Skip to content
FRAGRANXE
Fragrance comparison

Cassini vs Initiation

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

Updated 329 ratings analysed
Some overlap
Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Cassini takes 4 of 7 categories.

  • Cassini

    Choose it for a white floral and floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.

  • Initiation

    Choose it for a white floral and sweet character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and versatility. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Cassini4/7
Initiation3/7
Ratings & consensus
Cassini
Community sentiment
Initiation
Longevity
Cassini
Sillage & projection
Cassini
Value for money
Initiation
Versatility
Initiation
Note pyramid (duration)
Not scored
Fragranxe ranking
Cassini

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance
CassiniOleg Cassini
InitiationMolyneux
Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split
4.22/ 5 · 254 votes
Have 63%Had 38%Want 0%
4.23/ 5 · 75 votes
Have 38%Had 19%Want 43%
Category winnerCassiniRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate
54%Love
30%Like
2%Ok
15%Dislike
0%Hate

254 votes

40%Love
52%Like
1%Ok
4%Dislike
3%Hate

75 votes

Category winnerInitiationMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores
⏱ Longevity80
〰 Sillage74
♥ Love / hate81
⏱ Longevity66
〰 Sillage56
♥ Love / hate81
Category winners

LongevityCassini

SillageCassini

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it
¤ Price value59
¤ Price value81
Category winnerInitiationBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both
white floral100%
floral92%
animalic84%
amber77%
musky69%
earthy61%
white floral100%
sweet92%
woody84%
floral77%
yellow floral69%
animalic61%
Scent match51%Some overlap · both white floral, floral and animalic

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared
Top
GardeniaOsmanthusIrisCorianderFreesiaOrange BlossomMandarin OrangeBergamot
Heart
TuberoseCarnationChrysanthemumJasmineYlang-YlangBulgarian Rose
Base
IncenseCivetOakmossLeatherAmberPatchouliMuskVetiver
Top
PeachGardeniaBrazilian RosewoodAldehydesMandarin OrangeBergamot
Heart
TuberoseYlang-YlangRoseNarcissusHeliotropeJasmineCarnationLily-of-the-Valley
Base
HoneyAmberCivetOakmossCoconutPatchouliVetiver
InformationalShared notesGardenia, Mandarin Orange, Bergamot and Tuberose. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season
Spring33
Summer33
Fall100
Winter96
Day53
Night100
Spring47
Summer40
Fall100
Winter80
Day100
Night94
Category winnerInitiationMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes
Men11
Unisex37
Women52
Men0
Unisex10
Women90
InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#2,843

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews51

Overall rank#15,067

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews8

Category winnerCassiniHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Cassini opens with a heavy blast of classic white florals, dominated by tuberose and gardenia, before settling into a warm, spicy base of incense and oakmoss. This is a complex, rich scent that demands cold weather and formal evenings to truly shine. Unlike modern, sugary sweet perfumes, it carries a deep animalic und…

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.

Recent comparisons

Head-to-head activity from live history

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Cassini or Initiation?

Cassini takes 4 of 7 categories. Cassini is rated 4.22/5 from 254 votes; Initiation is rated 4.23/5 from 75 votes. Choose Cassini for a white floral and floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Initiation for a white floral and sweet character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and versatility. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Cassini or Initiation?

Cassini lasts longest (Cassini 80/100, Initiation 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Cassini or Initiation?

Cassini projects furthest (Cassini 74/100, Initiation 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Cassini and Initiation smell similar?

Some overlap: a 51% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share white floral, floral and animalic accords. Common notes include Gardenia, Mandarin Orange, Bergamot and Tuberose.

Is Cassini or Initiation better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Cassini and Initiation?

Cassini has top notes of Gardenia, Osmanthus, Iris and Coriander, heart notes of Tuberose, Carnation, Chrysanthemum and Jasmine, a base of Incense, Civet, Oakmoss and Leather. 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.

Add to comparison

Find a fragrance