Baïme (2000)
by Maître Parfumeur et Gantier

I definitely get the salad dressing accord that others describe in Baime. It’s an herb-centered fragrance that I consider to be an acquired taste. Eventually it turns a bit sour on my skin. Perhaps it may work for someone else, but not for me.

From reading other's reviews, I get absolutely no sweetness from this at all so I'm a little confused. This is a purely linear basil scent that's well crafted. There's hints of fruitiness but that's what basil smells like with a bit of licorice (especially when used in cooking). You might end up smelling like an Italian bistro or a Greek kitchen but those are the kinds of smells that really make me feel good. Just wonderful aromas of wonderful foods. This is one of the few MPG fragrances that I liked. Simply a wonderful herbal fragrance.

I own several MPGs and have tried Baime several times. Ultimately it is too sweet to be an option as an aromatic for me. I love basil and thyme but prefer them in a dryer milieu. I give it a neutral because of its uniqueness. It's just not for me. 5/10

My first application was a bit shocking, the fragrance was a bit floral and fruity, but quickly dried down to a herbal base. Initally I was a bit concerned that the fruity notes would not mix well on my skin, but as with all fragrances, they change with perspiration and personal body chemistry. The second application was on a balmy summer day. The fruit notes were gone quickly and the basil began to come through quickly, almost over powering at points. Baime is a good and basic herbal - just test it before buying.

A horrid mess on me -- it smells as though I've slathered myself in Miracle Whip and basil. Dreadful, dreadful stuff. At best, it could be said that this stuff (for me) ranks right up there with Thierry Mugler's Alien as the weirdest frag I've ever smelled on my skin.

Great stuff, I suppose, if you're hankering to smell like chopped salad with Italian seasoning.

Baïme is an interesting scent. I should like it much more than I do. In principle, I really like the idea of a classy, dryly herbal scent for men. Basil is probably my favorite fresh herb: it has a wonderfully invigorating green scent that always lifts my spirits. So why am I neutral on Baïme? I have tried it twice and each time the result is the same. What I find is essentially a one-note thyme/oregano fragrance. Thyme and oregano are much stronger and more aromatic scents than basil, and for good or ill they do have a ‘salad dressing’ connotation. The majority of reviewers praise the basil, but I simply cannot find ANY. Further, although jasmine and exotic fruits are promised (and would lend interesting notes), only one reviewer comments on them. I suspect they are in short supply, I certainly can detect nothing of the sort. There is an intoxicating and all-too-brief lavender blast at the opening. At the end, grassy vetiver lurks at the margins. But as I said, I find Baïme to be a linear thyme/oregano fragrance. Given the price, I do not think it is good value. But try a sample, my reservations may simply be how it works with my skin. I wish that I got all those nice notes that some others found. For a very classy lavender – herb – sandalwood scent, try Penhaligon’s Duro/Lords. Trumper’s Curzon is a nice chypre that also fits the bill.