Welcome to the world of Milano Fragranze, where each fragrance is an olfactory journey through the essence of Milan. Our exclusive collection captures the soul of the city, transforming iconic moments and historic locations into unique scents.
Perfumer: Violaine Collas
Concentration: Eau de Parfum
I made an impulse purchase at the very last stop on my Los Angeles trip. I had already purchased so much at the scent fair and I had so many samples in my bowl at home, I didn’t need another full fragrance. Yet, at ScentBar, the beautiful deep blue bottles of Milano Fragranze bottles called to me. Nestled amongst the bottles on the “incense” shelf was a gold capped ultramarine beacon, minimalist label proclaiming “Basilica.”
I first learned about the brand from the gourmand fans in the Fragrantica Warriors X community, who had posted about the scent Panettone, which is meant to smell exactly like the candied fruit bread that’s ubiquitous at Christmas time. That bottle was present at ScentBar and smelled just as advertised on the strip, dried citrus chunks covered in sugar dancing with the light, yeasty bread. On my skin I lost the nuance and it turned quite bland. I was disappointed and had middling hopes for the church inspired scent I picked up next.
When thinking about basilicas and other grand places of worship, I think most of us tend towards the old stone, frankincense and myrrh, wooden pews school of olfactory association. Simple, straightforward, nearly universal. When you picture an Old World church, what would you see besides the great soaring walls of slab and mortar, spires and towers reaching to the heavens above? Wooden seats inside worn smooth through years of use, the still air full of the lingering breath of incense from the last service and every service before it. It’s so easy to pull from, to reference, to recreate.
But what about the softer side of it all? The community and security religion can bring, new beginnings, comfort, and hope. The warmth not only of a loving God but also your neighbor’s hand holding yours during mass, a kiss on the cheek with a “peace be with you.” Here I think is where Basilica shines. This is a soft, warm, woody fragrance, bringing us less of the grandeur of a great house of God and more the gentle beating heart of the congregation within.
The entire fragrance is built around the creamy heart with little supporting herbal notes on the fringes as you move through it. On first spray I get the milk and labdanum with the woods present. It is an incredibly creamy fragrance. That’s nearly the only word I can use to describe it. It feels like putting on a thin cashmere cardigan. Not as heavy and warm as a sweater, not thick like wool, just soft, cozy, with a kiss of warmth. The rosemary and thyme offer a little spiciness underneath, with the incense coming in to continue the herbal smokiness, melding into the cypriol oil on dry down. This slightly abrasive herbal undercurrent is very quiet in the background, almost unnoticed. It feels almost like someone is toasting herbs on low in the house next to you and you keep getting whiffs through your kitchen window.
The “woody notes” has to be some sandalwood adjacent ingredient because it is so soft and blonde and gentle, grounding the milk and labdanum slightly and offering a foil for the milk to play off of. The milk really is the star though. It’s a room temperature cup of whole milk right in the middle of the fragrance, a smooth patch in a gently rippling lake. It’s such a simple note but feels invigorated thanks to the other notes in the fragrance. Smelling it and recognizing it as milk amongst the scratchy noise of the herbs and incense feels like hearing the first few seconds of a song you know but can’t place. After mulling on it and replaying it in your head, suddenly it settles on you and the realization makes you laugh, which is how separating the milk from the other notes here feels. The elation of a discovery and the comfort of something you already knew.
I find this to be very linear on me. The major change is in the background, as the aromatics replace one another along the course of the wear, until at the very end everything simmers down to the cypriol and cedar. While I’ve been wearing this as we heat up into summer, I do feel that, given the milk and aromatics, this is more of a cooler weather fragrance. I will likely put this to the side during the dog days ahead of us, but as soon as I can wear jeans again without sweating I will pull this out and smother myself once again.
I’m elated to have found this wonderful fragrance. The whole thing is a sensory delight. The bottle is smooth and weighty, a beautiful heft that fits neatly in your palm, slightly oversized to add to the sense of grandeur. The mesmerizing blue pulling your eyes to it like a jewel, the flashing gold cap reminiscent of the nimbus of a saint, the bottle catches attention without demanding it and looks so elegant on a shelf or vanity. The contemplative and grounding herbs and incense and the comforting milk and woods of the fragrance are just such wonderful representations of the living ideals of faith; the love, acceptance, and sense of belonging. Old stones and smooth pews can’t create those, it’s only through the people within.
