Secondscent vs Background
Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.
38%scent match
Some overlap
Quick verdict
Which one should you pick?
Background takes 5 of 7 categories.
SecondscentChoose it for a vanilla and powdery character. Wins on community sentiment and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.
BackgroundChoose it for a anis and vanilla character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.
Secondscent2/7
Background5/7
- Ratings & consensus
- Background
- Community sentiment
- Secondscent
- Longevity
- Background
- Sillage & projection
- Background
- Value for money
- Background
- Versatility
- Secondscent
- Note pyramid (duration)
- Not scored
- Fragranxe ranking
- Background
Head-to-head breakdown
Every category side by side, with the winner called out.
Fragrance
SecondscentTed BakerBackgroundJil SanderWinner
Ratings & consensus
Average rating and ownership split4.24/ 5 · 33 votes
Have 26%Had 21%Want 53%
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 hate24%Love
76%Like
0%Ok
0%Dislike
0%Hate
33 votes
61%Love
33%Like
2%Ok
4%Dislike
0%Hate
181 votes
Category winnerSecondscentMost positive mix (25+ votes)
Longevity & sillage
0–100 community performance scores
Category winners
LongevityBackground
SillageBackground
Value for money
How fairly priced voters find itCategory winnerBackgroundBest value score
Main accords
Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by bothvanilla100%
powdery91%
white floral83%
floral74%
anis65%
almond56%
anis100%
vanilla92%
amber84%
warm spicy77%
aromatic69%
sweet61%
Scent match38%Some overlap · both vanilla and anis
Note pyramid (duration)
Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = sharedTop
AniseHawthornLily-of-the-Valley
Heart
HeliotropeJasmineTiare Flower
Base
VanillaMuskSandalwood
Top
AniseRaspberryTarragonLavenderBergamotLemon
Heart
CinnamonCarnationJasmineLily-of-the-ValleyHeliotropeRose
Base
BenzoinVanillaCedarTonka BeanAmberSandalwoodMusk
InformationalShared notesAnise, Lily-of-the-Valley, Heliotrope and Jasmine. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.
Seasons & time of day
Relative to each fragrance's best seasonSpring56
Summer22
Fall100
Winter100
Day100
Night54
Spring92
Summer0
Fall0
Winter100
Day–
Night–
Category winnerSecondscentMost year-round
Who wears it
Gender appeal votesInformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored
Ranking & credits
Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launchOverall rank#33,016
PerfumerSophie Labbé
Launched—
Reviews4
Overall rank#4,595
PerfumerNot listed
Launched—
Reviews16
Category winnerBackgroundHigher overall rank
In a nutshell
Description & review snapshotSecondscent by Ted Baker leans into powdery comfort with sweet anise and soft florals. The scent opens with a light, spicy kick of star anise before melting into cozy heliotrope and warm vanilla. It fits quiet office wear on cool autumn days when you want a gentle skin scent that stays private rather than filling a wh…
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.
Guided comparison
Ask about this matchup
Get a practical answer grounded in the fragrances currently selected.
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Common questions
Straight answers from the data above.
Which is better, Secondscent or Background?
Background takes 5 of 7 categories. Secondscent is rated 4.24/5 from 33 votes; Background is rated 4.52/5 from 181 votes. Choose Secondscent for a vanilla and powdery character. Wins on community sentiment and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Background for a anis and vanilla character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.
Which lasts longer, Secondscent or Background?
Background lasts longest (Background 77/100, Secondscent 37/100), based on community performance votes.
Which projects more, Secondscent or Background?
Background projects furthest (Background 68/100, Secondscent 43/100), based on community performance votes.
Do Secondscent and Background smell similar?
Some overlap: a 38% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share vanilla and anis accords. Common notes include Anise, Lily-of-the-Valley, Heliotrope and Jasmine.
Is Secondscent or Background better for summer or winter?
For summer, Secondscent is the stronger pick. For winter, Secondscent is the stronger pick. Secondscent suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.
What are the notes in Secondscent and Background?
Secondscent has top notes of Anise, Hawthorn and Lily-of-the-Valley, heart notes of Heliotrope, Jasmine and Tiare Flower, a base of Vanilla, Musk and Sandalwood. 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.
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