Fragrance comparison

Background vs Bleu

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

Updated 24 Oct 2026 183 ratings analysed

3 wins

Background

Jil Sander

4.52181 votes

Rank #4,254 AnisVanilla

Full profile Similar & dupes

40%scent match

Some overlap

Bleu

Parfums et Senteurs du Pays Basque

4.502 votes

Rank #56,802 LavenderAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Background takes 3 of 4 categories.

Background
Choose it for a anis and vanilla character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.
Bleu
Choose it for a lavender and aromatic character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Background3/4

Bleu1/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Background
Sillage & projection: Background
Value for money: Bleu
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

BackgroundJil Sander

BleuParfums et Senteurs du Pays Basque

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.52/ 5 · 181 votes

Have 30%Had 25%Want 45%

4.50/ 5 · 2 votes

Have 29%Had 6%Want 65%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

61%Love

33%Like

2%Ok

4%Dislike

0%Hate

181 votes

50%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

2 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity77

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate88

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate88

Category winners

LongevityBackground

SillageBackground

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value54

¤ Price value75

Category winnerBleuBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

anis100%

vanilla92%

amber84%

warm spicy77%

aromatic69%

sweet61%

lavender100%

aromatic86%

warm spicy72%

vanilla58%

fresh spicy44%

herbal30%

Scent match40%Some overlap · both aromatic, vanilla and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

AniseRaspberryTarragonLavenderBergamotLemon

Heart

CinnamonCarnationJasmineLily-of-the-ValleyHeliotropeRose

Base

BenzoinVanillaCedarTonka BeanAmberSandalwoodMusk

Top15-30 mins

LavenderClovesHeliotropeAnise

Heart2-4 hrs

Tonka Bean

Base6-8 hrs

Vanilla

InformationalShared notesAnise, Lavender, Heliotrope and Vanilla. Durations are only published for Bleu, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring92

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer0

Fall100

Winter0

Day100

Night54

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men75

Unisex22

Women3

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

Casual 35%Work 32%Date 24%Party 9%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#4,254

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews16

Overall rank#56,802

PerfumerChristian Louis

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerBackgroundHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

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 →

Bleu by Parfums et Senteurs du Pays Basque flips traditional lavender on its head. Instead of a barbershop soap, you get a warm, herbal cloud wrapped in licorice sweetness. The opening hits with sharp French lavender and spicy star anise, cut immediately by pungent cloves. Within twenty minutes, powdery heliotrope sof…

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, Background or Bleu?

Background takes 3 of 4 categories. Background is rated 4.52/5 from 181 votes; Bleu is rated 4.50/5 from 2 votes. Choose Background for a anis and vanilla character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter. Choose Bleu for a lavender and aromatic character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Background or Bleu?

Background lasts longest (Background 77/100, Bleu 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Background or Bleu?

Projection is very close: Background 68/100, Bleu 67/100 for sillage.

Do Background and Bleu smell similar?

Some overlap: a 40% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, vanilla and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Anise, Lavender, Heliotrope and Vanilla.

Is Background or Bleu better for summer or winter?

Bleu suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Background and Bleu?

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. Bleu has top notes of Lavender, Cloves, Heliotrope and Anise, heart notes of Tonka Bean, a base of Vanilla.