Fragrance comparison

Angel Black Brilliant Star vs Initial

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 708 ratings analysed

Angel Black Brilliant Star

Mugler

3.9624 votes

Rank #21,388 SweetFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

23%scent match

Clearly different

3 wins

Initial

Boucheron

4.09684 votes

Rank #2,996 FloralFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Initial takes 3 of 5 categories.

Angel Black Brilliant Star
Choose it for a sweet and fruity character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.
Initial
Choose it for a floral and fruity character. Wins on ratings & consensus, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Angel Black Brilliant Star2/5

Initial3/5

Ratings & consensus: Initial
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Angel Black Brilliant Star
Sillage & projection: Angel Black Brilliant Star
Value for money: Initial
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Initial

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

Angel Black Brilliant StarMugler

InitialBoucheron

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.96/ 5 · 24 votes

Have 5%Had 2%Want 93%

4.09/ 5 · 684 votes

Have 38%Had 32%Want 30%

Category winnerInitialRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

54%Love

17%Like

0%Ok

29%Dislike

0%Hate

24 votes · too few to score

39%Love

45%Like

3%Ok

13%Dislike

0%Hate

684 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage79

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate77

Category winners

LongevityAngel Black Brilliant Star

SillageAngel Black Brilliant Star

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value25

¤ Price value45

Category winnerInitialBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

sweet100%

fruity92%

vanilla84%

powdery77%

caramel69%

citrus61%

floral100%

fruity92%

fresh spicy84%

honey77%

fresh69%

aromatic61%

Scent match23%Clearly different · both fruity

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-30 mins

Cotton CandyMelonCoconutCassisMandarin OrangeJasmineBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

HoneyPlumOrchidLily-of-the-ValleyRed BerriesRosePeachApricot

Base8-12+ hrs

PatchouliDark ChocolateVanilaCaramelAmberTonka BeanMusk

Top

PepperCassisRed currant leafMandarin Orange

Heart

PatchouliRoseJasmineWildflowers

Base

HoneyMuskAlmond

InformationalShared notesCassis, Mandarin Orange, Jasmine and Honey. Durations are only published for Angel Black Brilliant Star, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring58

Summer42

Fall67

Winter100

Day65

Night100

Spring47

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Men0

Unisex7

Women93

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#21,388

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews5

Overall rank#2,996

PerfumerJacques Cavallier Belletrud

Launched—

Reviews62

Category winnerInitialHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Angel Black Brilliant Star encases Mugler's legendary 1992 gourmand formula in a midnight crystal collector flask. Do not overspray this. The scent opens with a loud pop of spun sugar, juicy melon, and tropical coconut before shifting into a thick wave of dark chocolate, honey, and earthy patchouli. It is sweet, earth…

Reviews →

Initial by Boucheron opens with a sharp bite of black pepper and tart cassis before settling into a warm floral heart. Created in 2000 by perfumer Jacques Cavallier Belletrud, this composition merges dark red currant leaf with rich honey and powdery almond. The spice cuts through the sweet nectar, preventing the jasmi…

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.

Recent comparisons

Head-to-head activity from live history

Saffron AmberIlluminumRUNNER-UP vs

Septieme Sens (7e Sens)Sonia RykielWINNER

1 person compared this today

Fancy NightsJessica SimpsonRUNNER-UP vs

Nino Cerruti Pour FemmeCerrutiWINNER

3 people compared this today

Sweet DreamsHouse Of SillageWINNER vs

Safari ElixirAthoor Al AlamRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

PrometheuNecalliWINNER vs

Bruno ImperialAnfar LondonRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Angel Black Brilliant Star or Initial?

Initial takes 3 of 5 categories. Angel Black Brilliant Star is rated 3.96/5 from 24 votes; Initial is rated 4.09/5 from 684 votes. Choose Angel Black Brilliant Star for a sweet and fruity character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Initial for a floral and fruity character. Wins on ratings & consensus, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Angel Black Brilliant Star or Initial?

They last about the same: Angel Black Brilliant Star 73/100, Initial 71/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Angel Black Brilliant Star or Initial?

Angel Black Brilliant Star projects furthest (Angel Black Brilliant Star 79/100, Initial 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Angel Black Brilliant Star and Initial smell similar?

Clearly different: a 23% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fruity accords. Common notes include Cassis, Mandarin Orange, Jasmine and Honey.

Is Angel Black Brilliant Star or Initial better for summer or winter?

Angel Black Brilliant Star suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Angel Black Brilliant Star and Initial?

Angel Black Brilliant Star has top notes of Cotton Candy, Melon, Coconut and Cassis, heart notes of Honey, Plum, Orchid and Lily-of-the-Valley, a base of Patchouli, Dark Chocolate, Vanila and Caramel. Initial has top notes of Pepper, Cassis, Red currant leaf and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Patchouli, Rose, Jasmine and Wildflowers, a base of Honey, Musk and Almond.