Fragrance comparison

Bleu de Chine vs Initiation

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

Updated 16 Oct 2026 235 ratings analysed

5 wins

Bleu de Chine

Marc de la Morandiere

4.41160 votes

Rank #6,275 WoodyWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

37%scent match

Some overlap

Initiation

Molyneux

4.2375 votes

Rank #13,835 White FloralSweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Bleu de Chine takes 5 of 7 categories.

Bleu de Chine
Choose it for a woody and white floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear.
Initiation
Choose it for a white floral and sweet character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Bleu de Chine5/7

Initiation2/7

Ratings & consensus: Bleu de Chine
Community sentiment: Bleu de Chine
Longevity: Bleu de Chine
Sillage & projection: Bleu de Chine
Value for money: Initiation
Versatility: Initiation
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Bleu de Chine

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Bleu de ChineMarc de la Morandiere

InitiationMolyneux

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.41/ 5 · 160 votes

Have 65%Had 35%Want 0%

4.23/ 5 · 75 votes

Have 38%Had 19%Want 43%

Category winnerBleu de ChineRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

49%Love

46%Like

2%Ok

3%Dislike

0%Hate

160 votes

40%Love

52%Like

1%Ok

4%Dislike

3%Hate

75 votes

Category winnerBleu de ChineMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate85

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate81

Category winners

LongevityBleu de Chine

SillageBleu de Chine

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value55

¤ Price value81

Category winnerInitiationBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

white floral92%

mossy84%

earthy77%

amber69%

tuberose61%

white floral100%

sweet92%

woody84%

floral77%

yellow floral69%

animalic61%

Scent match37%Some overlap · both white floral and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

TuberoseJasmineLily-of-the-ValleyBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

OakmossSandalwoodYlang-YlangVetiver

Base6-8+ hrs

ResinsVanillaTonka BeanMusk

Top

PeachGardeniaBrazilian RosewoodAldehydesMandarin OrangeBergamot

Heart

TuberoseYlang-YlangRoseNarcissusHeliotropeJasmineCarnationLily-of-the-Valley

Base

HoneyAmberCivetOakmossCoconutPatchouliVetiver

InformationalShared notesTuberose, Jasmine, Lily-of-the-Valley and Bergamot. Durations are only published for Bleu de Chine, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring73

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day53

Night100

Spring47

Summer40

Fall100

Winter80

Day100

Night94

Category winnerInitiationMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex27

Women73

Date 37%Party 29%Work 18%Casual 16%

Men0

Unisex10

Women90

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#6,275

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews13

Overall rank#13,835

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews8

Category winnerBleu de ChineHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Bleu de Chine by Marc de la Morandiere is a bold 1987 floral chypre built with unapologetic character. The opening flares up with creamy tuberose, sweet jasmine, and a zesty flash of bergamot that quickly commands attention. Give it five minutes. Soon, the initial alcohol lift yields to a dense heart of genuine oakmos…

Reviews →

Initiation by Molyneux is a Oriental Floral fragrance for women. Initiation was launched in 1990. Top notes are Peach, Gardenia, Brazilian Rosewood, Aldehydes, Mandarin Orange and Bergamot; middle notes are Tuberose, Ylang-Ylang, Rose, Narcissus, Heliotrope, Jasmine, Carnation and Lily-of-the-Valley; base notes are Ho…

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.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Bleu de Chine or Initiation?

Bleu de Chine takes 5 of 7 categories. Bleu de Chine is rated 4.41/5 from 160 votes; Initiation is rated 4.23/5 from 75 votes. Choose Bleu de Chine for a woody and white floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Initiation for a white floral and sweet character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Bleu de Chine or Initiation?

Bleu de Chine lasts longest (Bleu de Chine 75/100, Initiation 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Bleu de Chine or Initiation?

Bleu de Chine projects furthest (Bleu de Chine 62/100, Initiation 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Bleu de Chine and Initiation smell similar?

Some overlap: a 37% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share white floral and woody accords. Common notes include Tuberose, Jasmine, Lily-of-the-Valley and Bergamot.

Is Bleu de Chine or Initiation better for summer or winter?

For summer, Initiation is the stronger pick. For winter, Bleu de Chine is the stronger pick. Bleu de Chine suits evening wear; Initiation suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Bleu de Chine and Initiation?

Bleu de Chine has top notes of Tuberose, Jasmine, Lily-of-the-Valley and Bergamot, heart notes of Oakmoss, Sandalwood, Ylang-Ylang and Vetiver, a base of Resins, Vanilla, Tonka Bean and Musk. Initiation has top notes of Peach, Gardenia, Brazilian Rosewood and Aldehydes, heart notes of Tuberose, Ylang-Ylang, Rose and Narcissus, a base of Honey, Amber, Civet and Oakmoss.