Fragrance comparison

Angel vs Initial

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 34,041 ratings analysed

4 wins

Angel

Mugler

3.5533,357 votes

Rank #2,482 SweetPatchouli

Full profile Similar & dupes

20%scent match

Clearly different

Initial

Boucheron

4.09684 votes

Rank #2,996 FloralFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Angel takes 4 of 7 categories.

Angel
Choose it for a sweet and patchouli character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.
Initial
Choose it for a floral and fruity character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in winter.

Angel4/7

Initial3/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

AngelMugler

InitialBoucheron

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.55/ 5 · 33,357 votes

Have 64%Had 36%Want 0%

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

36%Love

25%Like

5%Ok

28%Dislike

7%Hate

33,357 votes

39%Love

45%Like

3%Ok

13%Dislike

0%Hate

684 votes

Category winnerInitialMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity85

〰 Sillage79

♥ Love / hate64

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate77

Category winners

LongevityAngel

SillageAngel

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value48

¤ Price value45

Category winnerAngelBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

sweet100%

patchouli92%

fruity84%

warm spicy77%

caramel69%

vanilla61%

floral100%

fruity92%

fresh spicy84%

honey77%

fresh69%

aromatic61%

Scent match20%Clearly different · both fruity

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

Cotton CandyCoconutCassisMelonJasmineBergamotPineappleMandarin Orange

Heart2-4 hrs

HoneyRed BerriesBlackberryPlumApricotPeachNutmegCaraway

Base8-12+ hrs

PatchouliChocolateCaramelVanillaTonka BeanAmberMuskSandalwood

Top

PepperCassisRed currant leafMandarin Orange

Heart

PatchouliRoseJasmineWildflowers

Base

HoneyMuskAlmond

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

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring26

Summer18

Fall0

Winter100

Day49

Night100

Spring47

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerInitialMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men3

Unisex22

Women76

Men0

Unisex7

Women93

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#2,482

PerfumerOlivier Cresp, Yves de Chiris

Launched—

Reviews210

Overall rank#2,996

PerfumerJacques Cavallier Belletrud

Launched—

Reviews62

Category winnerAngelHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Mugler Angel is the original blue star that created the gourmand perfume genre in 1992. It is intensely sweet, unapologetically dirty, and notoriously strong. The first blast releases a sharp punch of spun cotton candy, tangy cassis, and bright bergamot. Within minutes, that confectionery sweetness clashes against dar…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Angel or Initial?

Angel takes 4 of 7 categories. Angel is rated 3.55/5 from 33,357 votes; Initial is rated 4.09/5 from 684 votes. Choose Angel for a sweet and patchouli character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Initial for a floral and fruity character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Angel or Initial?

Angel lasts longest (Angel 85/100, Initial 71/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Angel or Initial?

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

Do Angel and Initial smell similar?

Clearly different: a 20% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fruity accords. Common notes include Cassis, Jasmine, Mandarin Orange and Honey.

Is Angel or Initial better for summer or winter?

For summer, Angel is the stronger pick. For winter, Angel is the stronger pick. Angel suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Angel and Initial?

Angel has top notes of Cotton Candy, Coconut, Cassis and Melon, heart notes of Honey, Red Berries, Blackberry and Plum, a base of Patchouli, Chocolate, Caramel and Vanilla. 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.