Background Jil Sander 1993 Eau de Toilette

Background opens with a thick, quite peculiar soapy-medicinal blend comprising fruity notes, almond (tonka), a true load of cinnamon blended with powdery notes (heliotrope above all), balsamic notes, something creamy like white flowers, and something balsamic-resinous which reminded me of pine and fir balsam. Balmy, spicy, medicinal, woody, powdery, kind of gourmand-ish and balsamic... and leathery too for me, a smooth, soft but bold leather note underneath, slowly arising as minutes pass. A really solid leather accord, actually: waxy, rich, realistic, bracing and totally compelling. A sort of bizarre, colorful, kind of queery hybrid halfway Cuir Mauresque and Helmut Lang EDP, spicier than both and overall kind of more “weird” and playful - in a good meaning though. Kind of flashy too honestly, with (no offense for Germans) a sort of typical German “boldness” (i.e., tackiness) I smell in many older perfumes from Germany. Fun and creative, a bit linear and a bit heavy too, but a really peculiar and overall compelling take on the typical mid-90s Oriental “powdery-spicy” fougère theme (where the “peculiar” feature mostly lies in the sweet-medicinal-balsamic side).

7/10

There were times when perfumes were an opulent multitude of components, an excessive accumulation of different ingredients that made pinpointing individual notes difficult. This gradually changed after the 1990s. The fragrances were not necessarily flat, but rather predictable. "Background" by Jil Sanders is clearly "stuck" in the Good Old Days. Even today I have a hard time just to guess at some fragrance notes.

Rather unimpressive is the box it comes in. A simple black color with a subtle silver and light blue print. The bottle has a flattened front and back, looks like a sturdy short column, and is made of smoky deep green glass. A solid black cap, plus a thin silver band, perches on top. So inconspicuous that one might overlook it, if one does not know the scent. But, once you have sniffed it, you will never let it go.

The opening of this fragrance comes with a Bang! in a rush of fresh spiciness. Bergamot, lemon, tarragon and above all anise forge forward, with just a hint of licorice. Gradually more diverse flowers and spices move in, impossible to detect them all. Lavender and carnation are present, along with a velvety-soft, almost balsamic cinnamon. There are lily-of-the-valley and jasmine, I believe. Slowly one feels wrapped like in a down comforter, feather by soft feather, with a sweet lasting softness. There is much tonka and more vanilla, but also sandalwood and cedar. I can make out amber and some musk.

Fortunately, this is such a soft and balsamic scent - the intense sillage would otherwise be too strong. Here, it remains a very pleasant erxperience. The longevity meets high standards, just sparingly applied, this scent fills the whole day.

The background of yesteryear with opulent aromas has become rare in the mainstream segment of today, but you can still find many in the niche section. You can look there and get lucky. Nevertheless, I am glad to know Jil Sander's "Background" and have the pleasure of applying a few drops once in a while.

(Translation: Pipette)

Such an understated name, Background, which appeals to me a little, but maybe a little TOO understated. I mean, who would want to try and/or buy this based on such a boring name? I personally think a name can make or break a fragrance. Maybe this has something to do with it being discontinued? But anyway, as I read the notes, I now realize it has quite a bit of anise, which I didn’t recognize during my first wearing, although I love the smell of licorice. It’s nice, but not Full Bottle worthy. As others have said, it does remind me of Noxema, but also has a slight COLA vibe, maybe a raspberry cola. (I love a raspberry note, if done right.) Nice enough, but my humble opinion is Background is a bit muddled, with too many unnecessary notes. It’s alright, but I think it needs to stay in the… background.

The effervescence of Background, redolent in bittersweet tarragon, cool lavender, and billowy heliotrope, is the flâneur of fragrances. It's blissfully detached, a dreamer, leaning into philosophy to guide itself through the world. It has autonomy within its world, having been released in 1993 but evoking another time, an anomaly that was met with its inevitable demise, but was treasured by those who were familiar with it.

There are echoes of Dana Canoe, though less powdery; echoes of Blue Grass, yet less floral. It wanders in between the spaces of concrete that define fragrance. An aniseed builds up in its heart, a raspberry rose following not long after, with a phrase almost reminiscent of Nivea cream, and a warm benzoin-forward amber accord at its base. What a conundrum this Background is, confounding but so wonderful. It's a riddle that may not need to be solved, it's just there for you to ponder and wonder: absolutely brilliant.

This community here is simply incredible! Just this weekend I tested Métaboles Expressioniste by Ys Uzac and discovered a reference to Jil Sanders Background from the lovely Taurus1967. And today I was able to test this fine, discontinued fragrance.

Right off the bat, this amazing scent from my youth is unfortunately not Background. As much as I would have liked that. But I am by no means disappointed, because this green-sweet charmer from Jil Sander is beautiful and I immediately discover similarities with favorites from my own portfolio. Nevertheless, it wouldn’t be for me, as it develops a very intense tonka sweetness despite all its spices and woody notes, which simply doesn’t suit me. You really have to like this. Personally, I am a bit critical of a lot of tonka, but that’s just me, definitely not the fragrance.

My test material seems to be intact, as I can discern a scent progression. The opening phase initially reminds me of Keiko Mecheris Paname, one of my favorites. This one is also unfortunately discontinued, but today I won’t complain about discontinued fragrances for once. Otherwise, it gets boring. Background starts off very green, and the sweet anise and the bitter tarragon are simply wonderful opponents that come together in very fine, olfactory harmony here. I also immediately recognize the lavender. The top note of Background somewhat resembles the lavender-scented pain oil Aconit by Wala. By the way, it works great for sports injuries or when you have classic back pain. But that’s only a side note in case someone knows the scent of the oil.

After that, the fragrance picks up speed and gradually becomes sweeter. Heliotrope, cinnamon, and especially vanilla and tonka gradually push to the forefront. The remaining flowers are not specifically discernible to my nose, as the composition is overall too harmonious. A bit of tarragon here and there still provides some green, herbal background noise, and a bit of wood also says hello, but in the end, the fragrance gradually culminates in a fine tonka sweetness with vanilla.

I understand why something like this couldn’t hold its ground in the nineties, especially in the designer sector, as it is quite special, especially for that time. If this fragrance were launched today, it would probably be found in the range of Profumum Roma. The vanilla note of Background reminds me of the Profumum Roma vanilla, which I love so much. There it would probably be called Tonkaverde, Dolcebosco, or something similar. Yes, it could be a Profumum Roma and would probably sell well. I personally don’t know of any Profumum Roma that offers exactly such a note combination, but I still recommend fans of Background who miss it greatly to take a look at the fragrances of this brand. It could be appealing.

A heartfelt thank you to Lenka85 for the testing opportunity.