Basilica

I feel that Incense Perfumes are one of those olfactory families that suffer from dullness, and if you smell a few, you've smelled them all. Therefore, coming across a perfume like Milano Fragranze’s Basilica was a pleasant surprise for its different approach to the incense theme. To me, however, this is not first about frankincense, but rather about herbs, most importantly, thyme. I love thyme. Fresh in foods or smelling it dry. It is one of my favorite culinary herbs. This perfume makes such a strong use of it, next to rosemary. If you disagree with them, don’t even bother with Basilica. Thyme is a major component of this fragrance, followed by rosemary. I’d say they hint more to the dried herbs than the fresh ones. The second major part of the composition is the woods: cedar, sandalwood, and cypriol. They lay down a beautifully textured foundation for the herbs that push strongly throughout the life of the perfume. The smoky aspect only comes in as a third player for me, as a combination of frankincense and warm resins. It is rather meek, overshadowed by the first two; therefore, don’t stop by seeking strong fumes. The unusual suspect worth mentioning is the “milk accord,” which turns slightly sour when combined with the overwhelming herbaceous qualities, while the pairing of cypriol, thyme, and frankincense imbues an undeniable salty quality. So far, you can see how this can steer into rather “weird territory.” But the thing is, it works unexpectedly well. I say unexpectedly, as it might come across to many (as you can clearly read from others' impressions) as a “savory gourmand,” reminding them of Focaccia Bread or Pizza. And if I let my mind roam, or if it just happens that I am hungry, I can totally smell that. In fact, the first time I tried Basilica, I thought it smelled like the most delicious, warm Italian bread, served with some juicy olives and herbs, next to a Basilica on a Sunday Mass. But if one pays attention, it’s easy to break the fantasy into pieces and recognize it for what it is: a warm, woody, and smoky perfume seasoned with abundant herbs. Therefore, I like to think of it as an “accidental gourmand,” because I don’t think the creative direction intended for it to be one. Only the interplay of notes and accords, and perhaps too much wishful thinking about the mouthwatering Italian cuisine, turned it unofficially into one. Therefore, I believe the way it will be interpreted will very much depend on how hungry you are. All in all, it is a fun, cozy, and original spin on the monotonous incense accord. The pairing of smoky liturgical and “foody” nuances reminds me of another such interpretation, also of Italian heritage, the elusive NOUN from Bogue Profumo. I guess Italians like associating the two, or perhaps they hold their esteemed cuisine to a “Holy” status, and I don’t blame them. IG:@memory.of.scents

Milano Fragranze Basilica is the long-overdue start to my sampling of this line, established in 2020, that is under the same ownership/direction as the beloved Masque Milano, full of gems. Like Masque Milano, Milano Fragranze has uniformity in its bottle design, a sleek, blue semi-translucent cylinder. Basilica is a great start to my exploration of the line, as its deep, invigorating incense is right up my alley in terms of scent profile. The blend avoids being too sharp, smoky, or even animalic, instead surrounding the incense with other spicy elements—rosemary, thyme, cypriol—and woods—sandalwood, cedar. There’s something slightly savory about it, no doubt in part due to the rosemary and thyme, but its center is a medium-spicy incense, surrounded by delicately-used woods and spices. It’s a lovely expression of incense that manages not to be too dark, smoky, or “churchy” for lack of a better phrase, and it feels realistic, like walking into an older building where incense is burning. I love this entry, a great first full sampling, and highly recommended that fans of incense check it out. I don’t think that it reinvents the wheel but it has a different, non-ashy aspect that distances it from other superlative incense fragrances, such as Profumum Roma Olibanum, perhaps the best frankincense-forward fragrance that I’m familiar with. Overall, I’m very impressed with Basilica. The entire line is priced at $135 for 100ml, a bit more modest than for the Masque Milano line, which has similar pricing for 35ml bottles, and is sold at great boutiques like Perfumology, where I bought my sample set, which includes the first eight releases but not the two most recent, Panettone and Piazza Affari. Barely over $1/ml is really difficult to come by in this market, as well. I look forward to trying the rest of my samples of this line, and acquiring some new ones. 8 out of 10

How have I not reviewed this yet? It was the second bottle of perfume I ever purchased years ago. I got a sample of it as a freebie when I bought my first (sweet farewell) and immediately knew this is what I was looking for! When I got my bottle however it was different. The sample was warm and comforting but my full bottle overdosed on the herbs and came off cold and even metallic. Still enjoyable enough to wear it often though I felt disappointed. I eventually gave my bottle to a coworker I hold dear before she moved across the country, but I missed it. Someone I know online generously sent me theirs shortly after and when I sprayed it the scent I got from the sample erupted in the air. I was so happy. I must have gotten a bad batch with my first one but this second one reminded me why I fell for it in the first place. When I was little I had an aunt that showed me nothing but kindness and always had a good heart. when I would enter her house it smelt just like this. I always felt out of place around family and silently judged but not by her. That’s what this smell gives me. Unconditional open hearted understanding. Safety. Warmth. She was a cold woman but she made an effort to provide warmth to those who are misunderstood. and I guess that’s what I appreciate about this perfume. There’s an intentional kindness and warmth extending past its dry and cool nature

I wear this on a cool May night, window open with a breeze, nestled under a blanket, and comfort and nostalgia washed over me. This savory incense, punctuated by the dry, leathery-green of thyme and camphor pine of rosemary, presents a riveting juxtaposition. The olibanum shares a kindred link with the rosemary, much like what is experienced in Diptyque's L'Eau Trois. The milk accord is more a buttery malt to my nose, condensed and powdery, and it reveals a shared texture with that of granulated olibanum resin. A Maillard reaction like that of toasted bread overlaps the a white smoke of incense, feeling like the radiant heat of a hearth melting the night chill. A sweet cedar surfaces, gentle to the nose, as haunting as glowing embers and herbs grow drier and toastier, as if hung from the ceiling in pendulous bundles. A salty, rooty preparation is consumed with a bitter tonic, as the ghostly incense plumes continue to climb to the heavens. Is it possible for something to feel festive and solemn at the same time? I would argue so, as there are plenty of religious holidays and rituals of worship that are framed around such dichotomies, but do they ever smell as good as this? I feel the urge to fetch firewood down cellar, grab the inkwell, dip the quill, and write down some important questions to ask myself.

Hmmm. Very niche and I can see how the average person may not like this. Basilica is an architect style used in Roman times and churches but the opening is straight up strong tyme and clary sage. Very very strong. After that, it goes into a dark incense and cypriol. Do I get the milk note? I do, it'salmost like sandalwood, but I don't know if others would interpret that this way. Overall it's good, but you need to really like incense and dark scents. The cypriol isn't the kind that smells like paper at first, it's smells like resinoids, and paper. As it dries down and gets weaker (but not weak) it's a bit more pleasant and wearable. It sort of reminds me of a woody noir flanker of Tom Ford Fabulous without any vanilla, lavender or tonka, and replaced with lots of incense, aged woods, and cypriol. In fact if you told me this contains oud and leather or oud I'd believe you, because there's a leather and oud vibe that smells a bit like rubber. I need to tread lightly with this one because it's easily overwhelming. -------------------------------------------------------- Scent 7.8/10 Performance 8.5/10