Basso

Basso is the first fragrance I have been able to sample thoroughly over the span of an entire year. I thought I was going to figure out how the fragrance develops throughout the year. Instead, I ended up learning more about the development of myself and my taste than I did about the fragrance! I have a very distinct memory of the first time I tried Basso. It was an instant passionate love affair for me. The perfect kind of citrus in my opinion. It's a very juicy citrus and is thoroughly complemented by a generous amount of vetiver. To me, that is heaven! The citrus elements of the vetiver are highlighted and propped up in the most beautiful way when combined with the grapefruit acidity and tartness. In my personal opinion, I find that juicy Citrus vetiver combination to be one of the most satisfying. It even tops vanilla, caramel, chocolate or any other gourmand duo that happens to tentatively satisfy that particular craving so well. This combination is so satisfying. However, if this is not your cup of tea, I would not recommend this fragrance to you. There is not much more going on. It's not the most complex. Yes, it does have the signature Sospiro dry down and backbone. Very similar to Xerjoff and for obvious reasons. I am sure people would say it's not the best from the house, but I beg to differ. If you are a big fan of woody, fresh citrusy fragrances that are uplifting, refreshing and aromatic without any lavender, this is the perfect fragrance for you!

Based on the vastly differing reviews here, it's interesting seeing how differently Basso apparently reacts to folks' body chemistry, to the point where some people smell completely different notes from others. Me, I fall into the citrus camp. It is all I smell in the opening, such that to my nose, it initially smells similar to Louis Vuitton Afternoon Swim. If you're considering Sospiro Vibrato, I strongly consider you test this one out first. Both are nice citric fragrances, but Vibrato is the more tart sibling of the smoother Basso. Where Vibrato smells more like grapefruit, Basso smells more like orange (despite the identified notes above). Basso is great and exactly the kind of scent profile I'm looking for at the moment -- bright, citric, fresh and strong performing -- in anticipation of the warm seasons ahead. In the mid, Basso takes a more citrus-floral direction. Interestingly, it is at this phase that Basso smells like an amalgamation of Creedy Royal Water and PDM Valaya. You would think that combination would make Basso more feminine-leaning, and yet, it still stays in that unisex pocket. Yet another sophisticated, elegant and powerful Sospiro fragrance that I highly recommend (yes, over Vibrato).

Wow. I like this one more than Isola Blu. More than ANYTHING TDH (not a fan of that line). And, even more than Perseus. Having owned (or at least extensively worn all of them at one point), I believe that this offering from Sospiro is the pinnacle of this DNA. For me, anyway. The THD fanboys might get upset by such an assertion. Such is life. I'm not here to create waves, this is all just my subjective perspective. The depth, layers, and transitions that Basso makes, combined with the earthiness in the deep dry down, simply cannot be matched by others on the market. The opening is fantastic. The mid is lively and masculine. And the dry down is not only very good, but it sticks around longer than its competitors. I like Perseus, but the performance, although good, isn't near this. Interestingly, i can almost get the Dunhill icon deep in there somewhere (I love that fragrance too). Available at reasonable prices on discounters. Not a fan of the fuzzy bottles, but definitely a fan of the house.

Basso is what the munchkins of the Wizard of Oz used to enliven the air and even polish the sparkling green marble columns of the emerald city. Magic shine juice. No strong musks or overpowering ambers here; Basso exudes class, cleanliness, and vitality. Versatile and inoffensive, it expresses personality and can be worn in conservative business settings like the emerald city board room or a casual summer's day exploring the countryside and rolling poppy fields atop a horse of a different color. Vibrant, bright, zesty grapefruit explodes, invites, and lingers until settling into the citrusy character of the new growth of fir tree tips in the spring with an exceedingly gentle backdrop of coniferous resin, and finally maturing into an inoffensive clean soapiness that continues to move and evolve for hours. Summer signature 2024. A delight.

Blind bought it after hearing so much about Pierre's obsession with it (why do I know so much about this guy?) and am impressed—it lives up to the hype. Comparisons to Hermes are lame. This is smoother, fresher, greener, and more potent. A Bugatti to Hermes's Porsche. Let this beast dry down for thirty minutes and it's a wondrous, fresh woody scent, grapefruit and complex pepper and classy woods, with a hint of celery keeping things zesty and a hair earthy. I own Vibrato, too, and this is every bit as special. The velvety bulbous bottles are exquisite, too, and seem to harken back to an earlier era, while also being faintly reminiscent of sex toys. A safe blind buy, I think. A bit of citrus in a magical woodsy forest, masculine, natural-smelling, handsomely blended into a seamless whole. Pierre, if he's real, has a nose for excellence.