Fragrance comparison

Bleu vs Background

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

Updated 24 Oct 2026 183 ratings analysed

Bleu

Parfums et Senteurs du Pays Basque

4.502 votes

Rank #56,802 LavenderAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

40%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.

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

Bleu1/4

Background3/4

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

BleuParfums et Senteurs du Pays Basque

BackgroundJil Sander

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.50/ 5 · 2 votes

Have 29%Had 6%Want 65%

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

50%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

2 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

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate88

⏱ Longevity77

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate88

Category winners

LongevityBackground

SillageBackground

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

¤ Price value54

Category winnerBleuBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

lavender100%

aromatic86%

warm spicy72%

vanilla58%

fresh spicy44%

herbal30%

anis100%

vanilla92%

amber84%

warm spicy77%

aromatic69%

sweet61%

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

Top15-30 mins

LavenderClovesHeliotropeAnise

Heart2-4 hrs

Tonka Bean

Base6-8 hrs

Vanilla

Top

AniseRaspberryTarragonLavenderBergamotLemon

Heart

CinnamonCarnationJasmineLily-of-the-ValleyHeliotropeRose

Base

BenzoinVanillaCedarTonka BeanAmberSandalwoodMusk

InformationalShared notesLavender, Heliotrope, Anise and Tonka Bean. Durations are only published for Bleu, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall100

Winter0

Day100

Night54

Spring92

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

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

Men75

Unisex22

Women3

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#56,802

PerfumerChristian Louis

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#4,254

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews16

Category winnerBackgroundHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

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 →

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, Bleu or Background?

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

Which lasts longer, Bleu or Background?

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

Which projects more, Bleu or Background?

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

Do Bleu and Background smell similar?

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

Is Bleu or Background better for summer or winter?

Bleu suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Bleu and Background?

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