Fragrance comparison

Basilica vs Pipe Bomb Blue

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

Updated 20 Oct 2026 1,199 ratings analysed

5 wins

Basilica

Milano Fragranze

3.951,169 votes

Rank #2,282 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

17%scent match

Clearly different

Pipe Bomb Blue

Blackbird

3.9030 votes

Rank #21,128 PatchouliWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Basilica takes 5 of 7 categories.

Basilica
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.
Pipe Bomb Blue
Choose it for a patchouli and warm spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection and versatility. Best in spring, evening wear.

Basilica5/7

Pipe Bomb Blue2/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

BasilicaMilano Fragranze

Pipe Bomb BlueBlackbird

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.95/ 5 · 1,169 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

3.90/ 5 · 30 votes

Have 26%Had 5%Want 69%

Category winnerBasilicaRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

44%Love

33%Like

13%Ok

8%Dislike

2%Hate

1,066 votes

40%Love

33%Like

10%Ok

10%Dislike

7%Hate

30 votes

Category winnerBasilicaMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity58

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate73

Category winners

LongevityBasilica

SillagePipe Bomb Blue

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value59

¤ Price value50

Category winnerBasilicaBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

woody88%

amber77%

fresh spicy65%

lactonic53%

smoky42%

patchouli100%

warm spicy92%

salty84%

animalic77%

woody69%

balsamic61%

Scent match17%Clearly different · both woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

ThymeRosemary

Heart

IncenseMilkLabdanum

Base

Woody NotesVirginia CedarCypriol Oil or Nagarmotha

Notes

PatchouliSea SaltIncenseAnimal notesMetallic notesMilk

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesIncense and Milk. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring80

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer80

Fall50

Winter60

Day89

Night100

Category winnerPipe Bomb BlueMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men14

Unisex71

Women14

Men27

Unisex67

Women7

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#2,282

PerfumerViolaine Collas

Launched—

Reviews52

Overall rank#21,128

PerfumerHenry Aesoph

Launched—

Reviews8

Category winnerBasilicaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Basilica is a green, herbal incense fragrance built around rosemary, thyme, soft smoke, milk, labdanum and dry woods. It often reads calm and church-like rather than heavy, with the aromatic herbs staying clear through the wear. It is best for people who enjoy savory, resinous, slightly lactonic scents. Sample first i…

Reviews →

Blackbird Pipe Bomb Blue opens with a sharp flash of sea salt and cold metallic notes before settling into damp patchouli. Perfumer Henry Aesoph constructs an unusual contrast between chilled marine waters and dark earthy woods. A strange milk note emerges mid wear, rounding off the industrial metal edge with a pale c…

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, Basilica or Pipe Bomb Blue?

Basilica takes 5 of 7 categories. Basilica is rated 3.95/5 from 1,169 votes; Pipe Bomb Blue is rated 3.90/5 from 30 votes. Choose Basilica for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter. Choose Pipe Bomb Blue for a patchouli and warm spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection and versatility. Best in spring, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Basilica or Pipe Bomb Blue?

Basilica lasts longest (Basilica 70/100, Pipe Bomb Blue 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Basilica or Pipe Bomb Blue?

Pipe Bomb Blue projects furthest (Pipe Bomb Blue 59/100, Basilica 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Basilica and Pipe Bomb Blue smell similar?

Clearly different: a 17% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody accords. Common notes include Incense and Milk.

Is Basilica or Pipe Bomb Blue better for summer or winter?

For summer, Pipe Bomb Blue is the stronger pick. For winter, Basilica is the stronger pick. Pipe Bomb Blue suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Basilica and Pipe Bomb Blue?

Basilica has top notes of Thyme and Rosemary, heart notes of Incense, Milk and Labdanum, a base of Woody Notes, Virginia Cedar and Cypriol Oil or Nagarmotha. Pipe Bomb Blue features Patchouli, Sea Salt, Incense, Animal notes and Metallic notes.