Fragrance comparison

Mysteriously No 2 vs Background

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 202 ratings analysed

Mysteriously No 2

Marc Cain

3.3321 votes

Rank #52,835 Warm SpicyCinnamon

Full profile Similar & dupes

51%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Background

Jil Sander

4.52181 votes

Rank #4,216 AnisVanilla

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Background takes 4 of 5 categories.

Mysteriously No 2
Choose it for a warm spicy and cinnamon character. Best in fall, evening wear.
Background
Choose it for a anis and vanilla character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.

Mysteriously No 20/5

Background4/5

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

Mysteriously No 2Marc Cain

BackgroundJil Sander

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.33/ 5 · 21 votes

Have 43%Had 28%Want 29%

4.52/ 5 · 181 votes

Have 30%Had 25%Want 45%

Category winnerBackgroundRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

19%Love

33%Like

19%Ok

19%Dislike

10%Hate

21 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

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate58

⏱ Longevity77

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate88

Category winners

LongevityBackground

SillageBackground

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value54

Category winnerTieBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

cinnamon88%

vanilla77%

powdery65%

musky53%

amber42%

anis100%

vanilla92%

amber84%

warm spicy77%

aromatic69%

sweet61%

Scent match51%Some overlap · both warm spicy, vanilla and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

CinnamonClovesBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

HeliotropeJasmineSandalwoodRoseLily-of-the-Valley

Base6-8 hrs

Tonka BeanMuskVanilla

Top

AniseRaspberryTarragonLavenderBergamotLemon

Heart

CinnamonCarnationJasmineLily-of-the-ValleyHeliotropeRose

Base

BenzoinVanillaCedarTonka BeanAmberSandalwoodMusk

InformationalShared notesCinnamon, Bergamot, Heliotrope and Jasmine. Durations are only published for Mysteriously No 2, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring43

Summer29

Fall100

Winter100

Day56

Night100

Spring92

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex22

Women78

Date 33%Casual 30%Work 26%Party 12%

Men75

Unisex22

Women3

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#52,835

PerfumerCorinne Cachen, Maarten Schoute, Michel Almairac

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#4,216

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews16

Category winnerBackgroundHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Marc Cain Mysteriously No 2 is an oriental floral perfume built around a warm, comforting core of baking spices and soft sweetness. The first spray releases a sharp kick of crushed cloves and fiery cinnamon, lifted by a quick flash of tart bergamot. Within twenty minutes, the initial heat settles into an almond-tinted…

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, Mysteriously No 2 or Background?

Background takes 4 of 5 categories. Mysteriously No 2 is rated 3.33/5 from 21 votes; Background is rated 4.52/5 from 181 votes. Choose Mysteriously No 2 for a warm spicy and cinnamon character. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Background for a anis and vanilla character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Mysteriously No 2 or Background?

Background lasts longest (Background 77/100, Mysteriously No 2 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Mysteriously No 2 or Background?

Background projects furthest (Background 68/100, Mysteriously No 2 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Mysteriously No 2 and Background smell similar?

Some overlap: a 51% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, vanilla and amber accords. Common notes include Cinnamon, Bergamot, Heliotrope and Jasmine.

Is Mysteriously No 2 or Background better for summer or winter?

Mysteriously No 2 suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Mysteriously No 2 and Background?

Mysteriously No 2 has top notes of Cinnamon, Cloves and Bergamot, heart notes of Heliotrope, Jasmine, Sandalwood and Rose, a base of Tonka Bean, Musk and 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.