Fragrance comparison

Behind the Curtain vs Imagine Bleu

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

Updated 9 Oct 2026 15 ratings analysed

3 wins

Behind the Curtain

House of Matriarch

3.3611 votes

Rank #61,231 FruitySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

21%scent match

Clearly different

Imagine Bleu

Jean Louis Vermeil

3.004 votes

Rank #62,188 FruityWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Behind the Curtain takes 3 of 3 categories.

Behind the Curtain
Choose it for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking.
Imagine Bleu
Choose it for a fruity and white floral character. Best in spring, evening wear.

Behind the Curtain3/3

Imagine Bleu0/3

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Behind the Curtain
Sillage & projection: Behind the Curtain
Value for money: Not scored
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Behind the Curtain

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Behind the CurtainHouse of Matriarch

Imagine BleuJean Louis Vermeil

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.36/ 5 · 11 votes

Have 17%Had 7%Want 77%

3.00/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 7%Had 14%Want 79%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

36%Love

18%Like

0%Ok

36%Dislike

9%Hate

11 votes · too few to score

25%Love

25%Like

0%Ok

25%Dislike

25%Hate

4 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate59

⏱ Longevity40

〰 Sillage38

♥ Love / hate50

Category winners

LongevityBehind the Curtain

SillageBehind the Curtain

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price valueN/A

¤ Price value13

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fruity100%

sweet92%

powdery84%

leather77%

oud69%

animalic61%

fruity100%

white floral92%

aromatic84%

woody77%

patchouli69%

warm spicy61%

Scent match21%Clearly different · both fruity

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-30 mins

RaspberryBlack CurrantBlack ElderHoneysuckle

Heart3-4 hrs

LeatherLitchiCassiaPeonyWhite AmberYlang-YlangExotic Woods

Base8-10 hrs

Agarwood (Oud)White MuskOrris RootPowdery NotesVanillaPatchouli

Top

PeachThymeBlack CurrantRaspberryLemonPineappleGrapefruitApple

Heart

HoneysuckleJasmineCarnationRoseYlang-YlangLilyOrange Blossom

Base

PatchouliAmberOakmossSandalwoodMusk

InformationalShared notesRaspberry, Black Currant, Honeysuckle and Ylang-Ylang. Durations are only published for Behind the Curtain, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring–

Summer–

Fall–

Winter–

Day41

Night100

Spring100

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day50

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Not enough votes yet

Date 40%Party 34%Casual 17%Work 9%

Men33

Unisex0

Women67

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#61,231

PerfumerChristi Meshell

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#62,188

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerBehind the CurtainHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

House of Matriarch Behind the Curtain is a dark, complex blend of tart fruit, worn leather, and resinous wood. The opening hits fast with sour black currant, sweet raspberry, and black elder. Within minutes, a dense jacket leather note pulls the sweetness into moody territory. Powdery orris root, agarwood oud, and dar…

Reviews →

Jean Louis Vermeil Imagine Bleu from 1989 is a complex vintage floral fruity blend. The fragrance opens with a sharp burst of citrus and raspberry before settling into a dense heart of carnation and jasmine. Warm sandalwood and earthy oakmoss ground the base, making it ideal for brisk spring days when you want a nosta…

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, Behind the Curtain or Imagine Bleu?

Behind the Curtain takes 3 of 3 categories. Behind the Curtain is rated 3.36/5 from 11 votes; Imagine Bleu is rated 3.00/5 from 4 votes. Choose Behind the Curtain for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Choose Imagine Bleu for a fruity and white floral character. Best in spring, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Behind the Curtain or Imagine Bleu?

Behind the Curtain lasts longest (Behind the Curtain 60/100, Imagine Bleu 40/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Behind the Curtain or Imagine Bleu?

Behind the Curtain projects furthest (Behind the Curtain 55/100, Imagine Bleu 38/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Behind the Curtain and Imagine Bleu smell similar?

Clearly different: a 21% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fruity accords. Common notes include Raspberry, Black Currant, Honeysuckle and Ylang-Ylang.

Is Behind the Curtain or Imagine Bleu better for summer or winter?

Behind the Curtain suits evening wear; Imagine Bleu suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Behind the Curtain and Imagine Bleu?

Behind the Curtain has top notes of Raspberry, Black Currant, Black Elder and Honeysuckle, heart notes of Leather, Litchi, Cassia and Peony, a base of Agarwood (Oud), White Musk, Orris Root and Powdery Notes. Imagine Bleu has top notes of Peach, Thyme, Black Currant and Raspberry, heart notes of Honeysuckle, Jasmine, Carnation and Rose, a base of Patchouli, Amber, Oakmoss and Sandalwood.