Basil Perfumes & Fragrances

Basil smells aniseed, green and slightly peppery, with a fresh herbal lift and a warm clove-like heart. It is the aromatic signature of Mediterranean summer and one of the most distinctive culinary herbs in perfumery.

The oil is steam-distilled from the flowering tops of Ocimum basilicum, grown mainly in France, Egypt, Morocco, India and Vietnam. Different chemotypes yield different oils: linalool-rich basil (European) is soft and floral, methyl chavicol-rich basil (Comoros and Reunion) is sharper and more aniseed, eugenol-rich basil is warmer and more clove-like. Holy basil (tulsi) is a related species with a more medicinal character.

Basil is a top note. Perfumers use it to add herbal lift to colognes and aromatic masculines (Jean-Paul Gaultier Le Male, Dior Fahrenheit Absolute), to electrify citrus openings, and to give modern unisex compositions a Mediterranean kitchen-garden character. It pairs beautifully with lemon, lime, lavender, vetiver and mint.

Basil performs best in spring, summer and warm weather, and suits daytime and sport signatures.