Background (1993)
by Jil Sander

Sweet and fruity on top and very comforting. A neat blend of florals and fruits for men. In the drydown, the cedar and rose intermingle and become the dominant note. Very nice and unique.

Top: Anise, Bergamot, Lavender, Lemon, Rasperry, Tarragon
Middle: Clove, Cinnamon, Heliotrope, Jasmine, Muguet, Rose
Base: Amber, Benzoin, Cedar, Musk, Tonka Bean, Vanilla
Rare and highly sought, Background commands three-digit prices on ebay Germany. Being a great fan of the equally rare Man Pure I was intrigued by this. The mini I was able to acquire for a few Euros, though it might of course be somewhat off, has put my interest to rest. Background is one of those "Nivea" fragrances - it reminds me of the generic smell of drugstore hand creams. There is a spark of that in Nino Cerruti, but that perfume goes elsewhere. It's very pronounced in Casran and also in Ronaldo Esper's Graphite. The effect seems to come about through the combination of fruity/citrus and herbal notes. Majoram/Basil and Tangerine/Bergamot in Graphite; Bergamot/Lemon and Juniper/Galbanum in Cerruti; Bergamot/Lemon/Rasperry and Tarragon here. Aided by the middle notes of heliotrope and rose in particular that add to the handcream feel, as well as vanilla or tonka and certain balsamic basenotes The sum total inevitably conjures up images of well-groomed, somewhat conservatively dressed women of 45+ age, as I encountered them during childhood, who used Nivea, Atrix, Creme 21 or whatever brands were popular in the 70s. No masculinity in this for me. Well, don't let my personal hang up spoil your pleasure in any of these fragrances. I just needed to point this out.

I love this scent. Sander never really promoted it, but it has a loyal following. It's completely unique. It's very warm, fresh, with just a touch of exotic fern and it long lasting and stays warm during the final dry down. It's a killer scent. But it's murder trying to find a bottle. Your best shot would be a "mini" and even those have become rare.