Fragrance comparison

Imagination vs Basala

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 9,373 ratings analysed

5 wins

Imagination

Rasasi

4.488,982 votes

Rank #12 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

53%scent match

Some overlap

Basala

Shiseido

4.38391 votes

Rank #26,025 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Imagination takes 5 of 5 categories.

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.
Basala
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Best in winter.

Imagination5/5

Basala0/5

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

ImaginationRasasi

BasalaShiseido

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.48/ 5 · 8,982 votes

Have 15%Had 0%Want 85%

4.38/ 5 · 391 votes

Have 50%Had 50%Want 0%

Category winnerImaginationRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

50%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

2 votes · too few to score

55%Love

37%Like

1%Ok

7%Dislike

0%Hate

391 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity82

〰 Sillage76

♥ Love / hate92

⏱ Longevity77

〰 Sillage71

♥ Love / hate85

Category winners

LongevityImagination

SillageImagination

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value58

¤ Price value52

Category winnerImaginationBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

fresh spicy90%

citrus80%

woody70%

earthy60%

green50%

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

woody84%

warm spicy77%

amber69%

herbal61%

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

BergamotRosemaryCarawayLemonBasil

Heart

Petitgrain ParaguayJasmineelemiRoseWild Lavender

Base

PatchouliOakmossVetiverAmberMusk

Top

LavenderClary SageBasilRosemaryFruity NotesArtemisiaGreen NotesBergamot

Heart

CarawayRoseCinnamonFirCarnationJasmine

Base

LeatherLabdanumCedarOakmossAmberPatchouliMuskCoconut

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

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer50

Fall100

Winter50

Day100

Night100

Spring52

Summer22

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Men84

Unisex13

Women3

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#12

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews3,233

Overall rank#26,025

PerfumerDominique Preyssas

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerImaginationHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

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 →

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 →

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, Imagination or Basala?

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

Which lasts longer, Imagination or Basala?

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

Which projects more, Imagination or Basala?

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

Do Imagination and Basala smell similar?

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

Is Imagination or Basala better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Imagination and Basala?

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. 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.