Fragrance comparison

Basala vs Imagination

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 9,373 ratings analysed

Basala

Shiseido

4.38391 votes

Rank #26,025 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

53%scent match

Some overlap

5 wins

Imagination

Rasasi

4.488,982 votes

Rank #12 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Imagination takes 5 of 5 categories.

Basala
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Best in winter.
Imagination
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Basala0/5

Imagination5/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

BasalaShiseido

ImaginationRasasi

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.38/ 5 · 391 votes

Have 50%Had 50%Want 0%

4.48/ 5 · 8,982 votes

Have 15%Had 0%Want 85%

Category winnerImaginationRating 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

50%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

2 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity77

〰 Sillage71

♥ Love / hate85

⏱ Longevity82

〰 Sillage76

♥ Love / hate92

Category winners

LongevityImagination

SillageImagination

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value52

¤ Price value58

Category winnerImaginationBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

woody84%

warm spicy77%

amber69%

herbal61%

aromatic100%

fresh spicy90%

citrus80%

woody70%

earthy60%

green50%

Scent match53%Some overlap · both aromatic, fresh spicy and woody

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

Top

BergamotRosemaryCarawayLemonBasil

Heart

Petitgrain ParaguayJasmineelemiRoseWild Lavender

Base

PatchouliOakmossVetiverAmberMusk

InformationalShared notesBasil, Rosemary, Bergamot and Caraway. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring52

Summer22

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer50

Fall100

Winter50

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men84

Unisex13

Women3

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#26,025

PerfumerDominique Preyssas

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#12

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews3,233

Category winnerImaginationHigher 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 →

Imagination by Rasasi is a woody aromatic fragrance for men that balances fresh citrus with earthy depths. Opening with a sharp blend of bergamot and lemon, it quickly shifts into a green, spicy heart. This 2023 release offers a masculine profile suitable for daily office wear or casual weekend outings, providing a gr…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Basala or Imagination?

Imagination takes 5 of 5 categories. Basala is rated 4.38/5 from 391 votes; Imagination is rated 4.48/5 from 8,982 votes. Choose Basala for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Best in winter. Choose Imagination for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Basala or Imagination?

Imagination lasts longest (Imagination 82/100, Basala 77/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Basala or Imagination?

Imagination projects furthest (Imagination 76/100, Basala 71/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Basala and Imagination smell similar?

Some overlap: a 53% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, fresh spicy and woody accords. Common notes include Basil, Rosemary, Bergamot and Caraway.

Is Basala or Imagination better for summer or winter?

Imagination suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Basala and Imagination?

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. Imagination has top notes of Bergamot, Rosemary, Caraway and Lemon, heart notes of Petitgrain Paraguay, Jasmine, elemi and Rose, a base of Patchouli, Oakmoss, Vetiver and Amber.