Fragrance comparison

Au Fil du Temps vs Background

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

Updated 24 Oct 2026 186 ratings analysed

Au Fil du Temps

Parfums et Senteurs du Pays Basque

3.005 votes

Rank #64,058 VanillaPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

47%scent match

Some overlap

3 wins

Background

Jil Sander

4.52181 votes

Rank #4,254 AnisVanilla

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Background takes 3 of 4 categories.

Au Fil du Temps
Choose it for a vanilla and powdery character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.
Background
Choose it for a anis and vanilla character. Wins on longevity, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Au Fil du Temps1/4

Background3/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Background
Sillage & projection: Au Fil du Temps
Value for money: Background
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Background

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

Au Fil du TempsParfums et Senteurs du Pays Basque

BackgroundJil Sander

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.00/ 5 · 5 votes

Have 12%Had 24%Want 64%

4.52/ 5 · 181 votes

Have 30%Had 25%Want 45%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

0%Love

40%Like

20%Ok

40%Dislike

0%Hate

5 votes · too few to score

61%Love

33%Like

2%Ok

4%Dislike

0%Hate

181 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage71

♥ Love / hate50

⏱ Longevity77

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate88

Category winners

LongevityBackground

SillageAu Fil du Temps

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value54

Category winnerBackgroundBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

vanilla100%

powdery86%

warm spicy72%

amber58%

sweet44%

almond30%

anis100%

vanilla92%

amber84%

warm spicy77%

aromatic69%

sweet61%

Scent match47%Some overlap · both vanilla, warm spicy and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top15-30 mins

HeliotropeClovesAnise

Heart2-4 hrs

Tonka BeanVanilla

Base6-8+ hrs

Woody Notes

Top

AniseRaspberryTarragonLavenderBergamotLemon

Heart

CinnamonCarnationJasmineLily-of-the-ValleyHeliotropeRose

Base

BenzoinVanillaCedarTonka BeanAmberSandalwoodMusk

InformationalShared notesHeliotrope, Anise, Tonka Bean and Vanilla. Durations are only published for Au Fil du Temps, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring0

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day56

Night100

Spring92

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Date 38%Casual 30%Work 22%Party 10%

Men75

Unisex22

Women3

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#64,058

PerfumerChristian Louis

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#4,254

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews16

Category winnerBackgroundHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Au Fil du Temps by Parfums et Senteurs du Pays Basque opens with an immediate dusting of powdery heliotrope, pungent cloves, and sweet anise seeds. The opening has a slight medicinal prickle that softens within minutes. Warm tonka bean and creamy vanilla take over the heart, wrapping the wearer in a comforting cloud t…

Reviews →

Background by Jil Sander is a distinctive oriental fougere that opens with a brisk combination of sweet anise, tart raspberry, and herbal lavender. As the initial freshness settles on the skin, a warm core of cinnamon, carnation, and powdery heliotrope emerges, adding a cozy spicy sweetness. The base grounds the fragr…

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.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Au Fil du Temps or Background?

Background takes 3 of 4 categories. Au Fil du Temps is rated 3.00/5 from 5 votes; Background is rated 4.52/5 from 181 votes. Choose Au Fil du Temps for a vanilla and powdery character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Background for a anis and vanilla character. Wins on longevity, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Au Fil du Temps or Background?

Background lasts longest (Background 77/100, Au Fil du Temps 70/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Au Fil du Temps or Background?

Au Fil du Temps projects furthest (Au Fil du Temps 71/100, Background 68/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Au Fil du Temps and Background smell similar?

Some overlap: a 47% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share vanilla, warm spicy and amber accords. Common notes include Heliotrope, Anise, Tonka Bean and Vanilla.

Is Au Fil du Temps or Background better for summer or winter?

Au Fil du Temps suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Au Fil du Temps and Background?

Au Fil du Temps has top notes of Heliotrope, Cloves and Anise, heart notes of Tonka Bean and Vanilla, a base of Woody Notes. Background has top notes of Anise, Raspberry, Tarragon and Lavender, heart notes of Cinnamon, Carnation, Jasmine and Lily-of-the-Valley, a base of Benzoin, Vanilla, Cedar and Tonka Bean.