Background (Eau de Toilette)
Perfumer: Jean-François Latty
340 ratings
From your scent profile
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.
Skunky's take: A card-carrying member of the fresh club.
How does it perform?
From 268 community ratings, all out of 10.
Holds up through the day and fades gently toward evening.
People close to you notice, nobody gets overwhelmed.
Sits nicely on a shelf.
Most people feel it is worth the price.
Blind buy risk
91% of votes are positive and opinions barely differ.
Notes
They open one after another, from the first spray into the evening.
Heart notesfirst few hours
Base noteswhat stays into the evening
Accords
From most dominant to most subtle.
- Fresh
- Floral
- Green
- Fruity
- Sweet
- Spicy
- Woody
- 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
First minutes
- Tarragon
- Lemon
- Aniseed
First hours
- Rose
- Lily
- Carnation
Towards evening
- Cedarwood
- Tonka bean
- Musk
When to wear it?
Seasons and occasions, by user votes.
- 33%Autumn
- 27%Spring
- 25%Winter
- 15%Summer
- Nighttime22%
- Evening22%
- Daytime19%
- Casual19%
- Office15%
Smells like this
The closest scents by notes and accords.
65% matchMysteriously No.2
Marc Cain · 2017
60% matchLe Roy Soleil (Eau de Toilette)
Salvador Dali · 1997
58% matchRicci-Club (Eau de Toilette)
Nina Ricci · 1989
58% matchBerlin (Eau de Toilette)
Joop! · 1990
58% matchSolo Tu
Tristano Onofri · 1991
55% matchMinotaure (Eau de Toilette)
Paloma Picasso · 1992
54% matchSun (Eau de Toilette)
Jil Sander · 1989
51% matchJoop! Homme (Eau de Toilette)
Joop! · 1989
Comparisons
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Last updated: October 26, 2026


































