanced. What more can I say?!

Complex and multi layered. Very Sexy... If this perfume was a lady, she would have long fingernails, a dozen little black dresses in her closet and drive a big black car. She is intelligent, quick, intense and doesn't apologize for anything above. LOL. She also rides horses, calls her mom everyday and loves a poet or a poor artist. I like her... This perfume has a huge opening and all thru the day at unexpected times you can hear/smell the animal in it "roar". Tamed only by the spice and warmth. I think it smells like heat and even hints of leather as it relaxes. But I always smell the honey and vanilla coming thru. As it calms down and gradually thru out the day it develops a warm smoky muskiness on my skin. Like I said, so many layers and notes. Very long lasting and awesome silage, depending on how you apply it. I get a lot of compliments about this perfume.

Growing up I had a best friend whose mother sold Avon and drank. She saved the liquor bottles, dripped candle wax down their sides, and stuck candles in their necks...these bottles were all over their house like trophies. She wore some strong vintage Avon from the seventies (well, it WAS the 70s), not sure what but it was soapy and mossy, and its smell melded with the booze and smoke around her in an amalgamation of seventies womansmells: smoke, moss, incense, candle wax, and something weakly floral. That's how Basic Black smells, pure nostalgia. Perfume-scented perfume with a boozy smokey complex sadness like a drunk divorcee with a bin full of empty bottles on a rainy Sunday morning, the smell of decomposing hope. I really love this.

Out of many perfumes, high, low, etc. This stands out as an overlooked beauty. The reviews puzzle me because they are all over the place. I smell incense from start to finish, mixed in with warm ambers, civet, woods, peaches, plums, rose, ylang-ylang and spice. To me it's a warm, woodsy, incense, sultry sexy smell, not "office friendly. " It is incredibly inexpensive for what you get. This one fills in on days where I want to save my expensive luxe perfumes like Guerlain's ensens mythique. If you are sick of fruit bombs and "clean smells" try this one. I have the red which is okay, and sold the nude. This one is a keeper.

Another great Bill Blass scent! The second BB in my collection, Basic Black could pass for a mens scent, but I like it too! ;) Lots of oakmoss can overwhelm a fragrance, but in the case of BB it works just fine. The other notes keep the perfume from being too dry and masculine, only the honey note should be more pronounced. BB has average lasting power, it's dry down is powdery and discreet, almost a skin scent. The oakmoss persists as the other notes fade. An atypical womens fragrance, BB has a lot to offer. Elegant in a modern, unisex way, BB deserves to be rediscovered by a younger generation.

This is truly beautiful. It was a gift from my husband, and I'd not known of it at all before; I jumped straight in and sprayed it on immediately, and......Beautiful!!! My goodness, what a lovely surprise. It has everything I love in a perfume - citrus, flowers, spices, a touch of fruit; patchouli, oakmoss and vetiver. Love vetiver! Lovely flowers, and the gorgeous honey, the benzoin - even the civet, which is a dodgy one for me. It's all so well done, and I LOVE it!

Basic Black is a very underrated gem. It is not loud, glamorous or trendy, but it is very sensual and feminine without being sickly sweet. However, do NOT judge this perfume by the opening because it's the least impressive part of BB. Give it good 15 minutes, the sourness will fade into woody and slightly spicy honey. Very warm and comforting smell for colder days.

Very complex, very spicy, very sexy and not for the faint of heart. This stuff is timeless, classic and down right fabulous. I would try to describe it better if I could but there are so many notes going on that they just blend together in a harmonious way! I am so glad I blind bought this after loving Nude so much. Now I am curious as to how Hot smells.

Woooohhh! I just cannot find the right words to express how fascinated I am by this vintage little gem. Starts very humbly but shows its true values in a very short time. Nostalgic. Gentle. Not "sassy" at all - I suppose it could even be unisex. Spicy but not too sharp.

Gorgeous honey styrax and church incense skank. Like an exotic spicy potion along the lines of Spellbound but minus the cloves and apricot.

Very nice perfume: warm, bit spicy, but lasts from 30 min to an hour on me. Darn!!!!! Bought it at TJmaxx for $3.99 a 50 ml bottle.

Retrosexual-funky-civet-leather-rose-chypre cola.

I have tried this scent and I love it. It has a magical opening, citric and flowers and Honey! But not too sweet, it is almost like a whisper that doesn't leave, I love it very much. The peach also gives its note but then all is like flowers and honey, very special, feminine, I know I am going to use this perfume during the night, and why not when i go to bed, it's calm and yet happy. Probably the civet has its second of "what is this i feel too much scent here" after about four or five minutes, then it melts with other scents, the base notes, very lastly, especially amber and patchouli. Well, I would say that the honey is completely melted here with the base notes, like a diffusion of first becoming second and then ONE. Because all the notes are there at the same time, and the sweet scent doesn't leave me. I would say use it with care, it really is strong although being a chypre it is not the typical strong oriental. It also smells clean, I cannot say it is like Cassini, because I have not tried this one yet. But probably even if the notes are similar the concentration varies from note to note and then the magic creates a different scent! I don't know. That's another part of the magic of perfumes. It also has this "je ne sais quoi" that takes me back in time. I will use this perfume with caution, it is wonderful and I know it's going to last for a long time.

I bought a bottle of Basic Black eau de parfum from Ebay, presumably a couple of years old at least. When first sprayed, the most pronounced note is the honey, which dominates a swirl of floral and balmy and gently animalic notes. I find that the honey scent remains the most noticeable element throughout wearing. Overall, I like it; it reminds me a bit of Absolue Pour le Soir, but without the light incense component (and at a much lower price, thought it's not an equal quality, to be sure). Contrary to other reviewers'experiences, it wears rather lightly on me. I bought it hoping for a "sillage bomb", but definitely don't see that happening on me. Duration is fine, though not extraordinary, and in fact I am pleasantly surprised a couple of hours into wearing by a gentle waft of jasmine and honey every so often. But strong or heavy it isn't...I re-spray generously several times per day so that it has more oomph. Those who notice it seem to respond favorably, and as I said, I quite like it. I'll probably tear though that 3.4 ounce bottle over this summer. Better than many current offerings in the general category...

You're headed out for a Friday night with your man and his best friend. Nothing fancy, just bar-hopping in Venice, where roller-skaters and yoga devotees fight for beach-front real estate. The best friend is an unrepentant flirt, another European drawn to LA for work, weather, and women. Too bad he knows how cute he is. And yet he never, ever, EVER brings a girl around. Part of you thinks it's because he likes you; part of you knows better. You pull on black jeans, a vintage black t-shirt, and your old black Beatle boots. You let your hair down for the first time all week, looking forward to a whiskey or three. You always drink it with your man: a drifter who finally settled down...for work, the weather, and you. Let's see: a beach-town dive bar and the two men who make you swoon. A flirty European...and the man who'll make you give up flirty Europeans. A night for Basic Black. --- Retro but perfectly now; very blended and deep; sensual, a touch funky. Very fleeting vintage floral top; woody/soapy but not masculine middle (smooth patchouli?); twisty amber at the end.

This is the olfactive equivalent of the crazy aunts arrival at the english garden party. She's worn polkadots as per the invitation request, but also dons a cat hair laden black wide brimmed wool hat in 28° heat, a tattered old mink stole and cracked, flaking stiletto heels which are providing a free aeration treatment to the lawns. She wobbles through the garden, clasping the backs of chairs as her heels punch through the soil. Once sitting, those around her turn in lofty disapproval only to discover that she's come to sit in the most ethereal and dreamlike column of light, as if beamed down from heaven in a bewitching haze of a youthful sexuality barely spilling into the ripeness of womanhood. The tension of quiet breaks over the party and gives way to roiling crests of jubilant conversation, fresh splashes of slurping tea and crumbling peach scone debris.

Hmmm. Will have to take her for a few more test drives. At first spray, I thought I might have touched something with traces bit of raw onion, so I washed it off and re-applied. I am now wondering if the slightly spicy odour of onion is not coming from my fragrance. I might be very wrong. This is definitely a complex, warm and multi-layered fragrance. Will report back. EDIT: I dedect no onion. May have been my cooking interfering with my perfume :) This is a bit of a bitter one. Reminiscent of Gres Cabochard but softer and easier to stomach for lack of a better description. I wish I could isolate the ingredient that reminds me so much of Cabochard. Oakmoss? Vetiver? Any clues?

A very lovely, gentle fragrance, if a little underwhelming. The opening is problematic for me, but an hour in, everything smooths out. It might be the cardamom and coriander together that doesn’t work for me. I don’t think they are complementary notes here. As Basic Black progresses the spices warm and light woodiness, sweetness, musk, and amber come forward. The cardamom resurfaces in the sweetness with an almost icing-like quality. Basic Black is very soft, lady like, a little different, very well blended, and quite pretty. Sadly, at best it is a 3-6 hour skin scent on me. I wish it had more strength and longevity, to take it from good to great for me.

This is amazing. Let me say, "I hate oakmoss" but I love this and the main note is OAKMOSS but it's so amazingly balanced with other herbal and balsamic notes that it works. In the top it is all oakmoss, carnation with a hint of lime. In the middle there is a hint, a tiny hint of violet, tuberose, rose and coriander. Then, the base takes over. There is no honey in this. No sweetness. No civet at all. I don't know what people think they smell. There are underpinnings of benzoin and sandalwood but full-force oakmoss, smokey vetiver, patchouli and styrax. This is not a sweet fruity scent. It is dry and herbal. But in a good way!

When first sprayed, automatically I think of the Muppets Animal character shouting "Animal! Animal!" The civet really is terrifying at first. Then it settles down to a dull roar and that animal runs through a field of flowers in the late summer. Nice and deep but staying close to the skin. Very sexy yet very appropriate and classy. I have a 1.7 size bottle and just ordered a 3.4 oz. I believe that I will be wearing this for quite awhile. I have never ordered a backup before in my life.

Purchased this today for 9 bucks at Bealls outlet. First initial spray was alcohol, then it quickly dissipated to a lovely honey, oak moss, patchouli and sandalwood; that's really all I smell. The dry down is beautiful. Reminds me of my mother's D'jer Kiss Powder she used years ago but a bit stronger. What a beautiful powdery scent! I can see myself wearing this snuggling up close in my husband's arms. To me it's a beautiful powdery and romantic scent.

Wow! This is just very old fashioned classic - not in a grandma way. It wasn't what I was expecting (another blind buy) and I wasn't sure what to make of it at first but once I let it settle I really like it. I know incense isn't listed but it's very much like the smell of a New Age store (which I know well as I worked in one for a few years). A definate "like" for this one but just short of "love".

Basic Black is green and soapy oakmoss and musk with spicy carnation. I only detect a little bit of honey and wish that note was more prominent. The sillage and longevity are not great due to this being a cologne concentration, but it was a super cheap buy, so I can't complain too much. A definite like but not a love.

WOW! This is unique! I love the way it smells. I just can't put my finger on what makes it so good. It is very "French" to me. This is not for a light weight. I prefer really strong smells. I will get back to you if I can come up with anything. Happy Perfuming~♥

I find that the scent lasts much longer if I spray it onto my clothes. Clean, fresh and soapy. I really enjoy this fragrance for days that I just want to smell fresh and clean rather than floral or spicy.

i am testing from a vintage vial but this starts with a lot of carnation, coriander and oakmoss. a spicy oakmoss with a hint of warmth. something in here goes kind of sharp and weird. overall i do not get a lot of the notes, maybe because the sample is old. it's a sharp oakmoss with some warmth and spice, though after awhile that sharpness does soften and it dries down to a soft honey floral, though i cannot pick out separate notes, but *maybe* a hint of rose

“Have you ever seen a tornado?” My grandmother kept her eyes on the road as she drove her new 1958 Studebaker along Spring Street in downtown Los Angeles. She was trying to find a parking spot close to Clifton’s Cafeteria where we were going to have an adventure lunch high up in a fake redwood tree. “Yes I have, when I was a little girl in Kansas. I saw it from a distance as my father pushed me down into the root cellar. “ “What is it like?” I perked up at the drama of being shoved underground as a killer tornado vacuumed its way toward the old farm. “Well you see the sky turns green and looks like a pot of pea soup boiling upside-down.” “Green? Who ever heard of a pea green sky? “ “Believe me, it’s green. Did I ever tell you about my Uncle Jarrett and the day he saw a tornado up close? “ I was all ears. “It was the spring of 1900, I wasn’t even born yet.” ************************* “This don’t look so good Ginny” Young Jarrett Woods said patting his old mare on the neck as he looked up at the sky that was turning from a gray mauve into something akin to pea soup. It was coming up fast from the south. Far to the west there was silver ribbon on the horizon where the clouds met a line of still blue sky that shimmered like a mirage. Home was that way. Ginny nuzzled him with her nose and pushed him back in the general direction of the buggy. Her whole body shuddered and she stamped her hoof hard into the dry road. She could smell a bad storm coming. “Okay Gin” He laughed at her. “we’ll get on home now.” With a flick of the buggy whip they were off from the edge of Hutchinson and on the way out of town westward to the farm. Only a mile out of town the wind picked up mighty strong and the sliver of safe blue in the west was all but gone. Ginny was going a good trot without any encouragement. In fact Jarrett had to hold her back from breaking into a gallop. Hay was flying across the road from the haystacks in the fields. Sideways like snow in a blizzard. Then came the roar and Ginny screamed. He had never heard a horse scream and the hairs on his arms stood shocked straight out from his skin. He looked up from his arm, to see the hay flying in the opposite direction and Ginny at full furious gallop her hoofs barely scraping the road. He couldn’t hear anything now but the roar so evil he knew it was Satan calling his angels. That’s when Jarrett Woods looked up and saw it; the great green funnel over his head tearing down on him and Ginny. He could see all the way up inside where the lighting was white hot and feeding the mesmerizing monster. His stomach dropped to his toes and he was airborne as the twister engulfed him. He gripped the sides of the buggy seat that was all he could do as he realized he was flying over Kansas. No one had ever done that before; he thought and then knew he would be dead in a moment. Then there were the bees all around. How did bees get here? Then blackness and nothing. There was a buzzing sound and a bird chirping. Far away a dog was barking and a little girl was calling after it. Everything seemed wet and he could smell honey and something not so pleasant. It was sweet, too sweet and filthy and as he moved back and forth between the two worlds he saw all sorts of strange things. The color was not of this earth, so beautiful it hurt to look. He just wanted to go home. There were voices coming close now and then blackness and noting. When they found Jarrett Woods he was still in what was left of his buggy. Stuffed under the seat and hardly a scratch on him, Ginny was never found. The tornado had dropped him smack on top of the demolished outhouse of the McInnis bee farm. The shattered privy, the buggy, and Jarrett were covered with excrement, dead bees and honey. Jarrett didn’t speak for the next three months and really was never the same. Until the day he died he never told anyone what he saw up there in the sky and he never ever liked the smell of honey. *************************** Basic Black by Bill Blass is a disaster that you can’t outrun once you put it on. There is no escape from this storm of heinous odors. And it is a shame. The bottle is so gorgeous and designed with great elegance. Being named Basic Black would lead one to expect something rich simple and stylish. What you get is poo and honey. And not Winnie the Poo and his favorite honey kids, oh no. This is a wheelbarrow full of barnyard poo. There is just no other way to say it. I love a good old style dirty perfume, a flash of panties worn too long can be enticing, and a bit of the civet can make me purr. But this cat is swimming in the cesspool. I am told by my research that this elixir should open with carnation, mandarin oranges, plum, ylang-ylang, bergamot and cardamom. If they are there I can’t find hide nor hair of them. What I get on the opening is a hard embalming blast of syrupy honey dolloped by the gallon over a poor dead civet, this is joined by a very rude and pushy tuberose who is dragging along by the roots some tired old violets and jasmine that have seen better days back in the 1900’s. I imagine this may just be what the Ancient Egyptians embalming mixture smelled like; sweet death in a canopic jar. The dry down is utter hell. A dying patchouli battles it out with a dreary musk, and that rotting civet. No one wins that battle. There is some amber too that should have been left at sea for a few more years. The benzoin, coconut and vetiver are buried along with the styrax in this funeral procession that drags on way too long. It is stomach turning in the end. The scary thing about Basic Black is that is really projects to the rafters and for an interminable time. It goes on and on and on. If you want to clear a ballroom or a baseball stadium then this is your baby. NO STARS

Going back through my notes and reviewing some of the many fragrances I've owned and tested. I was excited to get a really good price on this highly acclaimed scent at Marshall's. I cracked open the bottle and gave a light spray on my hand and headed home. The overwhelming stink of something trying to be a fragrance, filled my nostrils. I desperately searched for a place where I could rid myself of the offensive stink. When I returned home, I promptly re-checked the reviews and my bottle to make sure it was the same. Sure enough, my $4.99 "bargain" was supposed to be this masterpiece of perfumery. I unhappily clicked the "unlike" ranking and put it up for swap. But no takers . . . interestingly for a fragrance so highly acclaimed! I tried it again a month or two later. Gave it time to develop, and went in slowly to sniff. Again. All I got was synthetic plasticy choking smell. There's a faint perfume, but to get to it, I have to take the slowest of inhalations in order to get past the plastic. I simply don't understand if I got a bad bottle, or if my nose is just "broken," but this is not pretty to me at all.

I got this excited by the reviews that suggested similarity to Magie Noire. Its nothing like it. Magie Noire is deep and resinous with myrrh - this is a thin, what I think of as a classic oakmossy chypre. The type of chypre I generally don’t like. Too bitter and pissy (apologies chypre lovers). Has a sharp edge, too sharp, with pungent spices and carnation but nothing sweeter to balance it off. It may have been nicer in its earlier iterations, I don’t know. As it is, I shall pass it swiftly on.

Seriously. Smells like soap and black pepper. I usually take any perfumes I do not like, add them to a large factice bottle I have for mixing and continue to add until I like the fragrance. This method has worked quite well for me. I have some amazing, one of a kind scents. This (Basic Black) is such an awful scent, I do not dare add it to a mix, it would spoil it. Yuck!

Yowza! This is not at all what I was expecting. I was thinking warm spicy woods but what I got was civet, civet, civet! I really wanted to love this but on my skin, sadly, it is not meant to be. Full bottle with only a couple spritzes up for swap to anyone in the States. ;)

BBBB Basic Black By Bill Blass This is very much out of the 1990s and reminds me of Jil Sander 4 Magie Noire and Diva. It's a go big or go home fragrance of multiple notes that are classified as a chypre but seem more like a hybrid floral Oriental with chypre. Not an easy perfume to categorize. It's feminine, mature, glamorous, formal, smoky, rich, elegant, and sexy. The original formula in the same bottle as pictured in this page and as manufactured and sold on such sites as Amazon.com or eBay are exactly the same as the original. Having worn the original back in 1992-1993 I can tell you that this perfume has changed or rather it has been reformulated. Original Basic Black opened with something fresh and aldehydic with citrus, deep plum and peach. The fruitiness was in keeping with the way so many 90s fragrances for women opened. Usually it was a strong peach note or a sweet mandarin. This new formula has less of the fruit bowl and smells more of the mandarin orange rather like the opening to Diva by Ungaro. The orange is a likeable note and provides it with a zest that energizes you and feels good as you spray on your skin, like a cool breeze on a hot day when you open a window. The fruits give way to floral notes of carnation, rose, ylang-ylang, violet and jasmine. There is also a tuberose, rich, deep, buttery which when mixed with ylang gives this a sweet and very womanly body. It is very floral especially in it's middle stages. This is evocative of formal wear or semi-formal wear, big fancy hats, almost British aristocratic in it's personality. Later, the fruity floral cloud dissipates and the fragrance reveals a darker smokier side along with a greenish dry down. There's styrax which is oily, green, and a patchouli note, not to mention oak moss, and musky civet. There's honey holding everything together with amber. Everything in the dry down is much more suggestive of romantic nights, tuxedoes, black gowns, jewelry, bright lights, cosmopolitan nightlife. This is a very glamorous beauty in all her finery rather like an old Hollywood actresses stepping out of a limousine. The Diva connection I get but I also get nods to other perfumes: Magie Noire by Lancôme (the patchouli/moss/incense/musk) Red Door Elizabeth Arden (the florals match up especially the violet, rose, carnation, and the honey) and Jil Sander 4's Oriental complexity and usage of various breeds of perfume notes of fruit top, floral heart, and woodsy bottom. It's a much more subdued Jil Sander 4, in fact more of a light body mist. My only problem with the new formula is the fact it lasts no more than 2-3 hours or less on my skin. I am hoping it's not my skin at all as it's not as young as it used to be at my age. This perfume with it's solid top middle and base structure ought to last longer and should project better but it falls flat after a while and turns into a big nothing on my skin. I can only enjoy the scent for a little bit and I find that have to look for body lotions and hand creams that match up with some of the notes or layer it with another similar perfume like Diva Emanuel Ungaro. Not the best choice but also not a bad choice for a beginner who is interesting in wearing a vintage 90's perfume or for women who like glamorous but light-weight perfume. Perfect for spring summer and early fall, a night time dinner party and or even a wedding. The price is very cheap but the perfume is not.

FRAGRANCE REVIEW FOR BASIC BLACK BY BILL BLASS Top notes: Carnation, plum, mandarin orange, peach, ylang-ylang, bergamot cardamom Middle notes: Honey, coriander, carnation, tuberose, violet, jasmine, ylang-ylang rose Base notes: sandalwood, amber, patchouli, musk, benzoin, coconut, civet, oakmoss, vetiver styrax Where do I start? I was looking for a fragrance that was somewhat similar to Diva by Ungaro. This turned out to be a cross between Femme by Rochas and Diva by Ungaro using up some of the best qualities of both fragrances. It's not as much a chypre as Femme and it's less powdery than Diva. It's aromatic, elegant, sophisticated and very beautiful. Unfortunately it's like a beautifully dressed lady that you see from a distance walking among crowds then disappears into the crowd. This scent is not a bad one but it turned flat very quickly and it has a tragic short life. I don't think it was on me any longer than 2 and a half hours. The fragrance opens with fruity notes of distinctive peach, the chemical recreation of the scentless plum and citrus notes. The freshness of citrus is what first shows up and then the "plum" and peach combo. The fruits fade away and the fragrance reveals it's flowery innards. It contains a lot of tuberose, roses, jasmine carnation and violet. The bouquet is well done and I could mostly smell tuberose and carnation. These are powerful flowers that can take over a fragrance but on here it's well balanced and supported by both the top and base notes. In the dry down the most pronounced note is the musk and styrax. I prefer styrax when it comes to fragrances like this because I find that the musk and in this case the civet, is off putting. It sort of rears it's ugly head at the end of all the beautiful notes. It ends with civet bottom. I wish it had a stronger patchouli note and oak moss. But really it's not that bad. Definitely unisex and guys can rock this one too. In fact the name Basic Black an the packaging/bottle is clearly not meant to be either for male or female wearers but either one. The bottle is exquisite with metal and glass. This smells vintage and old fashioned but yet it's very wearable a fragrance of today. I loved it but wish it had lasted longer and I wish there had been no musk or civet. But if you like the progression I'm describing here: fruity-floral-civet/musk, this is for you. It's really quite nice and the price is very affordable on sites like Amazon.com and Fragrance X.

Earthy dirt soap that works. Haha. Hippies and soap usually don't go together! I cheaply blind bought from notes, reviews, and comparison to Magie Noir. I had a sample of MN and liked it, but a cheap bottle never crossed my path (I'm an impulsive buyer). I can't remember MN exactly, but I knew I liked it. Basic Black is earthy, woody, spicy and yet soapy. It works. The current cologne version isn't super strong but you can spray heavily. I get aldehydes but they aren't listed. I get civet too. A deep inhale finds the honey and florals, incense, oakmoss/patchouli, and earth. Dark and interesting. I dig it! It's almost like a super dirty mossy Diva.

This is not a review but a recommendation - if the new version of Basic Black has not yet been issued, I suggest that you go to Ebay and purchase a bottle of the old stuff ASAP. Not all of the "old" ingredients will be permitted in a new version, a reformulation will be required and the new won't be "the same". I took a chance based on your positive reviews here and just purchased one for myself. I hope hope hope that it truly is the old version--I love civet! There are also bottles of "Nude" and "Hot" available on Ebay as well.

Unusual scent, sharp and mossy to begin with but not as "chypre" as i was expecting, slightly aromatic and smooths out becoming more soft and powdery, smells unisex in my opinion, has a slight barbershop thing going on aswell. I"ve not smelt anything like this before. Very elegant, understated and like someone else has said this would be the scent to go with a black velvet dress- 80's style! Just wish it lasted longer.

Received it today. Have to say, this is so nice and smooth. It can be worn anytime and anyplace, dress it up or dress it down. This to me is like that favorite piece of clothing that you go for all the time and always travels with you. Oddly, I have a black cardigan that is like my "Basic Black" for dressy, casual, or dressy casual and this scent is just like that. A must have and my new BFF or should I say BBBFF!

I still have an almost full original bottle of this from like when it first came out!! And guess what it still smells the same. I guess I should wear it up but it reminds me of my "wild days" and I just love sniffing it lol. I got it for my birthday from my sister maybe thats why I don't use it up? Great unique scent with powerful silliage and lasting strength.

Similar to Cassini. Better in my opinion. Where Cassini is a powerhouse, this configuration shares a lot of the same notes but does not leave such a thick cloud feeling. It is softer and more for everyday. I am ordering ASAP. I tried on yesterday and will be purchasing. Basic Black is a Basic Beauty.

I don't know what either current formulations are but Vintage Bill Blass Basic Black & Vintage Coco Chanel EDP smell the same to me. Well almost. I've got each of them on back of my hand right now......VERY CLOSE! Very!

GORGOUS, GORGOUS,GORGOUS PERFUME!!!! Just divine on my skin and Ive fallen MADLY in love again. Nice dark perfume along the lines of Courreges perfume. I love dark perfumes they are just so rich and elegant.

Bought it for my wife. Smells like a deep dark incense ! Great for a tough woman who has personality!! Actually the top smells like a much better version of Van Cleef and Arpels Pour Homme !

Delicious! A little known scent. My perfume buff friends had never heard of it. Great longevity and a profusion of spicy flowers. A delight!

Wow! This is heaven on my skin. Ethereal with a hit. It keeps on coming in waves of carnation, amber and peachy softness. A sexy teaser.

Does anyone have this and wouldn't mind doing a decant for me? I'd love to try it but can't seem to find a sample anywhere.

Bought the new version. Not a bad fragrance but the musk is so prominent it covers almost everything else.

I'm wearing this classic today and my husband walked in a said he smells Nag Champa! Interesting! lol :))

It seems to have A LOT of notes in common with Cassini! Is it just like Cassini, does anyone know?