Basala / Basara (1993)
by Shiseido

This review is under revision.

Initially is more then a bit overwhelming. Really, this is not a fragrance you want to put on just before a date or going into a public space. You will drive people away. One spray and my housemate needs to leave the room. After about 30 minutes the monster settles down to one of the most amazing fragrances I've ever tried. Spicy, sweet, complex, unique... A winter/evening scent.

Gorgeous frag I love to wear in cold weather. (That said, I'm not sure I can even imagine putting this one on in spring or summer.) Deep and complex and oh-so-spicy -- not at all like the other (read: bland, boring) Shiseido frags for men that I've tried.

The coriander can be a bit strong at first, as can both the cedar and lavender. Basala/Basara is definitely one of those frags, though, that you really need to give at least a few hours' time to, if not multiple wearings.

A must-try if not a must-have.

Dark, devilish, dangerous, dashing and daring... all in a wonderous concoction that will really give the wearer and it's female beholders goosebumps upon contact!!! It will be a longtime staple in my collection... however long perfumeemporium.com keeps it... LOVE IT!!!

I’m ashamed to say it but the reason I bought this one was the bottle (I’m blushing right now). Happily, I really liked it.
It’s not a perfect choice for the office, but it’s ideal for a pleasant evening with the friends or your beloved.
It’s funny, but I start to get compliments for this one not until four hours after the application. I was thinking a long time about the reason. Maybe, but just maybe, “the key” is amber. Namely, the same thing happens to me with Boucheron pour Homme. In the drydown of both scents, Basala and Boucheron pour Homme, you can easily notice amber.
Basala is an excellent example that a safe scent could be original, at the same time. Nowdays, that accomplishment stays a mystery for a lot of producers. They give us so many safe but tragically unoriginal fragrances. But, hey, don’t bother, the propaganda will do the rest; it will cover the lack of their creativity… or maybe of their courage.
In short, Basala is a really great one.

Potent without a doubt, and bone dry as well. Basala jumps out of the bottle like it means business, with whole lots of cedar, lavender, and dry herbs. The opening is so stark it's almost frightening, and when I first applied it I thought "Oh *@#%!" and then "What have I done?"

Basala calmed down after a few minutes, and so did I. The very realistic lavender emerges even more strongly as the scent ages, eventually taking center stage, with notes of cedar and sandalwood, cinnamon, and maybe even nutmeg in the background. It would all be way too much if the accords were sweet, but like Caron's Yatagan, Etro's Palais Jamais, or Malle's French Lover, there's not a speck of sugar in this fragrance.

The result is stoic, bracing, and a bit austere, but also hypnotic and more than a bit exotic. The cedar and sandalwood persist into the drydown, along with the barest hint of powdery musk to meld it with the skin. An excellent scent. Too bad it's become so hard to find.