Fragrance comparison

Basala vs Eau Illuminee

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 23 Oct 2026 462 ratings analysed

Basala

Shiseido

4.38391 votes

Rank #23,797 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

43%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Eau Illuminee

Parfums DelRae

3.4871 votes

Rank #22,726 Fresh SpicyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Eau Illuminee takes 4 of 6 categories.

Basala
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus and community sentiment. Best in winter.
Eau Illuminee
Choose it for a fresh spicy and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Basala2/6

Eau Illuminee4/6

Ratings & consensus: Basala
Community sentiment: Basala
Longevity: Eau Illuminee
Sillage & projection: Eau Illuminee
Value for money: Not scored
Versatility: Eau Illuminee
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Eau Illuminee

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

BasalaShiseido

Eau IllumineeParfums DelRae

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.38/ 5 · 391 votes

Have 50%Had 50%Want 0%

3.48/ 5 · 71 votes

Have 50%Had 20%Want 30%

Category winnerBasalaRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

55%Love

37%Like

1%Ok

7%Dislike

0%Hate

391 votes

21%Love

41%Like

3%Ok

35%Dislike

0%Hate

71 votes

Category winnerBasalaMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity77

〰 Sillage71

♥ Love / hate85

⏱ Longevity79

〰 Sillage72

♥ Love / hate62

Category winners

LongevityEau Illuminee

SillageEau Illuminee

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value52

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

woody84%

warm spicy77%

amber69%

herbal61%

fresh spicy100%

aromatic91%

green83%

lavender74%

citrus65%

herbal56%

Scent match43%Some overlap · both fresh spicy, aromatic and herbal

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top

LavenderClary SageBasilRosemaryFruity NotesArtemisiaGreen NotesBergamot

Heart

CarawayRoseCinnamonFirCarnationJasmine

Base

LeatherLabdanumCedarOakmossAmberPatchouliMuskCoconut

Top20-30 mins

BergamotBasilGreen Notes

Heart2-3 hrs

LavenderOrris

Base6-8 hrs

OakmossLabdanumTonka Bean

InformationalShared notesLavender, Basil, Green Notes and Bergamot. Durations are only published for Eau Illuminee, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring52

Summer22

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer86

Fall43

Winter29

Day100

Night32

Category winnerEau IllumineeMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men84

Unisex13

Women3

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Casual 39%Work 34%Date 17%Party 10%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#23,797

PerfumerDominique Preyssas

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#22,726

PerfumerMichel Roudnitska

Launched—

Reviews11

Category winnerEau IllumineeHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Shiseido Basala hits the skin with a sharp, bracing rush of green rosemary, clary sage, and bitter artemisia. It is a dry, red-hued chypre from the early nineties that completely bypasses the clean, aquatic trends of its era. As the initial herbal blast simmers down, a warm wave of cinnamon and carnation emerges, brin…

Reviews →

Eau Illuminee cuts through the air like chilled herbal tonic. The fragrance opens with a sharp burst of bitter bergamot rind and crushed garden basil leaves. It awakens your senses instantly. Within ten minutes, clean French lavender and powdery orris root take over the core, smoothing away the raw herbal bite. The ba…

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Basala or Eau Illuminee?

Eau Illuminee takes 4 of 6 categories. Basala is rated 4.38/5 from 391 votes; Eau Illuminee is rated 3.48/5 from 71 votes. Choose Basala for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus and community sentiment. Best in winter. Choose Eau Illuminee for a fresh spicy and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Basala or Eau Illuminee?

They last about the same: Eau Illuminee 79/100, Basala 77/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Basala or Eau Illuminee?

Projection is very close: Eau Illuminee 72/100, Basala 71/100 for sillage.

Do Basala and Eau Illuminee smell similar?

Some overlap: a 43% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fresh spicy, aromatic and herbal accords. Common notes include Lavender, Basil, Green Notes and Bergamot.

Is Basala or Eau Illuminee better for summer or winter?

For summer, Eau Illuminee is the stronger pick. For winter, Basala is the stronger pick. Eau Illuminee suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Basala and Eau Illuminee?

Basala has top notes of Lavender, Clary Sage, Basil and Rosemary, heart notes of Caraway, Rose, Cinnamon and Fir, a base of Leather, Labdanum, Cedar and Oakmoss. Eau Illuminee has top notes of Bergamot, Basil and Green Notes, heart notes of Lavender and Orris, a base of Oakmoss, Labdanum and Tonka Bean.