Basilico & Fellini

Miyazaki's Amalfi coast. Have you seen Porco Rosso? This is what the courtyard of Hotel Adriano smells like. Pinstripe linen undulating on a clothesline. Fresh-cut grass. Perfect helices of lemon peel bobbing in seltzer. The faint tang of fig sap. And above it all a zesty, buoyant basil. Not a pizzeria basil, either. It’s a perfect 25C morning on the cusp of summer, all cotton clouds and Adriatic-blue skies, magicked into a bottle. Nothing earthen or antique about this herbal. B&F is unisex, clean, green, with polite potency. An outdoor scent that speaks with an indoor voice. My only regret is buying the 50 cc bottle, as it’s fast become my favourite Monday morning lift or just-before-bedtime aromatherapy. Mental Snapshot: The intro sequence of a Mediterranean manga; lovingly hand-painted backdrops of bucolic bliss and cel-shaded summer. Cartoon biplanes capering through the clouds. A sun-bleached villa basking on an island vineyard. Faceless gentlefolk mingling under striped parasols. And then fifteen minutes of exquisite culinary closeups. tl;dr: Ghibli Italy 🤌🏻🌿

This fragrance has secured its place among my summer favorites. It embodies the essence of a sun-soaked day, sparkling and bursting with refreshing vitality. The prominent green notes, reminiscent of a thriving tomato vine and aromatic basil, are beautifully pronounced in the opening. The result is invigorating. What sets this fragrance apart is its ability to balance that initial burst of greenery with the softness of pitahaya and fig. These elements round out the composition, softening the intensity of the green notes while still keeping it remarkably fresh. The result is a scent that remains vibrant and lively, like the perfect summer day captured in a bottle. In essence, this fragrance is a gem for enthusiasts of fresh, green, and mouthwatering scents. Its ability to evoke the sensation of a thriving garden in summer is truly remarkable. While it may not linger all day, the moments it graces with its presence are certainly memorable. If you're in search of a unique and invigorating summer fragrance, this one is well worth considering.

Basilico & Fellini starts with, of course, basil—fresh, leafy, and so crisp it could snap in the air. It doesn’t stick around too long, though, fading into this soft dewiness, like morning mist hugging leaves. Then the fig, all watery sweetness, takes over with a green, juicy burst of nectar and pulp without the weight. There’s something subtly tart in the background—a fleshy fruit of some sorts, but not the bold tropical kind; a quieter, uber soft breeze that you almost miss but is still there, light and carrying a hint of grass. After a while, it cools down, gets more grounded. The fig softens, the violet and woods push through, making everything feel dusted with a soft, almost powdery musk. It’s green and bright at first, then turns plush, gentle. Not overwhelming, just... so right. Perfectly summer, this fragrance allows you to effortlessly step into a fruity breeze that’s just sweet enough, just cool enough, lazy yet flawless. A scent that you won't be able to stop noticing.

I'm not sure what the heck people are smoking. There is no darkness inside of this fragrance whatsoever. It is fresh in every green way you can imagine. On top of that there is a juiciness that comes through from the dragon fruit as well as the fig. To top it off even further , the fresh grass and vetiver brings in earthiness to give the entire fragrance nostalgia for the Italian coast. Not necessarily the water, but the fields and the grass and the produce and the market. The inner workings of the vibrancy of Italian life. It is almost like a caprese salad. The quality of the ingredients is what makes the salad almost orgasmic. That is what I feel when I smell this fragrance. It is underground. Absolutely brilliant. Seductive. Earthy. Juicy. Vibrant. Green. I crave it.

People seem to be getting really hung up on the name, and while basil is present I think it’s subdued in a clean, green, summertime haze. It’s not anything like a handful of fresh basil. This is one of my favourite summer scents, I think it’s perfect for days when you know you’re going to be crammed onto a sweaty train and you want to smell fresh and clean in yourself, but not masked in cloying florals or unisex woods. Something about it works so well on my skin in hot weather. It’s also really unique: if could find something similar at a more modest price point I’d be delighted. As it is, my sample is sadly finished and it’s on the summer wish list. If I lived somewhere hotter, I would have this as my everyday fragrance without hesitation.