A perfume base is a ready-made blend of aroma materials, often built from 20, 30, or even 40 different ingredients. Think of it as a shortcut. Instead of buying and blending dozens of raw materials, you start with a pre-built structure that drops straight into your formula. There are bases for florals like jasmine or rose, woods, musks, ambers, and more.

Bases also make sense economically and practically: a jasmine base, for example, avoids the huge cost of naturals and gives you consistency from batch to batch, without the seasonal variations that raw materials can bring.

A base is rarely used completely on its own. Most of the time it’s mixed with other bases, molecules, or naturals. That’s how you stretch it, twist it, and make it your own. Some bases smell so good they can be worn as-is, but the real fun is in combining and experimenting. Diluting to 10% in alcohol before testing is recommended, since it makes evaluation easier.

Yes. Many iconic perfumes are built largely on bases. You can layer three or four well-chosen ones and end up with a wearable scent, maybe even a masterpiece!

Not at all. A scale, pipettes, a beaker, alcohol, IPM, TEC or DPG, and a few bottles are enough. We designed BASED so you can start from your bedroom, kitchen, or studio.

A base is a pre-blended structure. It can come from a manufacturer, or it can be something a perfumer makes for themselves to use as a building block. An accord is more of a study or experiment, your own mini-formula to capture a certain idea. Both serve the same purpose: they’re the foundation stones that let bigger perfumes take shape.

Not at all. Bases are part of the craft. They’ve always been. Some are made in-house by perfumers, others come from outside suppliers. Either way, they give structure, depth, and consistency.

As written in Perfumery Technology: Art, Science, Industry (F. V. Wells & M. Billot):

“It is almost impossible for a perfumer to create a perfume if he does not use bases… The perfumer who does not wish to use any base… virtually restricts his efforts to the production of the cruder types of perfume, ordinary and commonplace blends, without any artistic merit. He becomes merely a plain cook rather than a chef de cuisine.”

Bases belong at the center of perfumery. Our goal is simple: to help you work like a chef de cuisine.

Yes, but if you plan to sell, you must handle cosmetic regulations yourself. BASED provides the required safety documents for our products, but once the materials are in your hands, safe use and compliance are your responsibility. For learning and experimenting, no certification is required.

We work with a fixed 10ml format because it’s practical for most independent perfumers. It’s enough to evaluate, test in blends, and keep on hand for reference, while staying accessible in price. For us, 10ml is the most efficient entry point. If you need larger quantities for production or bulk work, contact us directly and we’ll prepare it for you.

Yes. If you’re interested in larger quantities, get in touch with us directly and we’ll arrange it.

Most are concentrated. That’s why we recommend diluting to 10% for testing, then building up.

The name reflects two core ideas that define our brand. First, it refers to the foundational building blocks of perfumery: perfume bases. We manufacture and curate these, which are normally reserved for top commercial perfumers to spark creativity and streamline the development process. We offer these bases to a wider audience, empowering DIY, artisanal, and niche perfumers to build their own exclusive fragrances.

Second, we borrowed the word "based" from modern slang. The word has a fascinating history, emerging in the 1980s as "basehead," a pejorative term for someone addicted to freebasing cocaine. Over time, the word was reclaimed and redefined within hip-hop culture to signify a positive state of mind: being authentic, independent, and unafraid to go against the grain.

Our name, therefore, embodies both our craft and our philosophy. It’s about taking a product typically used by the industry's largest players and making it accessible. By providing these essential tools, we aim to be the counterculture of perfumery.

Yes, we do! Our bases don't contain alcohol, which allows us to ship them almost anywhere in the world.

For products that do contain alcohol or any other restricted material, a notice will be included in the product description, as these items may be subject to shipping restrictions in certain countries. Please note that some countries are also restricted from receiving shipments due to local or international conflicts.

Our processing time is typically 1-2 business days, though we often ship even faster. Once your order has been processed, shipping times vary by destination.

• Spain: 1-2 business days

• EU: 2-3 business days

• Rest of the world: 3-7 business days

Yes. Orders over €25 ship free within Spain. Orders over €150 ship free within the EU. For other regions, shipping depends on weight and destination, and the exact rate is shown at checkout.

For the United States, shipping policies and tariffs are currently being updated, so rates are still being confirmed. If you’re planning a large order outside Europe (including the US), get in touch and we’ll work out the best option for you.

Perfume bases and lab gear ship straight from our studio. Apparel and a few other products are made to order through our production partners, which helps reduce waste and overproduction. You will always see this noted in the product description. If you order both, they may arrive in different boxes or on different days. No worries, every piece of your order will reach you.

If you’d like to review BASED products, send us a message at pr@b4s3d.com. Introduce yourself, share how you publish your reviews, and why you’d like to feature BASED. We look through every request and reply to those that fit.

Collaboration is part of how we grow. We work with perfumers, filmmakers, fashion designers, musicians, writers, and artists exploring the edges of scent. If you want to propose something, write to us at pr@b4s3d.com. Tell us who you are and what you have in mind. We can’t take on every project, but we’re always open to fresh ideas and new perspectives.

We’re just getting started, so we’re not hiring yet. However, we’re open to hearing from people who want to be part of BASED in the future. If that’s you, send an open application to hello@b4s3d.com with your background and what you’d like to bring to the table.

We’re always glad to talk about BASED. For interviews, articles, or features, write to us at pr@b4s3d.com.