Fragrance comparison

Background vs Celestia

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

Updated 12 Oct 2026 258 ratings analysed

5 wins

Background

Jil Sander

4.52181 votes

Rank #4,116 AnisVanilla

Full profile Similar & dupes

62%scent match

Closely related

Celestia

Paradis des Sens · 2021

4.4577 votes

Rank #22,726 Warm SpicyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Background takes 5 of 7 categories.

Background
Choose it for a anis and vanilla character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.
Celestia
Choose it for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in winter, evening wear.

Background5/7

Celestia2/7

Ratings & consensus: Background
Community sentiment: Background
Longevity: Background
Sillage & projection: Background
Value for money: Celestia
Versatility: Celestia
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

CelestiaParadis des Sens

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.52/ 5 · 181 votes

Have 30%Had 25%Want 45%

4.45/ 5 · 77 votes

Have 35%Had 11%Want 55%

Category winnerBackgroundRating 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

69%Love

17%Like

8%Ok

4%Dislike

3%Hate

77 votes

Category winnerBackgroundMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity77

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate88

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate86

Category winners

LongevityBackground

SillageBackground

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value54

¤ Price value62

Category winnerCelestiaBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

anis100%

vanilla92%

amber84%

warm spicy77%

aromatic69%

sweet61%

warm spicy100%

amber92%

vanilla84%

anis77%

sweet69%

soft spicy61%

Scent match62%Closely related · both anis, warm spicy and vanilla

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

Black PepperAniseFloral Notes

Heart2-4 hrs

ClovesLily-of-the-Valley

Base8-12 hrs

Tonka BeanAmberMusk

InformationalShared notesAnise, Lily-of-the-Valley, Tonka Bean and Amber. Durations are only published for Celestia, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring92

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring61

Summer28

Fall92

Winter100

Day53

Night100

Category winnerCelestiaMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men75

Unisex22

Women3

Men12

Unisex53

Women35

Date 37%Party 28%Casual 20%Work 15%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#4,116

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews16

Overall rank#22,726

PerfumerGuillaume Cresp

Launched2021

Reviews4

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 →

Celestia by Paradis des Sens delivers a spicy, resinous cloud from the first blast. The black pepper hits immediately. You get a sharp flash of alcohol before sweet star anise steps forward to soften the edges. Within twenty minutes, the opening heat yields to a lush heart of lily of the valley and warm cloves that ra…

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 Celestia?

Background takes 5 of 7 categories. Background is rated 4.52/5 from 181 votes; Celestia is rated 4.45/5 from 77 votes. Choose Background for a anis and vanilla character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter. Choose Celestia for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Background or Celestia?

They last about the same: Background 77/100, Celestia 75/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Background or Celestia?

Background projects furthest (Background 68/100, Celestia 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Background and Celestia smell similar?

Closely related: a 62% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share anis, warm spicy and vanilla accords. Common notes include Anise, Lily-of-the-Valley, Tonka Bean and Amber.

Is Background or Celestia better for summer or winter?

For summer, Celestia is the stronger pick. For winter, Background is the stronger pick. Celestia suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Background and Celestia?

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. Celestia has top notes of Black Pepper, Anise and Floral Notes, heart notes of Cloves and Lily-of-the-Valley, a base of Tonka Bean, Amber and Musk.