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340 community ratings
Jil Sander

Background (Eau de Toilette)

Perfumer: Jean-François Latty

1993MenClassic
8.5/ 10
Community score
340 ratings
See your match

Jil Sander Background Eau de Toilette pairs a fresh opening of tarragon, lemon and bergamot with a warm floral and vanilla drydown; it is classed as a men's fragrance and has been discontinued.

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Skunky's take: A card-carrying member of the fresh club.

How does it perform?

From 268 community ratings, all out of 10.

Longevity
8.3 /10

Holds up through the day and fades gently toward evening.

Sillage
7.8 /10

People close to you notice, nobody gets overwhelmed.

Bottle
7.7 /10

Sits nicely on a shelf.

Value for money
7.1 /10

Most people feel it is worth the price.

Blind buy risk

Low risk

91% of votes are positive and opinions barely differ.

Notes

They open one after another, from the first spray into the evening.

Base noteswhat stays into the evening

Accords

From most dominant to most subtle.

  1. Fresh
  2. Floral
  3. Green
  4. Fruity
  5. Sweet
  6. Spicy
  7. Woody
  8. Oriental

What does Background (Eau de Toilette) smell like?

The top notes lean on tarragon, lemon, bergamot and lavender, with aniseed and raspberry adding a fruity edge to the green freshness. In the heart, rose, jasmine and heliotrope bring a soft, powdery floral feel, with cinnamon adding spice. The base settles into cedarwood, tonka bean and vanilla, woody and sweet.

Longevity is rated strong and sillage good. Most voters pick fall, followed by spring, and it suits nights out and evenings, though daily wear is not far behind. Most voters read it as masculine, with classic and modern also mentioned. Perfumes with a close profile include Joop! Berlin and Joop! Joop! Homme.

How it changes through the day

  1. First minutes

    • Tarragon
    • Lemon
    • Aniseed
  2. First hours

    • Rose
    • Lily
    • Carnation
  3. Towards evening

    • Cedarwood
    • Tonka bean
    • Musk

When to wear it?

Seasons and occasions, by user votes.

  • 33%
    Autumn
  • 27%
    Spring
  • 25%
    Winter
  • 15%
    Summer
  • Nighttime
    22%
  • Evening
    22%
  • Daytime
    19%
  • Casual
    19%
  • Office
    15%

Smells like this

The closest scents by notes and accords.

Comparisons

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Last updated: October 26, 2026