Shiseido Basala

It makes one wonder sometimes why so many terrific fragrances have become extinct. This 1993 release is yet another in a long line of under the radar gems that have gone the way of the T-Rex.

It gets discouraging at times, but if it was still in production, they would have emasculated it beyond recognition by now. The industry loves to perform lobotomies on fragrances still gracing the shelves and none seem to be spared.

Basala opens with a clear and bold aldehyde-citrus accord. It immediately leans slightly greenish from herbs and spices. A stupendous lavender rendition is forcing its way upwards within one minute of application and all of these are mingling together like an eclectic Lutens cocktail. When I say this is good, I mean it. I only wish this opening could last for the life of the scent.

Once the tumult subsides somewhat, hints of berry and mysterious fruit find their way into the fray. Damn this is good and stands head and shoulders above most designers released these days. It's amusing that when this was released in the 1990's, there were so many well made and cutting edge fragrances that they weren't considered as such or highly regarded for that matter. When you pair these "classics" up to current creations, well........you get the idea......

The interesting heart of Basala is a well tuned brew of florals and herbs. The projection and volume has slowed noticeably after 15 minutes, but Basala still has good presence. This dispersion had to come down a few notches and settles in nicely. The floral accord is a little spicy and sweet and still has a green streak running through it. It smells like it's overlaid upon a bed of lavender and I could honestly smell this all day and never tire of it.

Once Basala dries down, it gets slightly leathery and a bit woody. Moss is the next to introduce itself and while not an extroverted rendition, it's enough to give Basala a recognizable fougere characteristic. The volume continues to lower and after a few hours morphs into a close scent. In extended drydown, I can still detect everything described with the addition of a very subtle musk and whiffs of resin. Basala, in totality, is an excellent, fruity green lavender bomb that transforms into a leathery wood with resiny musk.

Read that last sentence again and then tell me this doesn't deserve two thumbs up.