Basala / Basara (1993)
by Shiseido

I'm editing this because I came across my old review and didn't even recognize it. Unfortunately I can't fully edit because I sold my bottle. I remember it being a good sized fragrance with pleasant sillage, a dry-herbal-fruity-woody-tea with big lavender and chaotic blending. It somehow reminded me of the original Monsieur Rochas, and had leather notes distantly reminiscent of Bel Ami. I also remember thinking it would have probably been a lot better if it had been made by Pierre Bourdon. He was originally supposed to make it, and apparently provided some of the design. He made Feminite du Bois and I recall there being some congruence between the two fragrances. The neutral thumb still stands. Not a bad fragrance by any means, but I lost interest pretty fast. I recommend smelling it.

Beautiful lavender opening mingled with citrus that has a perfume aura to it. Initially, it's almost too feminine for me, but very quickly morphs into woody spices with the topnotes refusing to make an exit.

This is the McShnizzle Dizzle of lavender woodies. Reject it or rejoice...it's your choice.

Big thumbs up from Aromi.

Shiseido Basala

Shiseido is, of course, the corporate influence behind Serge Lutens but they do put out scents on their own. Sad to say many of these scents are for the asian market only and they are difficult to find. Basala was created in 1993 by Dominique Preyssas who is better known for D'Orsay's Le Dandy. In Basala she has created what feels to me like a very asian feeling scent. Almost scent Haiku if you will as each transition is mostly made up of two notes which lead to the next. The top is a bright mix of citrus and lavender. The lavender is really in near-perfect balance with the citrus to create a dry astringent beginning. The heart is spice and woods which is very similar to the middle of Obsession for Men to my nose but somehow a little more reserved and a little better composed. The base is a classic pairing of sandalwood and vetiver and with the herbal feel of the vetiver to provide contrast to the creaminess of the sandalwood you bring to a close a well-constructed chypre. This is clean, austere perfume construction which shows, like haiku, even the simplest of themes can lead to beautiful artistry.

I was expecting smoke and spice and all the other excellent comparisons the reviewers in this forum mentioned. Unfortunately on me I couldn't escape the thought that I smelled like an expensive tea bag.

Basala and Basara in Japanese are the same word, meaning free, unrestrained, unconventional. It explains why this men's fragrance was release under both names. The fragrance lives up to its name --it is bold, unique and unconventional, with only enough allusion to traditional masculine fragrances to keep the wearer from initially dismissing it as unwearable. Wearable it is (though not for the faint or heart, and not for the heat of summer), with a lovely prolonged evolution through warm spices to leather chypre. The longevity is astounding. It also has Serge Lutens fingerprints on it, at times calling to mind the suede of Daim Blond.

Interesting fragrance. Dark green but not forest green notes mix with citrus and lavender. It hints at being a fougere and a chypre at the same time while being its own identity though \I'd tuck this under an aromatic fougere. I like.