Basil
10 fragrances with this note
Part of accords: Green, Aromatic, Fresh aromatic, Green herbal, Herbal
- Latin name
- Ocimum basilicum
- Family
- Mint family (Lamiaceae)
- Origin
- Egypt, India, Comoros, Vietnam
- Parts used
- leaves and flowering tops
- Raw materials
- essential oil (“sweet” and “exotic” basil)
- Extraction
- steam distillation
- Olfactory group
- aromatic (herbal)
- Position in the pyramid
- top note
- Synthetic substitutes
- linalool, estragole, eugenol (components of the oil)
Basil is a fragrant annual herb familiar to everyone from Italian cooking. For perfumery the leaves and flowering tops are distilled, and the oil smells different depending on the variety: “sweet” basil is more floral, “exotic” basil more anise-like.
How it smells: fresh, green and spicy: a little mint, a little liquorice and clove, a light sweetness and a peppery shade. Basil sounds summery and “culinary” at once — lively and appetising.
In perfume basil most often opens a fragrance, adding green freshness and character. It is loved in modern citrus and Mediterranean compositions, where it makes freshness less predictable.
What it pairs with: with lime and lemon — fresh Mediterranean fragrances, with mint — lively herbal ones, with tomato leaf — a “green garden”, with vetiver and cedar — fresh masculine compositions, with rose — an unexpected green rose.
Good to know: the name basil comes from the Greek “basilikon”, royal: the plant was considered worthy of royal gardens.
Fragrances with Basil
